Who Is Bodega Bamz?

Get to know the rising rapper from Spanish Harlem.

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Not Available Lead

Complex TV's Original Music Video Series is an on-going series that partners unsigned artists with our platform to present their work to a broader audience. Today, we premiere the debut music video in the series with the video for Bodega Bamz' "Navy." You can check out more new music on Complex TV's Music page.

Bodega Bamz is a happy man. He's not a big star, but he feels he's on his way. He talks fast, words bursting out of his mouth with pride and passion. It's like the 28-year-old rapper born Nathaniel DeLa Rosa is trying to say everything at once. Even if it's hard to keep up, there's a sincerity to his conviction. A half Dominican/half Puerto Rican rapper from Spanish Harlem, he's been releasing music steadily for the past few years. 

Recently his buzz grew to new heights, thanks in no small part to the visual for his A$AP Ferg assisted banger, "Amen," off his Strictly 4 My P.A.P.I.Z. mixtape (which you can download on his site). With New York stalwarts A$AP Rocky and French Montana successfully transitioning from the streets to fame, Bamz is one of the new rising New York rappers who is poised to make an impact beyond the underground, and prove New York is still a vibrant hub for new rap talent. That is, if all goes according to plan.

All this buzz has fans asking, Who Is Bodega Bamz? We got on the horn with Bamz while he sat in the basement of a building his father is the super of, to talk about his religious upbringing, why he doesn't respect what he calls "Now and Later Rappers," and trying out for a role on Reading Rainbow...

As told to Insanul Ahmed (@Incilin)

RELATED: Who Is Kat Dahlia?

RELATED: Who Is Chance The Rapper?

RELATED: Who Is Alexander Spit?

Growing Up In Spanish Harlem

Not Available Interstitial

Bodega Bamz: “I grew up in Spanish Harlem on 119th St. between 2nd and 3rd Ave., Building 222, Apartment 1D. My father was straight from the Dominican Republic, my mom was from Puerto Rico. I grew up in the era were I had to jump over crack vials and see lines of fiends right outside my door. The block I grew up on is notorious for that. The most famous block of Spanish Harlem is 119th St. between 2nd and 3rd Ave. That’s where I grew up.

“My dad was real strict, he was the enforcer. He was real military-like when he was at home. He wasn’t usually home because he was working the graveyard shift so I’d rarely see him. My mom was more lenient. She was more hip and younger. She was the type to slip me cookies under the table, so to speak.

“I grew up in a very religious household and had a Pentecostal Christian upbringing. I went to church right around the corner. I grew up in that church. I used to be a preacher in my church and I used to be in church plays. I don’t regret one bit of it. I have a connection with God to this day.


 

I was very passionate about acting, I still am. There used to be this show called Reading Rainbow. When I was seven, my mom took me to be a part of the show and I read for one of the directors.


 

“I don’t go to church anymore, but I did go on Good Friday. I still have a spiritual connection with God. I feel the need to always incorporate that into my music. God is where I got my talent from. I’m not into religion because religion is man made. I don’t need church because it’s a place to worship with other fellow members, but the real issue is between you and God.

“My first passion was being in film. Growing up in church, I was in dramas. I was very passionate about acting, I still am. There used to be this show called Reading Rainbow. When I was 7, my mom took me to be a part of the show and I read for one of the directors. I wanted to meet the Black dude in the show [LeVar Burton] but they never called me back. Fuck those motherfuckers.

“We used to do a lot of dramas that were Bible stories and one of the stories we did was The Prodigal Son. We did a lot of Christmas dramas. I was in a lot of dramas outside of church too. It was inner city kid shit, but movies and film and art have always been a big inspiration. Way before I was heavily into the whole rap shit, we loved movies.

“As a kid, my father would take me and my little brother Ohla to the Harlem School of Arts so I could learn how to play piano and Ohla could play the drums. My mom used to put Beethoven on before I used to go sleep. So music has always been a part of my life, whether it be from church, my mom playing Beethoven, or going to Harlem School and playing the piano. Every part of my life has been leading up to this part right now.”

