Rakim Allen, or better known as PnB Rock, has come out of nowhere in the music world and has been featured on some hit tracks lately. His quick rise to stardom over the last couple years has caught the attention of other big artists such as Fetty Wap, Ty Dolla Sign, Wiz Khalifa, 2 Chains, Kodak Black and more. PnB Rock has been featured on two hit songs from The Fate of the Furious Album, “Gang Up” and “Horses”. Although his success seems to have come out of nowhere, he has had a rough upbringing to say the least.
PnB Rock’s early life has been explained on his Wikipedia page. “Rakim Allen was born on December 9, 1991 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and grew up in Germantown, Philadelphia, primarily raised by his mother. He grew up listening to Tupac Shakur and Jodeci. At the age of 13, Rakim was sent to a youth detention program for committing robberies and fighting in school. When he turned 19, he was sentenced to 33 months in prison for drug possession and other crimes. Allen was homeless for a short period after being released from prison. He never finished high school.” His early life has had a huge impact on Rakim’s motivation for his success in music.
In an interview he explains that while incarcerated, he often sang to keep busy, and fellow inmates would tell him that he could go far in music. The fact that some of the most harsh and realest people who were locked up would say something like that was enough for Rakim to continue his passion in music. PnB Rock debuted his first mixtape “Real N*gga Bangaz” in June of 2014, that he wrote while in prison. He signed with Atlantic Records in 2015 and has been on the come-up ever since. His determination to break away from his past can be seen through his music and other artists are eager to collaborate with him.
I believe this is only the beginning of a very successful career for PnB Rock, and I can’t wait to see what he comes out with next. If you haven’t heard his remix of French Montana and Swae Lee’s song “Unforgettable”, check it out below! To stay updated with my blogs and other music related news, please follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and my previous blog can be found here!
In The Rhythm 