Features : After rough upbringing, hip hop artist CB3 is on a mission with new single ‘Tick Tock’

When he was growing up, music was something of an escape for Clinton Brand. Now he wants to share his own music with everyone he can, as a light for others in the dark.

“There are a lot of people in general who are struggling and I want to be that light,” he says. “To show them don’t give up, if you have a dream you can chase it.”

Brand, better known by the stage name CB3, is an emerging hip hop artist who overcame countless obstacles in his childhood before realizing he had a gift for music. He was taken away from an abusive mother at a young age and sent to live with his grandparents. When he was 8, with his grandparents experiencing homelessness and his father no longer in the picture, Brand ended up in foster care for several years. His mother eventually passed away when he was a teenager.

“So I’m an orphan at 14, getting bullied in school and I just started writing,” he says. “Writing down my feelings. Later on I think those two kind of intertwined, the music and the writing and the writing slowly turned into me going to talent shows and performing in front of the school and people started telling me, ‘Wow, you’re really good at this. Ever thought about actually making music?’”

His answer was always no, but years later a music career has become a reality for the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native. This month, CB3 released his newest single, “Tick Tock” featuring Aylius.

Time is ticking, don’t wait for nobody
I’m on a mission, to be great like Mohammed
I got tunnel vision, I can only see the top
But time is ticking, tick tock

That mission, Brand says, is to “uplift others, build a foundation for my family, face my fears and overcome them. Be the best me I can be and then more.”

It’s an inspiring track, but not a lighthearted one. Brand says it’s not a song to be listened to carelessly.

“You’ve got to actually hear the words and feel it,” he says.

The single features a beat from Freek van Workum and American producer Aylius, and CB3 is trying to put together more collaborations for his future releases.

“I might even try singing,” he says. “I’ve always been able to sing, but I’m scared to. I might have to give that a try.”

CB3 adds that, “a life lived in fear isn’t a life lived at all” and he’s focused on bringing his music to as many people as he can.

“I never thought I would be doing it professionally,” he says. “I remember having friends over and we would stand on the couches and play music and I remember when I was dancing and singing along with the music thinking like wow, I actually like this feeling inside. It kind of ignites my soul. That probably sounds corny but it feels good. That’s when I realized I love music and it’s something I want to pursue.”

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