Influences

Not Available Interstitial

Bodega Bamz: “Since my parents were strict, we couldn’t curse in the house and couldn’t watch rated R movies. So the only person we could really listen to in my household was Michael Jackson. We all grew very fond of him. When he passed away, I feel like my childhood passed away with him.


 

I listened to this artist named Carman a lot. Carman is a Christian contemporary artist. He was a big inspiration to the way I perform on stage because I used to cover his songs in church in front of the congregation.


 

“But we also listened to salsa, Héctor Lavoe, and a lot of house music and Christian music. I listened to this artist named Carman a lot. Carman is a Christian contemporary artist. He was a big inspiration to the way I perform on stage because I used to cover his songs in church in front of the congregation.

“We really couldn’t listen to all the hardcore shit growing up. Whatever was on the radio, that was what I heard. I used to go to Long Island with my cousin Ace. My cousin had a crazy collection of albums so me and my brother Ohla used to steal his rap CDs. He was the one who introduced me to the Biggies and 2Pacs. The first CD he gave me was 2Pac’s Greatest Hits. I remember listening to that whole thing front to back; that was one of my favorite albums. I was a Pac fan, crazy.

“Around 11 or 12 I got introduced to all the other hip-hop acts, not just what was on the radio. But I really don’t listen to rap nowadays, I stick to the golden age, like 1997 to 2002.”

Starting To Rap

Not Available Interstitial

Bodega Bamz: “After getting introduced to rap when I was in about seventh grade, I went to high school. I saw that battling was popular. This was when battle rapping was big. It wasn’t posterized yet, it was still in the streets so the essence was still there. I saw that it was just a popular thing to do.

“It just started off as a hobby, just to get my name and face out there. Especially in high school, I’d seen how the girls was drawn to it. I’d seen how people react if it was good. So I was like, 'Let me take a shot at this.' That was the birth of me starting rapping; I started off battling. I had written poetry when I was younger but I started writing music from that day.


 

Ohla jokes on me because I was a really, really bad rapper. I wasn’t good at all. We’re from New York—lyricism is the key in New York rap so that was a big thing growing up.


 

“I remember being in class and battling one of my classmates and actually rapping Biggie’s rhymes from Life After Death. He had no idea. And I was jacking Eminem’s Slim Shady LP rhymes; niggas in the hood didn’t really fuck with Eminem but I did.

“Even to this day, Ohla jokes on me because I was a really, really bad rapper. I wasn’t good at all. We’re from New York—lyricism is the key in New York rap so that was a big thing growing up. You had to be nice, you couldn’t be some wack nigga. Nowadays it’s kind of accepted—you don’t have to rap, you could have just have a lifestyle. But when we were coming up, they ain’t give a fuck about how you look. You had to show niggas you were nice.

“I gradually became better because people were doubting me. People weren’t giving me opportunities. There was no one showing me love. I went through a lot of stages, I even changed my name three times. The more better I wanted to become. When the pressure is on, I love that type of environment. I feel like I move best when there’s pressure.”

Taking Music Seriously

Not Available Interstitial

Being Homeless

Not Available Interstitial

Bodega Bamz: “My mom and my dad got a divorce when I was about 21. My father felt pity because it affected me and my brother. So he built a studio for us. We were using it and getting comfortable with it. Then, abruptly, [he took it away from us] because we were being very defiant and disrespectful. So he locked up the studio. He eventually told us to get the fuck out and changed the locks to the crib. So we had no studio, we had nowhere to go and Ohla had sleep in his car for a few days.


 

We were at my grandmother’s crib for a year but then my grandma caught a stroke. My family started pointing the finger at us saying she had a stroke because of our loud music.


 

“By the grace of God we thankfully have family who care, so my grandma took us in. We took the studio to my grandma’s crib after my father said he’d throw it on the street.

“We were at my grandmother’s crib for a year but then my grandma caught a stroke. My family started pointing the finger at us saying she had a stroke because of our loud music. So we got kicked out of my grandma’s house because our family [overruled] my grandmother. All because of the love of music. All this shit playing in our heads like, 'Damn, our grandma almost died from music that we’re trying to pursue.'

