Profit

Nazo Bravo is an artist bred into a blue collar, immigrant household. Born in the heart of Hollywood, he was raised to value education and his strong Armenian heritage, not necessarily steered by family toward a pursuit of fame. Nevertheless, as a youth Nazo found himself drawn toward tales of urban struggle and was influenced by rappers like Tupac Shakur and Big Pun. The culture of Hip Hop, along with the awareness of its impact on society became part of Nazo's fabric as an Armenian-American. The Armenian Genocide and its atrocities serve as motivation for Nazo to not only make universal club-banging music, but also provide people with lyrical hope against cultural despair. When Nazo began making music in college with hip-hop/house producers The CaliNovas, he had yet to envision where his musical instincts would take him.
Flash-forward to today and Nazo Bravo is working on his debut album with seasoned, veteran producer Corey "OZ" Simon (credits: T.I., Macy Gray, MC Ren, Boyz N Da Hood, Xhibit, and more). Simon is working with Nazo to mesh such serious themes as the Armenian Genocide alongside more time-tested tracks of lost love and personal/cultural redemption. In the absence of formal musical training, Nazo has learned to create music from the heart and gut. He's honed rapping/recording skills through the years, knocking out tracks via hard work and dedication while also taking acting classes.
What started out as an avenue to advance his music and stage presence turned into a booking on the TNT hit series SouthLAnd. He played a role opposite Lucy Liu and Michael Cudlitz. In his scene, Nazo falls victim to street justice by cops as the two lead officers let another man they've questioned throw a vicious blow to avenge a misdeed by Nazo's character. While Bravo isn't looking for such vigilante justice in relation to the Armenian Genocide, he does yearn for recognition of the inhumanity inflicted upon his people by the Turks. An acknowledgement which to date has not come from either the Turkish government or the United States.
It's along these lines that brought the concept of Nazo's "HyePower," not to be confused with Kendrick Lamar's "HiiiPower". "Hye" literally means "Armenian" when translated to English, while the song and video is based on Lamar's work and a chance meeting he had with Kendrick. The two talked about the music game and Nazo felt an internal spark to flip the Lamar single into a song about his people. Nazo shot the "HyePower" music video with Hye actors, artists, friends, fans, and family to make something positive for Armenians both in his hometown of Los Angeles and across the globe.
The "HyePower" video has gained positive response in the Armenian-American community and hip-hop world alike, leading Nazo to recent touring opportunities with West Coast supergroup 1st Generation (with Kurupt, MC Eiht, King T, Jayo Felony, Sir Jinx, and DJ Battlecat). Nazo has enjoyed the opportunity to take the stage with artists who've influenced him (including the Dogg Pound) and is ready to take "OZ" Simon's soulful beats and his own catchy hooks and melodies to the next level. He knows there is no time like the present and remains very motivated to transform versatile personal and cultural experiences into music that transcends every possible barrier.
With a genius like Corey "OZ" Simon at the production helm, laying down smooth baselines and exquisite Southern-style drums, Nazo is currently finishing production on his self-titled "Mighty Hye" album (on the namesake label). He's also kept a creative partnership with The CaliNovas, who've advanced hugely since their earlier days. The team Nazo has compiled is not only hungry to gain the acclaim such acts he's performed with already possess, but they're adequately prepared, too. His label, Mighty Hye Records, has a strong staff in place and is ready to distribute original content.
Whether it's the stage, studio, or set, Bravo is driven and confident his relentless work ethic will pay dividends. Nazo recounts, in relation to where he's been and where he'll soon be, "I got a real strong thing going with my team. I'm making the best music of my life right now."
— Peter Stone