Carlsbad Transplant Finds Identity in Words and Music

By R. Gabriel Villalobos

Carlsbad has attracted workers in the oil and gas industry for some time now to work that is straightforward and can be dangerous. The opportunity to earn high wages brings a variety of personalities. Among them are scattered young men with dreams and talents that go beyond the work they do professionally.

Meet Damien Hernandez, who goes by the stage name Vahrii. Hernandez is not a Carlsbad native but has been living here on and off for 10 years. He is 29 years old and comes from a small town near Lubbock, TX. Growing up in a town of about 8,000 people, Hernandez always stood out as having a way with words. As early as the fourth grade, he caught the attention of his teachers for his ability to write engaging pieces that described aspects of his external and internal life.

A Life Littered with Hardship

Things were difficult for Hernandez as a young boy. His upbringing was interrupted by the incarceration of his father, which left his mother with the overwhelming task of raising their children and having to earn money with which to do that. It’s not altogether a unique story, but it might be part of why the message that Vahrii delivers resonates with so many young people today.

The tragedies didn’t end there. His story is accented with towering heights and crushing lows. Just as his work was gaining enough notoriety to land a slot opening for a more established artist at a show in Houston, TX, he broke his foot at work. In a cast and using crutches, Hernandez decided to go through with the performance and traveled to Houston with two other young rappers, who went by the names Jerm and E-Babyy.

They were both excited to perform on stage with “Vahrii”. Sadly, it would never happen because in a Houston hotel room, the night before what would be their breakout performance, Edward Martinez, who performed under the name E-Babyy, took his own life and sent Hernandez’s world into a dark, spiraling dive.

Finding Strength Through His Way with Words

Hernandez was heartbroken. He had been unaware of the struggles his friend and collaborator was facing privately. The possibility that he could have done something to help his friend get through that dark passage in his life haunts him.

However, tragedy wasn’t done with Hernandez. Despite his relentless commitment to the process of writing, recording, and performing, life darkened once again with the death of his brother, this time due to a fatal, single-vehicle accident.

The people around Hernandez couldn’t understand his reaction to this string of tragedies, except for his wife, who had been faithfully at his side since he was in the ninth grade. He refused to get distracted or taken off course from what he knew he was meant to do.

At his core, Hernandez was certain that music wasn’t a side quest or a mere hobby. He doubled down on his commitment and learned how to produce his own beats. He wrestled with the steep learning curve that separated the wheat from the chaff and reached a new level in his craft.

In some of his tracks, his work abandons the pursuit of image and facade. In these pieces, he shares messages of hope, perseverance, and resilience.

Hernandez has taken to putting things in their proper place and allowing his art to be a way that he transforms tragedy into artistic expression. He has given his life direction, which keeps him from falling into despair.

He’d like to find his audience and reach his own potential as a performer and a recording artist. His music can be found on Soundcloud, Apple Music, and Spotify under the name Vahrii. He hopes to collaborate with other artists and find a place in playlists far and near.