Over two years ago, sophomore Manny Jarbo began building a career for himself. At the age of 14, Jarbo found himself listening to music as a form of self-expression. While finding inspiration through artists like Tupac Shakur, Kanye West, Nas and Drake, Jarbo officially made it his goal to pursue a music career.

“I’ve spent countless hours locked in the studio working on my craft and making sure that every rhyme is perfect before it’s released,” Jarbo said.

It is this type of work ethic that he believes will one day turn his hobby into a career. Living in Troy all his life, Jarbo recognizes that he is one of few around striving for a career in rap music. However, he doesn’t see this as a problem, but rather, a challenge.

“I like my city,” he explained. “I know all the people here and it’s where I find my inspiration. My roots are really important to me. My past has already been written; I’m just focused on the future now.”

The path for Jarbo started in November 2015, following the release of his first single “Can’t Stop Me” on SoundCloud. Within the following days, it was played all throughout the Boulan Park Middle School hallways. Despite immediate success, Jarbo knew he would need some guidance along the way. He found his manager, Tre Pound, co-owner of Divaudi Studios, shortly after releasing.

“He’s a good guy,” Jarbo said. “We talked about [becoming my manager] and he seemed like a good fit.”

Soon after, Jarbo said he felt prepared to commit himself to taking rap more seriously, but not everything has been easy.

“I’ve had my ups and downs, but I don’t let it affect my dedication to rapping,” Jarbo said.

He is still extremely anxious to see what future his music has in store for him.

“I love to create and I’m planning on working on music for a really long time,” he said. “I see myself making bigger and better music in the years to come, just wait on it.”