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Luke Bar$ is a rapper from Brockton, Massachusetts that has been gaining traction in the hip-hop underground through his compelling storytelling and introspective lyrics. Bar$ has forged a distinct sound across his recent releases that reflects his personal journey growing up in Brockton. “Angels Never Die,” his latest album, released in January, is an homage to the people he’s lost.

“Seeing peers pass away, ‘Angels Never Die’ was something I was saying to myself to keep my spirits up,” the rapper said in an interview with The Harvard Crimson. “It came from that, but also seeing celebrities like Kobe Bryant pass on, but I don’t feel like their energy is gone because people still talk about them.”

Bar$ is an integral member of the burgeoning hip-hop collective Van Buren Records, founded in 2014. As the collective's popularity continues to soar, they have become the face of New England music on Spotify, modeled for prominent Boston clothing retailer Bodega, and received collaboration offers from the likes of Danny Brown. The collective's origins trace back to the long-lasting friendships among the members forged during their years in middle and high school.

“I knew all of them from the beginning,” Bar$ said. “VB has two different eras. It's the older heads and the younger heads. When they first started, I was still in high school. I started to come out around 2016 and I met everyone around that era. I didn't become officiated into VB, until around 2019. But up until that point, we were always connected to one another and in tune.”

The group's name pays homage to the Van Buren Boys gang from Season 8 of Seinfeld. The collective's focus is on elevating each other and Brockton through music. Last summer, Van Buren Records performed at Boston Calling. Following the release of their latest group album “DSM,” the crew headlined their own concert at Paradise Rock Club last December. The show featured a supporting lineup of other local artists like Kei. Bar$ remains committed to Van Buren, but is also working to establish his own solo career.

“I think everyone wants to label VB as a boyband,” Bar$ said. “We’re not and that gets me so mad sometimes. I think that's why I'm really adamant that I'm a solo artist.”

“I don't plan on releasing any Van Buren music for a little bit because we gotta go back into solo pocket,” he added. “At the end of the day, we love each other. And we're doing this with one another, but we all have our own different agendas of what this game means.”

Since joining Van Buren Records, Luke Bar$ has released a steady flow of solo work. His 2019 EP, “GoodEvil,” showcases his introspective lyricism and vivid storytelling with standout tracks like “Die With Pride.” His second album, “Angels Never Die” released in January, has garnered critical acclaim and features “Tables Turn,” a collaborative track between the Brockton rapper and Dorchester superstar Cousin Stizz. Their partnership has the potential to inspire a new generation of artists from Massachusetts, proving that the state has a wealth of talent to offer the music industry.

“We went to New York for two weeks, then L.A. for two weeks and we linked up with Stizz during that time,” said Bar$. “I played him music, that particular song, which already had a verse on it and he was like, ‘Yo, this is different, bro. I wanna put a verse on it.’ And then, we just did that.”

A notable aspect of Luke Bar$'s music is his ability to paint vivid pictures of his upbringing in Brockton. The rapper worked closely with longtime collaborator and producer Kiron Akil to create the beats and aesthetic for “Angels Never Die.” Showing off his hometown roots, the music video for lead single “Get the Gat” was filmed in Brockton.

“I was very vulnerable,” the rapper said about his creative process. “Once you leave my music, you feel something. I’m provoking emotion through music.”

“This one was different because I think me and Kiron really got closer as friends,” he added. “We would just talk on some personal shit before making music and just spent hours with one another.”

With more solo music in his future, Bar$ is currently preparing to launch on a three-city tour beginning in April.

“Whatever the case may be, whether you're inspired, sometimes you're uncomfortable,” Bar$ said. “I say things that make you like, ‘Damn, he just said that.’ You might feel awkward, but you're gonna feel emotions.”

—Staff writer Ryan S. Kim can be reached at ryan.kim@thecrimson.com.