With a distinct style and voice Blest has steadily become one of the Southwest’s most talented artists with the potential to be a star on the rise. Constantly growing, many musical influences contribute to the always evolving style ranging from Tupac to Slipknot, Kanye West to IIO. Using his passion for music and the constant hunger to be heard, Blest has been on the path to join rap’s elite.
THE LIFE
Born Adolfo Ochoa, music has always been a form of escape growing up. As a child his father was never involved in his life; his involvement with the Juarez drug cartels was a constant risk for the young family. At two years old Blest was sent to live with his grandparents where he would spend most of his childhood. At 10 his mother remarried and the young child was forced to move in with his mother where he would suffer constant abuse by his step father. Music began to be a factor in his life, joining the school choir and his constant urge to be in the spotlight led him to join The El Paso Children’s Choir. The long practices and weekly concerts kept him away from home and his violent step father. After a year of physical abuse his grandfather along with several family members rescued the child after he suffered a severe beating that hospitalized him. Relocated once again he was safe but also his only outlet would be left behind.
With no outlet and no form of expression the young child would constantly find himself lashing out. To control his anger and teach him self-defense his grandfather enrolled him in several combat sports to channel his aggression. Fighting would become a way of growing up and a way to earn respect in the neighborhood. As he got bigger so did his reputation, his constant encounters with neighborhood gangs would build on the fighter hype that already surrounded him.
In high school Blest had two separate lives, one was a talented athlete and student, the other was a small time drug dealer. Writing was always a passion, never the kind of person who would express his emotions he will write them down on pages after pages of random thoughts. His writing would eventually start leading to poetry which would eventually pave the way for his rapping career. At 17 Blest was introduced to the art of free styling and battling, in front of hundreds of people the nervous teen grabbed the microphone and lost his first battle. Feeling the embarrassment of losing in front of an audience, Blest began to work on sharpening his skills and his first steps towards his music career began.
After graduating from high school Blest returned to live with his mom to help pay the bills. After a few altercations, his once abusive step father was thrown out of the house by the same person he would beat several years before. To pay the bills and support a family Blest returned to the world of drug dealing, determined to begin his music career he began looking for mentors and some guidance into the business. With no support from the local scene and no producers willing to work with the novice rapper, he began to learn to make beats and started to write songs. Spending most of his time mimicking his favorite artists, Blest began developing his style but without real guidance he spent most of his years in a trial and error phase.
THE CAREER
Throughout the years Blest released several underground albums and demos, but not till he released the remake of What I Say did he start making a name for himself. Selling over 2,000 units and selling over 4,000 downloads through major online retailers, the years of work were finally starting to pay off. He also experienced his first single Do You Really getting some local radio play on Clear Channel’s Power 102. Feeling confident Blest launched his first local tour called The 915 Obscenity Tour, where he made history in El Paso to be the only performing local artist to bring in thousands of people through the course of the tour. Determined to get better as an artist Blest got back into the studio where he would start working on his follow up album Patiently Waiting. Family problems and financial pressures would keep him working on his album for over two years. After the album was completed, Blest was forced to build his audience once again. The single Sexy began radio play in the Los Angeles based show Pocos Pero Locos which would open the door for radio exposure throughout several cities in the United States. With the power of the internet Blest was able to reach a worldwide audience getting radio exposure on online radio stations and getting fans from all over the globe. The album will eventually hit over 15,000 sold downloads in the first six months, making it his most successful album to date.
Now this artist is on a mission to take his career to a whole new level. With the release of his first mixtape Blest-Unleashed and the follow up album Self Made, Blest is looking at new horizons. The rookie rapper who couldn’t find a single producer in the beginning of his career has contributions to the mixtape from producers in the United States, Mexico, the UK and other countries helping to develop the sound and direction of the project. Blest has also been featured on several projects from small independent artists to artists signed to major labels. Constantly growing and determined to overcome all obstacles, the once timid rapper has now become an underground movement. Years of work have shown that Blest has the drive and the talent to continue to reach for the stars.
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