A lot of rappers have come from poverty and experienced life on the streets, while others came from the other end of the spectrum with wealthy families and nice houses.
Israeli rapper Vortex comes from somewhere between those extremes.
“I’m a middle class rapper, that’s basically what I am,” he says. “I can afford some things but I cannot afford it all.”
Vortex puts that perspective into focus with his new single “Middle of the Ladder” featuring Christian D. It’s an upbeat hip hop track that contrasts the life of a kid from the suburbs and another from the slums.
“Hip hop throughout the years talks a lot about rappers that came from the slums and on the other hand I personally know some rappers who came from the suburbs, from a father who was dealing in jewelry, stuff like that,” he says. “I came from the metaphorical middle of the ladder.”
The official video for the song has caught on quick, generating more than 30,000 plays on YouTube alone in just a few weeks. It’s also Vortex’s first release in English.
Born to an American father and Israeli mother, Vortex released his 20-track debut album in Hebrew three years ago. Now he’s preparing to release a follow-up project for an English audience.
“In my country, doing hip hop music is like chasing your own tail,” he says. “Israeli rappers barely make music in English, so I’m here to make history. I’m going to be the first Israeli rapper to put it on with an album in English.”
Vortex moved to Los Angeles three years ago shortly after the release of that debut to take his career to an international level.
His new album will be called Rapaissance and will feature 16 tracks. He’s recording it right now and plans to release five more singles before putting the whole project out.
The next single will be “My Female Version,” Vortex’s recounting of an odd relationship he had with a woman very similar to himself.
“Usually you say that opposites attract but I’m seeing myself in her and she’s like myself in a woman,” he says.
Vortex picked up the English language from watching movies and using
Google translate for words he didn’t understand. But when it came to music, as a teenager there were times he didn’t think it was for him. Now he says it’s part of his DNA.
“Later on I was saying you know what, it’s who I am and I can’t run away from that,” he says. “It’s part of how my brain chemicals work, part of how I think about things. I can’t run away from that even if I want to, it’s who I am and it stays with me.”
Make sure to stay connected to Vortex on all platforms for new music, videos and social posts.
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