I’m 22, I work in security, and I rap. People tend to treat those as two separate lives. They aren’t, and I’d like to explain why.

Writing is investigating

A good verse and a good incident report have more in common than you’d think. Both take a mess of raw material and turn it into something clear. Both need a structure, an ending that lands, and nothing in them that doesn’t earn its place. When I write bars, I edit the way I edit a timeline: cut anything that doesn’t support the point.

Performing made the talks better

Before my first conference talk I’d already spent time in front of people with a mic. That helped more than any presentation course. You learn to read a room, to keep going when something breaks, and to let a bit of personality through. My talks have memes, soundboards and live demos because I’d rather people enjoy the technical content than sit through it.

The scene doesn’t always get it

Some people in security think music is a distraction. Some people in music find the security work strange. I’ve stopped trying to explain it to either side. Both come from the same habit: I like making things, and I like showing how they work.

What’s next

I’ll keep releasing music and I’ll keep putting it on this site. You can find it on the music page, and on YouTube if you’d rather watch.

If you make something on the side that doesn’t “fit” your job, keep going. It’s probably making you better at the job.