Today we’d like to introduce you to Andy Franco
Hi Andy, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Writing saved my life. I felt like I could create a world where I was accepted, validated, and heard. Everyone I met told me I was too quiet, too timid, too shy. When I picked up the pen and wrote entries in my beat-up marble composition notebook in tenth grade, I felt powerful like Jim Carroll from The Basketball Diaries or Jack Kerouac crafting his 120-foot scroll for On the Road, illustrating his 120 mph whirlwind of a journey across America. I wrote to feel the crinkle of the page as words became my wellspring.
I originally wanted to make writing a career through stand-up comedy, inspired by my heroes at the time: Mitch Hedberg and George Carlin. Their outlooks on the world got me through high school, and it was their stage presence I wanted to channel when I was on deck at the open mics around Sacramento, heart pounding and hands shaking, but the energy was electric up there. Just me and the mic. I was finally speaking up for once in my life. I was assertive, and against all my self doubt, I put up a fight.
Around 2014, I fell in love with hip-hop. I had rapped before in 2009 as a surprise act for my middle school talent act in Lemoore, making the whole school go wild because not a living soul expected the quiet kid to spit like his life depended on it. Rap spoke to me and took over every second of my day. Whether it was copping Eminem CDs at Dimple Records or piecing together internal rhymes in my head as I power walked to my next class at Sacramento State, rap became my identity. I recorded a few demos here and there as promo videos for Circle K International community service events, but it was Logic in 2017 who furthered my love of music and influenced me to put out my first song, “Glad It Happened,” as &y on my YouTube.
Since then, I’ve dropped a debut mixtape revolving around my childhood and a tribute to Mac Miller titled Boy with a Dream in 2021, along with a flurry of SoundCloud singles, freestyle series, and live performances in Los Angeles and Salinas in 2022 and 2023, culminating in dropping my official debut single “SUICIDES” on streaming in January of this year. I’m working toward releasing my debut album “JORDAN YEAR” next year in early 2025 along with an EP called “FreshFellas” to cap off 2024 on a high note.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Most of my struggles have been internal: punishing myself for the smallest imperfections on songs, skipping out on meals, and neglecting to nurture real relationships, instead trading this precious time to stare at a screen and mix volume levels for hours on end. I’ve let down friends, missed days of work to toil over videos that couldn’t even break a hundred views, and spent weeks mixing and mastering a single song only to have people laugh at my music and for me to realize that my vocals are muffled. It took me a long time to learn that even though I could rap an intense verse chock full of witty wordplay, complex rhymes, and emotionally moving themes, it didn’t mean I was a good person. I still needed to make an effort to be present with others, make my loved ones feel appreciated, and not use my music as an excuse to be rude, shut people out, and not communicate.
When I reflect on why I get defensive about my music, it’s because I put it on a pedestal as my everything; I wanted to take this beyond a hobby and make a name for myself out there. My favorite artists had to obsess over their craft to be the titans that they are today, so I felt worthless when I wasn’t devoting my whole day to rap. Did I really want it that bad if I didn’t sacrifice every aspect of my life? I viewed everything else as a distraction, but this was unhealthy because I closed off on my friends and family when they were my support system the entire time. I took things so personal because I wanted to be accepted, but I needed to learn to do things not to be validated by others, but for the genuine enjoyment and love for the craft.
Over the years, I’ve learned to practice gratitude for every milestone. Instead of beating myself up over not sounding polished on my debut mixtape, I cherished the moment of being able to drop a cohesive project of eighteen tracks for the first time ever. Instead of losing myself in the mindset of barely getting any listeners, I reframed my attitude to acknowledge the people who do support me and have been there for me all along. They became the FUEGO FAM, and my collective became FUEGO AF: Foster Unity, Empathy & Grace On All Fronts. I get to do what I love, even if it’s just for an hour in the morning before I head to work. The little things add up. The more I focused on building a discography and the more I put stuff out there, the more I noticed people had been rocking with me for years. Every time I visit my parents, they ask how my YouTube channel is going and encourage me to keep going, and it was because I didn’t give up on my dream even when I thought no one was listening. Those authentic and genuine connections beat any numbers or metrics that I used to preoccupy myself with.
