Pablo Eskobear

A producer and drummer Pablo Eskobear’s passion for music started at the age of 12. The US music-maker played in a heavy metal band before switching to hip hop to craft his own music in 2017. Transitioning from the fiery metal drums to the more laid-back but still prominent hip hop percussion, Pablo takes a versatile approach, with his beats binding together boombap with funk and soul and other influences. In his studio in Grand Rapids, MI, he creates both standalone instrumentals and rap beats, while constantly digging through old vinyl records and scouring the internet for rare gems that would inspire his next tune.

The signature sound of the artist is not the only memorable feature. In fact, one of the most unique aspects is his artist name. In a 1985 police chase drug smuggler Andrew Thornton II was on the run with containers of cocaine, which he dropped from a plane above a forest. Instead of cocaine worth tens of millions of dollars though, police found just 40 open containers and a dead black bear. The animal had feasted on the entire load and died of an overdose. The “Cocaine Bear”, later nicknamed “Pablo Eskobear” sure knew how to party! The music producer adopted the moniker as a darkly humorous way to carry on the legendary greatness of the animal.