Exclusive: Nazo Bravo On “You Ain’t Gotta Go” & Embracing Cultural Roots

Nazo Bravo, a multi-talented hip hop artist, producer, and actor, pays homage to the grace, beauty, and strength of women in his latest track, “You Ain’t Gotta Go.” In our interview, the rapper shared that the single evolved naturally during an inspired session in the studio. He also teased about his upcoming album, promising at least two additional songs and the possibility of exciting surprise collaborations. The highly anticipated record is scheduled for release later this year.

With a keen focus on his manifold artistic pursuits such as acting, filmmaking, and music creation, Bravo perceives them as a lasting legacy that will endure long after he’s gone. Similarly, Nazo aims to imbue his musical creations with the essence of his cultural heritage, aspiring to foster a profound sense of pride in his origins. His music tends to spread positivity and embrace personal journeys, all while inspiring others to celebrate their own unique identities.

Read the full interview below.

How did you come up with the concept for “You Ain’t Gotta Go”? You mentioned that the single is a celebration of women, highlighting their beauty and strength. Can you share what inspired you to write a song with this theme?

Most of the songs I write start with the beat. The way I see it, the music dictates the story of a song and it’s my job as a songwriter to simply uncover it. My boy Goldmvn came up with the track while we were vibin’ in the studio, and when I started putting together melodies and words for the chorus it just felt perfect as a song about a woman. A boss. Someone bad bad. Naturally I drew from my own experiences and it came together quickly from there.

Could you provide us with additional details regarding your upcoming album and what your fans can anticipate? Since “You Ain’t Gotta Go” is included in the project, we are interested in learning more about the title, release date, and any potential collaborators. Also, do you plan to share more singles from the record?

I have at least two more singles after this one for my upcoming album, which I’m mixing right now. I plan on releasing it this year. It’s a blend of styles including my roots as a pure rapper and my singing which I’ve more recently added to my repertoire. I’m also writing and recording a follow up album which I already have the lead single for.

You’ve worked with several noteworthy artists in the past, including E-40. What was that experience like? Is there anyone specifically you aspire to collaborate with in the future?

E-40 is a legend and a solid dude. That was at a time when I was collaborating heavy with artists from the Bay Area. During that stretch there were multiple instances where I’d fly up from LA and back within the same day just to have a meeting up there, do an interview, or work with someone. It’s still all love but at this point I’m more focused on just creating and seeing how I can push the envelope within my own songwriting and recording. By adding the singing I’ve opened up an entirely new dimension which is still exciting for me. I have a few collabs on my upcoming album which I’ll announce at the right time, but as far as anyone specifically I’d like to collaborate with right now, it’s all a matter of whatever opens up organically. I’m not actively pursuing anything at this time and just letting the journey dictate who I work with next.

Given your background in acting, filmmaking, and making music, how do you believe these distinct creative fields impact one another and how do you manage to balance your diverse artistic endeavors?

We all die one day, so aside from bringing my future children into this world, my music and films are what will be left behind when I’m gone. That’s my mentality at this point of my life and it’s always in the back of my mind, so I balance my endeavors by pushing everything every day, putting one foot in front of the other. If I dedicate four hours to a music project one day and three hours to a new screenplay the same day then I’ve made progress on both fronts and keep it movin’. 

The film world helps the music in multiple ways – as a film producer I can sync my songs into my films where they make sense, and people who watch my films or TV shows I’m in can potentially be introduced to my music, like The Family Business for example which is on BET.

You’ve returned for the fourth season of The Family Business on BET. Can you share more information about the plot for this season and the significance of your character’s role in it?

In season 4, my character Dimitri Igor has moved up to have a seat at the table with the Duncan family, both as a business partner and advisor. As far as the plot and storyline of the season, people will have to watch and see all the drama for themselves.

As a producer, actor, and music composer for your upcoming film Wages of Sin, which features Paul Sloan and Danny Trejo, what aspect of the filmmaking process proved to be the most difficult for you? Juggling multiple roles in the production, what challenges did you face?

Filming in LA is challenging in some ways, including permits and locations because people are quite savvy in LA due to all of the productions that go on, so they may want to charge you multiple times more than you would pay in a small town in Louisiana or Georgia for a similar location. But I’m excited with what we got and how the film is coming together. Shout out to my producing partner S. Cyrus Sepher who also wrote the screenplay and director Victor Rios who has a great vision. We have something special so stay tuned.

Given your Armenian heritage, are you planning to infuse your cultural background into your music? What ideas or messages would you like to convey to your audience through this aspect of your identity?

That was my foundation starting out. When I met Kendrick Lamar his advice was for me to find my own niche. I was born in LA to an immigrant Armenian family, and when I visited my motherland I filmed a documentary about the experience called Armenian American and put together an accompanying soundtrack. People can go back and stream that and watch the documentary on YouTube to see the foundation. 

I’m proud of where I come from – a people who were massacred and almost wiped off the planet during the Armenian Genocide, but survived. My bloodline survived and it’s not something I take lightly or plan on wasting – it would be a disgrace to those who didn’t survive. I pay homage by being the best version of me and pushing myself to put it down for my people and culture, as someone who spreads more positivity than the opposite. 

If you listen through my songs including “You Ain’t Gotta Go,” you’ll hear my tag “Ayo” which means “Yeah!” in Armenian. That was a conscious decision, where any Armenian kid in the world who hears it can connect and everyone else can share a bit into a different culture, like Pitbull’s “Dale.” That’s the beauty of Hip Hop. The world is a big place so if I could share a message to anyone from any walk of life, I’d say be proud of who you are and where you come from. Embrace the journey, embrace the struggle. Like Talib Kweli said, the struggle is beautiful. Ayo.

Listen to “You Ain’t Gotta Go” below: