Adrian Barrientes (he/him), better known as b11ce, pronounced “nice” or “Beyoncé,” is a producer born and raised in Brownsville, Texas. The name b11ce was invented randomly, inspired by a friend’s name. b11ce says it initially involved two “i’s,” which then became two “ones.” The name stuck after he realized it sounded like “Beyoncé” in Spanish. b11ce DJs and makes beats, but beyond the music itself, he focuses on visuals, aiming to make his overall projects both enticing and poignant.
Making Music Like a Painter
Like other artists who draw on their parents’ creativity, b11ce’s mom is a screenprinter, while his dad used to make signs back in the day. b11ce attributes his artistic interest to them.
When he was younger, his dad bought him his first drum set. However, his musical interests began to change in middle and high school, when he started getting heavily into rap and electronic music, which inspired him to buy a beat machine and use computer programs to begin producing his own beats.
Further down the line, b11ce attended the Ohio State University, where he earned a degree in art and technology. During his time there, b11ce learned more about conceptual artists, and it was here that he saw that he could truly make a career out of being weird. “I mean, it wasn’t easy, but in my head, I [thought] that’s what I gotta do. […] You could fully focus on the ideas that you have in your head, and if you go hard at it, there’s a chance that it could resonate with people,” he shared.
By choosing to major in art and technology, b11ce was able to marry his love of electronic music and honor the way he was taught at university to treat the computer like a painter would approach a canvas.
How b11ce’s Music Stays Rooted in the RGV and Its Politics
When asked about the music b11ce plays at shows and his music style, b11ce said it is “a mishmash of rap beats, techno, and abstract electronic.” “I would consider myself pretty genre-agnostic. […] I feel like my music encompasses multiple genres,” he added.
One of b11ce’s most special places to play his music in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) was at The Jukebox Bar, which sadly closed in early November. b11ce spoke warmly about the owner: “I genuinely [loved] that place because Chris, the owner, sound guy, and bartender, he loved music and [he] let me curate. He was just very inviting […] [he] stood for the love of music and emerging artists.”
As someone who’s native to the Valley and has established himself in the RGV music scene, b11ce mentioned some projects he’s worked on with other fellow musicians and how these projects connect to the RGV and the culture:
“La Magia del Valle [is] an instrumental beat project I did with two Valley natives, Jonathan Leal and Charlie Vela, aka Fronterawave. They had made this beat project inspired [by the] Valley’s complicated history [and] the term Magic Valley to attract White people from up north to come through and make their companies here [a] long time ago. So, they kinda took [this] project head-on, using sampling [and] dialogue to try and make the Valley sound special. I mean, even the term Valley, we’re not a Valley, it’s just a term made up to attract. So, the project was about that, and they [had] me on at the end to add my sauce to it, and I liked how it turned out.”
Besides collaborating with other musicians in the RGV, b11ce mentioned a gig he did with the Democratic Socialists of America RGV Chapter (DSA RGV) and what he thinks about their organization, “I definitely support their message, I think it’s fair to say a lot of us are sick of the rich just hoarding all the money and controlling all the governance and not [caring] about poor people [and] their message is very clear that they’re against this sort of thing.”
Furthermore, b11ce stated he enjoys playing at DSA RGV events and meeting people who are trying to make living in the Valley better. While b11ce doesn’t consider his music entirely political, some of his lyrics are anti-consumerist, capturing a feeling of what’s happening in society at a larger level. This is evident in his project, Top 5 Gas Leaks, which was inspired by factors such as LNG moving into the RGV.
“Colorful Chaos”: Music, Community, and Support for Artists
b11ce tries not to think about how he is perceived, emphasizing that artists should “work from within”: “If you’re just thinking about what other people are thinking, that’s a losing game.”
But this October, b11ce played some music for Shokka’s show “Waste Deep” at La Tijera in Brownsville.
He compared Shokka’s art to his own music, “It’s very colorful, very spastic, and almost chaotic. I feel like my art and music are like that, too, and I think that’s why he chose me to open for his art exhibition, because I feel like there’s a resonance between my style and his style visually. So, I think that’s one way people may perceive [my] music […] this sort of colorful chaos.”
Getting support for your music is essential for an artist, and for b11ce, it is no different. b11ce mentioned some artists he has felt supported by, such as Italia and Pillowsnake, for throwing shows together and helping each other out, as well as a DJ from the Valley named Trench, whom he sends audio to and collaborates with on songs.
Lastly, b11ce encouraged aspiring musicians and artists alike to follow their passion: “[To] anyone interested in pursuing [an] abstract, weird idea, I promise you, if you feel it’s important, [then] it’s important. […] At first, when I started making stuff, I was really interested in more left-field stuff that I [thought], ‘No one’s ever gonna like this.’ But I just felt it meant something to me, and I think if you dedicate yourself enough to even the weirdest thing, it will start to resonate with people.”
You can show your support for b11ce by stopping by the Ponte Creative Studio & Gallery to view the latest exhibition, which features 25 artworks by 20 established and emerging artists in the RGV! b11ce is one of the artists whose work is currently available for viewing, and you can check out his new installation work titled “Concrète Raspa.”
