Even if you are from the same neighborhood as someone else, you might still be coming from different places. Where you are from is a complicated question and it elicits complicated, but interesting and thought-provoking responses. We’ve shared some of those responses below.

Ish Galvan

I was born and raised in California, and I currently live in North County San Diego. Growing up, I was immersed in Chicano culture, skateboarding, graffiti, and hip-hop. The big difference, though, was that I loved so much nerdy shit. Once I discovered Nintendo as a kid, I was hooked on video games for life. Also, my dad introduced me to sci-fi movies and Stephen King stories at a young age. Back in the day, though, you had to practically hide that you were into nerd culture. It was 100% uncool. Still, I was very lucky to grow up in this chaotic soup of different influences. Read More>>

Azahalia Valdez

Growing up in Southern California, I experienced two distinct environments. I was born in Mexico, but my early childhood was spent in the diverse yet under-resourced community of Watts, Los Angeles, where we faced common inequalities and noticed the high-rate crimes within our neighborhood. While we experienced hardships, we had great neighbors that helped with building community even though we did not share the same background or cultures. This was pivotal in my upbringing in many ways. We went to a school that was multi-raced, shared spaces with neighbors that came from different countries, but we all worked together to make it a good place to live in.  Read More>>

Yuchen Lu

I was born and raised in China. My grandparents are artisans from a town famous for porcelain, growing up my family always has vases in our home. They fled the Cultural Revolution in search of better opportunities, eventually settling in Beijing where I was born. Growing up, our home always has vases and traditional Chinese paintings and calligraphy, delicate objects that carried stories from the past. My childhood is nothing special. Like most kids in China, I spent most of my early years in school. My father recognized my artistic talent early on and would share the stories behind the vases in our home, hoping I would carry on our family’s creative legacy. At the same time, like many in my generation, I was captivated by contemporary art and media — influenced by cartoons, comics, and even video games. These shaped my imagination and made me curious about how art could speak to the present moment. Read More>>

Joshua McQueen

I was born in Detroit, when my parents got divorced we moved to Texas when i was 4. I spent my entire life in Texas until 2009, that’s when i moved to San Diego. Growing up on a single parent income, we didn’t have much. There were times when we didn’t have anything, those times have made me a stronger person today and have helped me realize I need to be grateful and appreciative for everything I have. Read More>>

KOAT RECORDS

We come from places where the odds were stacked against us — rough streets, broken homes, and environments that tried to define our limits before we even had a chance to dream. Most of us came up in different cities and hoods, but our stories share the same roots: struggle, survival, and the hunger to rise above it all.

Our upbringing gave us thick skin and sharp minds. It taught us how to hustle, how to stay loyal, and how to turn pain into power. That’s the foundation of K.O.A.T. Records — Kings of All Trades. We didn’t wait for a seat at the table; we built our own. Music became our outlet, our therapy, and our weapon. Read More>>