Rapper Victor Mariachi on his love for hip-hop and family and the inspiration behind latest album

July 7th, 2023

For “Closer Look’s” "Hip-Hop at 50 series," Gwinnett County-based rapper Victor Mariachi returns to the program to talk about his latest album "DANIEL," how hip-hop shaped him, and how he incorporates his Mexican-American identity into his music. (LaShawn Hudson/WABE)

Victor Mariachi says hip-hop is “life.”

“Every day I’m working. Every day you gotta stay consistent, make music, put videos out, do visuals—it’s constant work,” said the Gwinnett County-based rapper whose lyrics center around his love for family, Mexican-American culture, and overcoming adversity.

On Friday for “Closer Look’s” “Hip-Hop at 50” series, Mariachi talked with show host Rose Scott about growing up in Lawrenceville and drawing inspiration from his mother, who immigrated from Mexico to the U.S. to start a new life.

“There’s a lot of tough territory that I need to be almost like a trailblazer. That’s why I say my mom is my biggest inspiration because she was able to do that,” explained Mariachi, who raps in English and Spanish. “If I’m able to do that in the genre, and then she could do it, there’s no reason why I can’t do it.”

Throughout the conversation, Scott played snippets of Mariachi’s latest album, “DANIEL,” and Mariachi talked about evolving as a businessman and independent artist.

“I still do music because I love it, “ said Mariachi.