“This is some real shit. I’m not a person that rolled out of bed and became a rapper. I went through a lot of adversity going through that. I’m never giving up because music has never given up on me.”

His Little Brother, Ohla

Not Available Interstitial

Bodega Bamz: “Ohla is the Wizard of Oz of this whole Tanboys and Bodega movement. Ohla is the engine. Me without Ohla is like Scottie Pippen without Jordan: He might go to the playoffs but he won’t win that championship. And vice versa.

“He’s a heavy influence on everything that I do. It’s the same tandem as Puffy and Big or Dame and Jay. The only difference is he’s my blood brother. This is not like a friend that I randomly bumped into at Starbucks.


 

Ohla taught himself how to be an engineer. He didn’t go to school to engineering school. No, Ohla became an engineer by default because he had to be mine.


 

“Niggas were charging ridiculous amounts of money for an hour a session, so he took it upon himself to be my engineer. Niggas wasn’t wanting to shoot videos for me, so he became my videographer. Ohla taught himself how to be an engineer. He didn’t go to engineering school. No, Ohla became an engineer by default because he had to be mine. He became good and he’s becoming better and better.

“Ohla is the Stanley Kubrick of this rap shit, he’s a visionary. If Ohla wants to be a director full time, I feel like nobody fucking with him. The same way I feel like nobody is fucking with him on some engineering shit. He’s my photographer and he’s my day to day manager. We still live together. He wears like seven hats. He’s going to be the most successful person in the world.

“But fuck that nigga. He lost his virginity before me.”

Tanboys Movement

Not Available Interstitial

Bodega Bamz: “Tanboys is a movement of Latinos who are proud and powerful individuals who want to put our culture back on the forefront of this music. It's a group of niggas tired of being called Spics, tired of being unappreciated. It’s like the Young Lords, Savage Nomads, Ñetas, and Latin Kings all mixed in one.

“The founding members are people that I’ve known since diapers: Me, Ohla, Willie HEX, and Ruben. It’s a worldwide thing, it’s not a rap group. Any Latino who’s a proud and powerful individual, any Latino who ain't a hater, any Latino who's about uplifting his culture is a Tanboy. You're born with that, it's in your DNA.


 

Any Latino who’s a proud and powerful individual, any Latino who ain't a hater, any Latino who's about uplifting his culture is a Tanboy.


 

“Ohla got the idea for our machete logo from watching Friday the 13th. Ohla loves Jason Voorhees, so we jacked the logo from that. The machete is just incorporated with Dominican lifestyle. I remember being in DR seeing Dominican niggas chasing down robbers with machetes. We incorporated a lot of crosses too. The Cross is your word, your balls, your God. That’s what you honor. The sword is the machete. It's like, 'You live by the Cross, you die by the sword.'

“It’s humbling when I have O.G. Latinos come up to me saying, 'I’m proud of what you’re doing. You’re representing my culture correctly,' because the fact that we haven’t had a large representation of Latinos in the music industry; it’s sad. We had Big Pun, we have Fat Joe, N.O.R.E, Peedi Crakk, but we don’t have an extensive amount.

“So it’s almost like a secret society. It’s like you know they’re there, but you don’t know where they’re at. I’m just happy I’m getting the opportunity to showcase my talent but also show my culture.

“There are kids that come up to me like, ‘I didn’t grow up on Pun—but you are Pun.’ That shit overwhelms me. It’s humbling. It’s almost like kids growing up not being able to see Michael Jordan but they’ve got LeBron, so I’m just happy I’m getting the opportunity to showcase that.”

Now and Later Rappers

Not Available Interstitial

Bodega Bamz: “Nowadays there’s a lot of Now and Later Rappers. They here now, but they’ll be gone later.

“It annoys me when I hear rappers say, 'Yeah I’ve just been rapping for a year.' I feel like when people say that, they have a low self-esteem. If somebody is saying that they’re wack, their only defense is, 'Yeah I’ve been rapping for a year,' because that’s acceptable I guess. It’s like, 'Okay, you’ve got room to grow.'


 

It annoys me when I hear rappers say, 'Yeah I’ve just been rapping for a year.' I feel like when people say that, they have a low self-esteem.


