How Rapping Helped Pinoy Overcome Dark Moments
By Vanessa Merjudio, ABS-CBN North America News Bureau
Posted at 07/21/2015 3:33 PM | Updated as of 07/21/2015 3:38 PM
CANADA – A Filipino-Canadian rapper got to share his talent at the largest blues festival in Canada.
It was a dream come true for Fil-Canadian rapper Eddie Quotez to perform on Ottawa Bluesfest’s biggest stage, the very same stage where Kanye West and Iggy Azalea performed.
At 26, Quotez has been through a lot. He started writing poetry and rapping at nine, serving as therapy as he coped with dark moments most kids at that age had never gone through.
“When I was six, I was sexually abused by an uncle and I kept it secret for a very long time till I was 22, when I came out about it and went through a lot of depression and anger issues. But music helped me get through everything. Sometimes, I’ll go into the dark stuff but I tend to stay positive in my music,” said Quotez.
The Ottawa Bluesfest showcases local artists with the aim to expose them to new audiences, like hip hop artist Alex Silas, who had positive words to say about Quotez.
“It’s a really cool blend. He knocks you off your feet by saying something funny and then he gets you right in the heart,” Silas said.
The event is a two-week long annual event featuring some of the biggest names in the music industry. It is the largest blues festival in Canada, the second largest in North America, and one of the top 10 music festivals in the world.
Quotez’s road to this Bluesfest performance has been six years in the making. He kept on getting rejected at the Bluesfest, but he pressed on.
“Just keep pushing. I know a lot of times, it’s hard being Asian period, trying to break out into the music industry but just keep trying and keep working hard and things kind of work out,” he said.
Quotez is currently working on his first album and planning a tour.