Spitting with equally abrasive and positive content in his rhymes, the Albany MC Var Francis grew up in a ghetto neighborhood of Queens has a story that hip hop heads can appreciate, wherever they were raised. Var is unique because even though he was rooted in a life of crime, he made it out from the hood and now runs PaeDae Entertainment while working a rewarding 9-5. Grateful for his experience on the mean streets, Var Francis rhymes about not only the past struggles but how anyone can escape the hood if they have the motivation. We got Var Francis to tell us his story straight from the horse’s mouth:
“I started hustling weed on my own when I was a teenager. Weed money was my main income until I was 19 and got an actual job, though I still sold weed on the side. Once I quit that job I started selling crack because weed money was too slow. When you sell drugs it’s necessary to have a gun because thugs will try to kill or rob you. Luckily I had balls. I wasn’t going to let anybody rob or extort me.”
“When I was 20 my views on things started to change. In August 2009 my friend was killed in the streets. I had never been more depressed in my life. Later I stumbled upon a Malcolm X book, and I realized I was going down the wrong path. Every time I made a crack sale or walked out the door with my gun in my waist I felt guilty. Malcolm X was once a thug and changed completely. If he could do it I could do it. So I did! The only problem was I was too deep in the streets to make that change quickly. If you are someone who has a reputation for being gangsta, changing is not easy. If you are trying be positive people will label you soft! Once you’re labeled as soft you become prey.”
“When I turned 21 in I officially stopped selling crack and got rid of my gun. A month later I moved 200+ miles away from Astoria to Albany. From the age 21 and up I been living the legal life. I got two degrees from college. I worked plenty of management positions and I built up my credit. However, Astoria really made me who I am today. Running the streets made me a stronger person. You gain a lot of wisdom when you’re risking your life and freedom each day. The streets taught me patience and courage, and I use that in my legit hustle these days and it all comes out in my music.”
Var Francis recently dropped the six-song Pay To The Order Of EP on his SoundCloud page. The EP spans every aspect of the human condition, from fear, braggadocio, humor and romance, all with Var’s unique flow and delivery. The lead single “Why You Talking To Me” has a music video coming soon. Follow Var Francis on social media to stay up to date with one of our new favorite MCs.
