WHO IS B-RAIN

Brian “B-RAiN” McCall was raised by a single mother in a city just outside Washington DC. Parents were divorced at an early age as a direct result of B’s fathers addiction. He was always hugely influenced by music, it started with his mom taking him to Bluegrass festivals when he was in early grade school. He loved the environment of everyone enjoying music and life, partying and it seemed like everyone was happy. Where deep down, B didn’t feel happy at home because he was never really explained why his dad wasn’t around and why he couldn’t have new clothes and why everything he wore was hand me downs from other people in the community. 

Then when B found hip hop from the likes of Busta Rhymes, Tupac and Eminem… he was hooked. To him, music quieted all the “noise” that was going on inside his mind. B has struggled with mental health since a very young age, being diagnosed with ADD/ADHD and depression. So the music he listened to helped him calm his mind. The lyrics, rhythms and melodies always amazed him. So he started writing. But his low self worth always kept him from ever telling anyone that he wanted to create music, he felt like he would be judged. So he kept it to himself for many years. 

His addiction really took off at 12, at the same time his fathers addiction took him to his lowest points. B’s father became homeless, and B’s depression went to an all-time low. He found that substances would calm his mind so much more than music could, but he continued to listen and write. For most of B’s adolescence he was in and out of institutions … jails, rehabs, and mental health centers. Moving and changing schools 6 times in 4 years, he became very closed off to everyone and backed away from everyone, even his mother. His addiction continued to progress into harder drugs, more and more arrests, living in his car, as a teenager, became his comfort zone. 

Until hitting 18 and getting incarcerated for a long while, he still didn’t see his lifestyle as an addiction or a problem. He was content with being in jail, because he didn’t see any purpose to his life. During the years of his incarceration, he continued to use drugs. And then in 2007 his father overdosed and it devastated B. Then about 6 months later, the courts told him he would finish his sentence early if he went to drug treatment. So he figured, why not?

Probably the best thing that could’ve ever happen to him. He was able to get out of the area that his addiction thrived in, and truly start to build a life. It was like a fresh start. He met many people along the way who were clean/sober that were willing to support him in his recovery, and he also met a woman… a woman who would become his wife, his rock and his inspiration to continue on the path of recovery no matter how hard it got. They made the perfect team in staying clean together. Building a life together, from scratch. 

B didn’t start creating music seriously until he had about 6 years clean, because he wanted to have a firm message in what his music was about. His personal growth and taking his recovery seriously was more important than taking his music seriously. Since then, he’s been creating music about his recovery… hoping to reach those that have struggled the way he has, and show them that this life of recovery is possible for anyone willing to take the action towards it.