With over 12 million monthly listeners on Spotify, the phenomenal artistry of 6LACK just keeps on growing. And in May, he teamed up with Apprentice Nation and headlined an exclusive gig in London.
Apprentice Nation is using the power of music to shine a light on all that apprenticeships have to offer. And we by doing that, more young people explore all their options and different career pathways available to them – one of them being apprenticeships.
Before we dive into it, let’s clear up any confusion or doubt festering in your mind. Yes. It’s pronounced BLACK. Now that’s cleared up…
6LACK’s Notorious Rap Battles
We’re putting on a gig with purpose featuring R&B artist, 6lack – Ricardo Valdez Valentine (born 1992). 6LACK first showed signs of musical talent at a mere 4 years old. And one of his earliest recording sessions was at his father’s studio. The emerging singer/songwriter/rapper began tapping into his musical genius as he grew inspired by (his now favourite) battle rapper, Cassidy.
During school, 6LACK took every opportunity to rap – during lunch break, running track, in the hallways. Rapping battles became an everyday thing and he was dope at it. To the extent that he reigned as the best freestyler with other kids challenging him. 6LACK only recalls one loss and confesses he nearly got into a fight at the shock of losing, despite not being an aggressive or angry person. That’s how passionate and confident he was!
6LACK’s been in the music game for a lot longer than people think. Many people probably know him for his recent successes over the last couple of years. Others would think back to a notorious rap battle: a young Young Thug VS a young 6LACK (check it out). Rap followed 6LACK through various stages in his life, but what he really wanted to do was make songs. In 2009, he taught himself how to sing, influenced by R&B and soul artists such as Sade, T-pain and The Dream.
Born In The Syx
In 2017, 6LACK had a daughter he called Syx Rose: another homage to the number that has never left him – having been born in Zone 6. But there’s also a spiritual aspect too. After undergoing a transition period in his life suffering some hard times, he stumbled across life path numbers. Immediately, he was drawn to the number 6 and ever since, it’s played an influential role in life and career.
Atlanta’s Zone 6 contributed massively to who 6LACK is today, shaping him as an artist and putting things into perspective for him. 6LACK experienced and saw a lot growing up in the East Side of Atlanta. He knew he had two routes to choose from and he chose to make something bigger out of where he’s from.
Music Success
After joining management and creative collective, LVRN, 6LACK was able to create the music he was passionate about. Without limitations and restrictions, his record label supported and helped him to become the artist he was destined to be.
The blow-up of his single PRBLMS in Septemeber 2016 put 6LACK on the map. This single highlighted his lyrical genius and it achieved #73 on Billboard 100. Later in October, the video released which saw 6LACK rapping and hanging out with a bear… literally. The hit single has gone on to achieve double platinum status.
6LACK admits he knew it would cause an explosion from the very start. He had a feeling the night he recorded the song. It’s safe to say he wasn’t wrong. The record made it to the Billboard’s Twitter Emerging Artists charting at #5. The success doesn’t stop there.
Free 6LACK & East Atlanta Love Letter
In November 2016, his debut album FREE 6LACK dropped and he quickly got the recognition his artistry deserves. Rolling stone featured him in their “10 New Artists You Need To Know” edition the same month the album debuted.
On 14 September 2018, 6LACK graced us again with more music. This time, he released his sophomore album East Atlanta Love Letter which debuted at #1 on Billboard R&B Album Charts. 6lack continued to thrive in the music industry and reached a pivotal moment in his career when he was nominated for 2 Grammy Awards in the ‘Urban Contemporary’ (2018) and ‘Best Rap/Song Performance’ (2019) album categories.
6LACK’s talent has made quite the impression on other artists in the music industry. He has since recorded with Khalid and Ty Dolla $ign, co-featuring on “OTW” (On The Way) which has racked up over 79M YouTube views. 6LACK has worked with a number of influential artists from the likes of Syd, Kodak Black, Jhené Aiko and even more. His musical talent and genuine aura have carried him on to perform at the big stages at Coachella and Governors Ball.
What next?
Apprentice Nation wants you to network your way into your chosen career path. We’re lifting the lid on what apprenticeships have to offer. And we work with artists like 6LACK’s to offer outstanding celebration gigs to you.
What’s the celebration for? Because we’re doing things a little bit different: if you’re stepping out to explore something new, we think that’s more than enough of a reason to celebrate – why not? After all, if your career is meant to be enjoyable and rewarding, so should the way you discover it.
With our first round of events in the bag, click the sign-up button and leave your details and you’ll be the first to know when and where our next round of events will take place – and who’s headlining.