 

“I’ve been rapping for 10 years and now I’m getting the proper shot. It annoys me that people take that shit so lightly.

"I’ve lost a lot of money, time, patience, and friends pursuing music. I feel like that’s a slap in the face to niggas like me and anybody else who’s been grinding.

“A lot of times I feel like these kids think it’s a cool thing to say, 'Oh yeah, I’ve been rapping for a year haha, nigga I’m here before you.' I’m glad that I’ve been rapping for so long because it made me that much better. Ain’t no nigga that’s been rapping for a year that’s better than me. You’ve got to have years in you to be able to say you better than Bodega Bamz.”

On Being Independent

Not Available Interstitial

Bodega Bamz: “When Drake says 'Started from the bottom, now we here,' I can really relate to that. I’m a fan of Drake. I feel like everything Drake says—I don’t know about his upbringing, I don’t care if niggas view him as rich—I can relate to. I really came from the bottom. No handouts, no sucking dick. I’ve never done that, I’ve never been a part of another group or another team. It was never that.


 

The best feeling in the world is getting to where you’re at and not having to say, 'They got me this.' Not having to say, 'If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be here.' I can honestly say that.


 

“Me, my brother Ohla, and my supporters really came from the bottom with me. I really paid out of my pocket for studio time, studio equipment, and videos. Me and Ohla sent tons of e-mails. I really went to these shows and networked myself. Nobody co-signed Bodega Bamz. Nobody said, 'Look out for Bodega Bamz, he’s the next up.' I kept it humble, I kept it real, I kept on grinding. I kept putting out dope material. That took years.

“The best feeling in the world is getting to where you’re at and not having to say, 'They got me this.' Not having to say, 'If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be here.' I can honestly say that. I can honestly say I got to where I’m at. Nobody helped me except my believers and the people who are with me right now.

“You’re going to have your non-believers and niggas who shit on you. Those people, I put in my bucket list. What’s crazy is the more successful I get, the more I empty out that bucket list and [new] people get in there. You don’t stay with the same names, the names get bigger. At this point, the bucket list I had last year is different than the bucket list now.”

The New New York & Relationship With A$AP Mob

Not Available Interstitial

Bodega Bamz: “Everybody who’s coming up in New York right now is talented. What’s happening in New York is things are coming back full circle. That’s just how life is: A baby is born, somebody dies. New York is the birthplace of rap music, so eventually it was going to come back.

“What’s good about it is it’s starting in the underground. It feels like the roots are in there. Now with the work that the underground artists are putting in, it’s going to flourish into a garden.

“You have to give A$AP Rocky and A$AP Mob credit, they blew down the hinges on that door and let everybody know New York is back. French Montana, too. Whoever doesn’t agree with that is a hater. It’s an amazing thing, I’m happy to be one of the premier niggas in there.


 

The first time I met Rocky he was like, 'I’ve been a big fan of you, I love this joint and that joint.' That was humbling.


 

“I knew A$AP Ferg [before rap] because he used to make chains and belts around the hood and that’s how his name got around. I knew A$AP Yams as Stevie, before he was A$AP. I didn’t get to physically meet him until he was Yams, but I knew of him as Stevie. A$AP Ant was the first member of A$AP that really reached out to me and then Yams followed.

“Me and Yams have a bond because he’s half Puerto Rican/half Dominican like me so we relate to each other. One of the first conversations I had with Yams he was like, 'I’ve been on your shit.' He was bringing up old shit like, 'I remember hearing this.' The first time I met Rocky he was like, 'I’ve been a big fan of you, I love this joint and that joint.' That was humbling. Knowing that Yams was a fan of my music means a lot because Yams is the brain behind A$AP.

“I respect their music and what Rocky does is inspiring to me. Those are my niggas. I wish those niggas nothing but the best. They’re killing it, I hope they continue to kill.”

Fashion

Not Available Interstitial

Bodega Bamz: “I’ve always been a fashionable nigga. I always been a trendsetter in my hood and you can ask niggas. So when I saw that I was No. 13 on Complex’s The 25 Most Stylish Rappers From NYC Right Now, I was happy, because whether I’m 13 or I’m No. 1, I appreciate that shit. I appreciate that people are noticing me now.

