BOLATTA THA BEAR

BY MEL HOWARD

Where did the name Bolatta Tha Bear come from?

Mulatto, which is mixed person, Like in the south my grandfather from Layfette, Louisiana on my mom's side I’m half creole so it was an homage to my grandfather I actually used to go by Malatta Tha Great which was a self given name Malatta is Mulatto but replacing all the vowels with a’s and “Tha Great” came from Alexander the Great, one of the most respected conquerors in history. As I child when I jumped off the porch everyone called me Malatta or Latta at the time I was very prideful so it was the Young Latta tha Lion Overtime time I met a stud named Dolla and she was the first person to start referring to me as Bolatta and referred to us as “Bolatta Lotta Dollas”.

Coincidentally during that time, I realized how protective and calm I am I was no longer connected to the pride of the lion but more so to the bravery of a bear So boom you got Bolatta Tha Bear ‘cause I’m not just any bear I’m Tha Bear.

When did you start performing?

So I started writing music when I was about 10 years old and doing poetry and everything When I was 13, I did my first performance It was actually a drug-free rally at Cobalt Hall which is a decent size venue and I had butterflies out of this world, There were local radio stations, and other schools there and everything. That performance was the kickoff point I have some points where I stopped doing music but I keep coming back to it so there’s love there

Out of all the songs that have created what is your favorite song?

I have to say it's a song I have on my album, Emerge and it's called "Time" That song is so powerful to me because I actually wrote that song when I was homeless I was sleeping in my car at the hospital because at the time I felt like that was the safest place for me to sleep in my car Every day I had to get up and hustle and make it so I could just eat for the day Every time I listen to that song it reminds me where I've been and how far I've come Even with my mentality, it's not always financial progress sometimes it's mental progress you know so that's hands down my favorite song.

Who is Bolatta and where does he come from, where does he stem?

Bolatta is the bear and I know that’s kind of self-explanatory, but Bolatta is the best ever and rising and that’s what the bear stands for I am a person that knows that I am great, and I plan on exceeding myself every day, I am my own competition, I am my own hindrance, and I’m my own help not saying there are not people in my life that haven’t helped me along the way but everything starts with me Me knowing that has allowed me to grow as an artist, as a person, and as an individual I would like to think of a great place for someone who is always continuing to look for places to grow and who encourages people to do the same It’s all about helping my people at the end of the day Yes, I make music and sometimes It may seem like “How are you going to preach this and do this talking about shaking a**” because I’ve seen every aspect of life and I get it, the person sitting at the trap house I’ve done been there so I can talk to him too, the person that’s going to church every day I can talk to them too I’ve done be there too, I can talk to every person because I’ve walked so many steps in life and I’ve never limited myself or keep myself in a box to confide myself to one audience.

Would you say your that same house that was in the Trap House?

Yeah, it never left me I could open a shop down the block if I wanted to and slap it out I know I could but that’s not who I am, that’s not what I want to show up as I feel like everything is about balance and the fact that I am a hustler that’s a good attribute to have but is that something I really want to push? Is that the avenue I want to be known for? Nah I want to be known for other things I want to be known for hustling my music, my brand, my clothing line, my message It’s so much more to hustle than something that can earn a quick buck and even a mindset that’s recent and in a work of progress or change I’m not perfect I can only get better than I was yesterday

If you could inspire anyone else to be a performer or an artist, what would you say to them?

The first thing I would encourage them to do is not follow any path but make their own path because that’s something that held me back a lot of my career I felt like I didn’t follow the trends but then I realized I’m a trendsetter so of course I’m not going to follow everyone else and if you have that mentality it will help you progress a lot further and you won’t be stagnant because you doubt yourself Always believe in yourself and know you are the one and if you have that mentality, it will show. People will start to feel that because it will reflect that energy

As a TTMOC Monarch and being a performer what made you drive 16 hours from Detroit Michigan to perform at the Courage to Ignite Action Showcase?

To be honest with you, I saw it as an opportunity I have always wanted to be a voice for the people who feel like they don’t have a voice and spread that voice to a place I have never been before and share my music The event itself was a challenge for me because I never made a song on the troubles or the hurdles of being Trans and has always been something I’ve overlooked within myself It was an eye opener It was more than a performance, it was an experience It was a journey and the journey itself was great and the destination was great too and everything went well.

Any Final Remarks?

As far as final remarks, I would ask that everyone search Bolatta Tha Bear and Bear Kave, which is my brother Red Bear and me on whatever they subscribe to because we have some heat dropping this summer Stay tuned because I’m in your city next! Remember to always B Tha BEAR, Tha Best Ever, and Rising! TTMOC Monarch Out Peace!