Communications senior Matthew Baquero has done more than just chase his dream. At 14, Baquero began pursuing his rapping career under the stage name Trevian. Baquero’s dedication to his music resulted in access to a professional recording studio in the last semester of his eighth grade year.
“I got more and more serious [about my music] by the time I got to my sophomore year,” Baquero said. “That’s when I started collaborating with kids in the school. It got really exciting, because people started knowing who I was.”
But it wasn’t until January of 2013 that Baquero was discovered on a subway inNew Yorkby a label representative.
[My cousin] told me to start rapping for his friends,” Baquero said. “There weren’t that many people on the train, except for us and these two other guys.”After only a minute and a half of rapping, Baquero impressed not only his cousin’s friends, but the two strangers on the train as well.
“The two guys on the train came up to us, and, at first, I thought they were like some broke rappers trying to sell us their CD. I was hesitant. I was trying to see if they were legitimate or not,” Baquero said. “[The one guy] was actually a ghost writer for a few labels. I showed him a song that I had on my phone and he said, ‘Give me your name and number, and you’ll hear from us really soon. You’re really good and I want to see if you actually have what it takes.’”
After being discovered inNew York, Baquero is more determined than ever to break out into the music industry.
“I watch award shows sometimes and I wonder what it feels like to go up, grab an award and look out on all those people,” Baquero said. “I want to do that one day, go up and thank my producers, my family. I just want to do that. Every time I watch that, it gives me that extra boost. It’s really exciting. I want that one day. I want that for myself.”
Dreyfoos alumnus (‘12) Marlowe Brand vouches for Baquero’s dedication to his rapping.
“Trevian is so passionate about his music,” Brand said. “It has never been about the fame or the benefits that come along with being a successful rapper. He just loves having people appreciate his music and lyrics. He’s not afraid to take risks. He knows that you have to throw away your insecurities to get noticed. There are millions of potential ‘rap stars,’ but he’s better than them and he’s not afraid to prove that to anyone willing to listen.”
Artists know how hard it is to put themselves out there. Throwing away insecurities in order to get a big break can be a daunting thing for anyone.
“You’re gonna knock on a lot of doors in your life,” Baquero said. “In my case, I didn’t knock on a door, I stepped on a train. And who knows, maybe that train will be the one that takes you to success.”