“I wear the bandana to the side because growing up I was a huge 2Pac fan. He gave me the attitude of not giving a fuck, as I know he’s given to a lot of young Black and Latino males. So the bandana to the side, that’s to pay homage to Pac.

“Right now, one of my designers, I’ve got him making leather jerseys for me. We’re bringing that back out because Puffy was a big inspiration to me growing up, too. Puffy was the man with the leathers and the shiny suits, and I feel like that’s Harlem. That’s flamboyance. I’m bringing that shit back.


 

Spend $400-$500 on some Tom Ford cologne and smell good, because women love that.


 

“I’m not a brand whore. I’m not a person who indulges expensively in brands because brands die. When you dress, it’s supposed to be a lifestyle. I’m not a person who will buy one piece of Gucci and be like, 'I’m Gucci this, Gucci that.' I feel like with high fashion brands, you have to have every piece of that brand on your body. If I’ma wear Gucci, I’m going to wear Gucci from head to toe. I can’t wear a Gucci shirt and then wear APC denim, it doesn’t make sense.

“Obviously I’ve never had the money to afford the whole outfit of Gucci, so I’ve always bought separate pieces. I dress what I can afford, I’m not trying to front. If you’re fashionable, the more money you make then you start dressing better. There are a lot of niggas who get money, but they’re not fashionable; they look dumb, they look like bums.

“The way you dress says a lot about your pocket. A lot of people pull it off and they look like they’re rich, but they’re really broke. I don’t want to dress in camouflage and hoodies until I’m 35 years old. The more money I get, I’m going to start dressing nicely.

“Pitbull dresses like success. That’s how you’re supposed to dress, especially a Latino male. Shirt half open with the belt and the shoes—success. Pitbull shows you that he’s got money. I took a page from his book. Women love that. So throw some cologne on. Niggas don’t wear cologne, niggas smoke weed. Spend $400-$500 on some Tom Ford cologne and smell good, because women love that shit.”

On Being A Movie Buff

Not Available Interstitial

Future

Not Available Interstitial

Bodega Bamz: “I don’t want to stay a rapper for 10 years. If it takes 10 years for me to get my point across, I shouldn’t be doing it. In 10 years I want to be signing artists under my record label, I want to be an actor, I want to own things. I want to be one of the few rappers who got a Grammy and an Oscar. I want to achieve that.

“I don’t want to be rapping for a cheque, or hope to be part of a tour, or be a tag along rapper. That’s the worst thing to be. I’m going to leave how Jordan left, hit Byron Russell with that crossover and that jumper. When I leave I’m going to leave on top.

“When I hear rappers say, 'I don’t want to be mainstream.’ Man shut up, you’re a liar. If you do want that it’s because you’re comfortable. I’m never going to have my feet up. I’m always going to make sure my foot is on niggas’ necks. I’m not going to force feed niggas, but you’re going to respect it. I’m not comfortable in my life, in my living situation. My pockets aren’t comfortable, so I can’t come here and say, 'I just want to be an underground rapper.' I won’t knock it, but I feel like niggas are liars.


 

When I hear rappers say, 'I don’t want to be mainstream.’ Man shut up, you’re a liar. If you do [want that] it’s because you’re comfortable. I’m never going to have my feet up.


 

“Dream big. That’s what life is about. We in the land of opportunity. Why would I shoot for $50 if I can shoot for $50 million? When people say, 'Fuck the mainstream,' it’s because they know they can’t make it and they’ve accepted it.' Not me. I wasn’t born to be in the underground forever. The underground is a train. I’m riding the train to get to the plane. That’s mainstream, that’s the sky.

“I want to believe it is my birthright to be great but we’ll have to come back and see where Bodega Bamz is five years from now to be like, 'He was born to do this.' As of right now, it’s just an opinion. 

“I feel like people who were born to do something, they’re champions at it. I don’t know what the future holds, I’m just enjoying every moment. I’m staying humble, I’m staying true to myself. I hope that I was born to do this.”

Latest in Music