I could always improve at my craft, but it meant more for me to improve as a human being. I worked on my communication, kindness to myself, and including my loved ones in my passion. My fiancée recorded a bunch of my early music videos and continues to help me film for my channel to this day. I got to reawaken my love of making short films with my Dad and brother last year. I’ve had the opportunity to meet my favorite artists from JID to Cordae to Denzel Curry to Jack Harlow to Logic. I met Logic with my fiancée at FanX in Salt Lake City this past September. It was our first time in Utah, and Bobby’s hospitality for us reminded me of how I could extend that same warm welcome to my own fans.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My home court is hip-hop. For the past seven years, I’ve been writing lyrics for multiple future albums, performing at my local open mics, and staying up late nights to record vocals. These are the habits that successful artists not only develop, but nurture for life. Learning is lifelong, and showing respect for the art form underscores the way I pay my tuition for being a student of the game. As I delved deeper into my love for hip-hop, I found joy in making beats. To be able to flip a 1950s sample of Betty Everett & Jerry Butler’s “Just Be True” at just the right spot feels like magic. I loved when I performed this sample flip live at The Beerded Bean open mic in Salinas. Letting that grand orchestration resonate then gather speed to transition to my record “Story of a Silly Kid” encapsulates what I treasure about music: having this opportunity to bring in new generations to these timeless classics. I adopted the name “Filthy Franco” as this dope persona for producing and beatmaking, kind of like how Mac Miller embodied Larry Fisherman. I specialize in intricate rhyme schemes because I listened to Eminem, Eyedea, and Masta Ace heavy coming up, but I love having fun with the musicality on a track as well. I did marching band and drumline in high school, so I cultivated an appreciation for instrumentation, and you’ll hear it on my tracks too: a guitar flourish here and a saxophone sustain there. Piano licks, layered synths, brass hits: orchestration goes a long way. I also love my drums and make them the most intense part of the track. They’re the secret sauce that flavor my tracks with that signature boomin’ sound.
What makes me stand out beyond the soundscape, though, is my confidence to transform my insecurities into art. Everybody has felt like they were not good enough at some point, and they often feel it when they are just trying to do the right thing and get by with an honest living. I’m speaking directly to you and catching up with you like an old friend, letting you know that you belong, you’ve been doing your best, and that even though this world can pummel us down, we can still do good and create some kind of serenity. Just raw, candid vulnerability is what helps me relate to my listeners and make them feel heard too. After all, I heard ‘em say nothing’s promised tomorrow today, so it’s important for me to engage as much as I can because I never know who my message could end up inspiring. I am most proud of the moments where I can make someone smile through my art: through music, films, poetry, you name it. I’m grateful I’ve made it to a point where I could be someone’s favorite soundtrack to their lives.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is having the capacity to withstand failure: a lot of failure. It’s about making the most of what you already have during your lowest points. Life can take so many things from you, but not your integrity. Protect your integrity the most, and you’ll find more happiness in your daily life.
Still, I’ve struggled with showing up and balancing my music with my job at an elementary school. I failed to be a good teacher and could not keep my classroom safe. Even though I was getting better at my music and exhibiting more confidence on tracks like “LIL REMY,” putting so much time into my music took a toll on my classroom management and leadership. I let my dedication consume me. I was loud on the mic, but soft-spoken when addressing misbehavior. There was a disconnect between my braggadocious rap persona and my timid demeanor in real life. I felt like a fraud. Over time, I lost my students’ respect, their trust, and any right to call myself an educator. I realized that I needed to experience rock bottom in order to rise again, hopes springing high like Maya Angelou said. No matter how long your wings are, they’ll take you somewhere, so I couldn’t be afraid to spread them and take that first leap. That’s how you get lift. I’ve failed at basketball tryouts, but I still play basketball because I love it; I loved it even before I did rap. Failure helped me cherish what really matters. I’ve failed so that I wouldn’t take my wins for granted.
Even though I was let go at my school, I was able to build back my confidence and find a job as a paraeducator working one-on-one with a student with special learning needs. For these past few months, I’ve had an amazing mentor, Mr. Saechou, who showed me what it truly means to be a great teacher. He’s been teaching for over 26 years (almost as long as I’ve been alive!), and I hope to make him proud one day as I step back into full-time teaching. I would never have met my mentor if I didn’t fail as much as I did.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/andyfrancomusic
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andyfrancomusic
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andyfrancomusic
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/andyfrancomusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@andyfrancomusic
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/andyfrancomusic
Image Credits
Kiet Han Tat (LONELY.HAN)
