San Francisco’s Eric Bravo delivers the animated visual for “Jawsin’ on Citas” ft. Bay Area legends Mistah F.A.B., Nef the Pharaoh, and Keak da Sneak! “Jawsin’ on Citas”is fresh off RAVO’s recently released album Need to Know which charted on Billboard’s “Top Current Album Sales” on its debut release. RAVO’s been puttin’ in work as a musician and animator, below we tapped in with him about “Jawsin’ on Citas” and what other exciting projects he’s been working on. Slap “Jawsin’ on Citas” on Apple Music & Spotify and tap in with RAVO on IG: @ericmbravo! Read on ⤵️
RAVO: I was born and raised in San Francisco in the Mission District way back before gentrification. It wasn’t as nice as it is today, but it had culture.T: How did you begin making music?
RAVO: I started making music when I was 14 in high school. I used GarageBand to make beats and recorded songs on a cheap microphone in the closet. This was when hyphy music took over the country, and “Tell Me When To Go” by E-40 and Keak da Sneak was the hottest song out. Today, I am more focused on being a producer and production.T: How did you get your rap name?
RAVO: I got RAVO because I wanted a four-letter name, so I used my last name and took out the B. It looks good and is aesthetically pleasing.
RAVO: It’s everything from Hip-Hop/Rap to Electronic and even Country. My latest single, “Energy (UKG Remix)” ft. Mick Jenkins and Casey Veggies is a UK Garage song, and the single before that, “If You Only Knew,” is a country-pop song. This generation blurs the line of genre and is so mixed that it’s hard to like and stick to one style of music. Being more focused on the producer side, I go into a session trying to make the best song, regardless of a specific musical style. I make music that I want to hear.T: Tell me about “Jawsin’ on Citas.”
RAVO: “Jawsin’ on Citas” in bay lingo roughly translates to “you’re lying for real.” It’s a song for the bay with bay legends, and it’s my homage to the city. Right from the start, you already know it’s going to be a Bay Area slap. It’s the perfect song to listen to at night while cruising across the Bay Bridge.T: What inspired this new single?
RAVO: Growing up in the hyphy era, I listened to a lot of Mistah F.A.B. and Keak da Sneak, and I always wanted to make a song with them. With “Jawsin’ on Citas,” I wanted to make a song reminiscent of that era but with a modern touch, and I think Nef the Pharaoh brought that with the hook and his verse.T: How is it different than previous drops?
RAVO: This song is really special to me. This one is for all the hyphy babies and is really an homage to the city that raised me. I want the fans who listen to this to have a feel-good nostalgic moment, bringing them back to a simpler time. I also made a dope lyric video on YouTube that fans should watch.T: Is it part of a project? If so, can you tell me more about that?
RAVO: “Jawsin’ on Citas” is part of my album, Need To Know, released in late 2020. It debuted on the Billboard “Top Current Album Sales” Chart in its first-week release. I put Mick Jenkins, Casey Veggies, Dizzy Wright, and more on the album, and it’s about to hit 1 million streams soon. Be sure to check out Need To Know on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and everywhere you stream music.
T: What message do you want fans to walk away with after listening to “Jawsin’ on Citas”?
RAVO: I want the fans to walk away with not a message but more of a nostalgic feeling. Like I said earlier, this song is for all of those who grew up listening to hyphy music with Mistah F.A.B. and Keak da Sneak, but it’s a slap for the modern-day.
T: What’s next?
RAVO: I will be dropping a single every month, so be sure to follow me on IG to know when a new song is released.
I’m also going to be releasing a YouTube series where I talk about how I made the Billboard charts as a new independent artist. I’ll be discussing the best strategies for an indie artist to use when planning to chart on Billboard. I’ll also tell you how many albums you should aim to sell the first week, how to submit your album to be considered for Billboard, how I was able to chart, and much more. Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel to learn how you can chart on the Billboard music chart.
T: Is there anything else you want to say?
RAVO: I made a cartoon short with Nickelodeon for the kids called, The Outsiders, so go watch that on YouTube. If you love drawing and want to learn how to get into the animation industry, I also wrote a book, “How to Get an Animation Internship,” which helps you get your foot in the door of show business.
Follow me on Instagram @ericmbravo and Twitter @ericbravo. Also, check out my website www.eric-bravo.com and my music website www.ravomusic.com to stay up-to-date on what’s to come. Thank you!
