Listen to my first official single 'Young Champ' now!
Well-known for his soccer career, playing for Ajax, Liverpool, Hoffenheim, Besiktas, Galatasaray and in two World Cups for the Dutch national team, Ryan Babel is now making waves in the music industry.
His love for music began in his childhood, soaking up the sounds of Surinamese bands like La Rouge and La Caz while growing up in Amsterdams Bijlmer area. Dabbling in a few bands with his friends as he got older, he sang and played the keys — but it was the discovery of rap music that turned out to be his true calling around the age of 16.
Exploring the music of Dutch rappers such as Ali B, Lange Frans and Baas B, coincided with signing his first contract with Ajax. His new-found fame brought him in contact with some of these Dutch rap stars. He soon found himself experimenting in the studio with some of his heroes, which resulted into making his music debut on Lange Frans & Baas B’s '1-2tje' single, followed by an appearance on Ali B & Darryl’s summer hit 'Eejeejo'. In addition, Babel made appearances on freestyle platform '101 Barz' alongside Rotjoch and debuted as music producer on Hef’s 'Hefvermogen' with the song ‘Voor een n*gga‘ .
He decided to pursue his passion for the music industry in a different way by setting up his own music management company to help develop aspiring artists. His company built a formidable reputation, with millions of streams for the artists it helped out along the way.
Now, Babel sees music as a more holistic way to tell his story, rather than a way to hog the spotlight. Meaning he’ll keep helping develop other artists, but will also keep releasing music of his own. He’s not looking to become the biggest rapper in the world; he just wants to tell his own story with music. Now, with 12 years of experience and a deeper understanding of the music industry, he’s happy to relaunch himself as an artist — with no worries about criticism about his divided loyalties.
His uplifting debut single ‘Young Champ’ demonstrates his sharp rap flow and serves as the first chapter of his musical autobiography. With a full debut album in the works, Babel’s story is only just beginning.
