Today we’d like to introduce you to Austin Burton.
Hi Austin, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Hello, my name is A.B
I started my Hip Hop artist journey back in 2012 right around when my life got changed when I met Jesus. I grew up in the hip hop culture being shaped and molded by it. I became a Christian in 2011 and shortly after was introduced to guys like Lecrae, Trip Lee, Tedashii, and many more. I loved how they used the very thing that I was raised in and familiar with, but used it in a new way that promoted hope and also registered with this same new experience I had with becoming a follower of Jesus. So with that, I was inspired to write! I began writing songs about my life and my newly experience in becoming a Christian. I wanted to reach people with a message of hope, and give them substance in my music that could help them. Eventually, I put out my first project labeled “Stop The Violence” in 2012. After releasing, I linked up with a fellow artist friend of mine named “Blazz.” We joined together and did many shows and performances all around Texas and surrounding areas. Fast forward a couple years, I joined a hip hop group called “Good News Gang” that consisted of many members. GNG was founded in Kilgore where I grew up at. We eventually all relocated to PHX Arizona for ministry purposes. There, I truly began to shape and discover my sound as an artist. Being around other talented artist forced yourself to only get better, and work on the craft as much as possible, simply because you didn’t want to be the “weak link” in the group. We released music and performed many shows in the Phoenix area for a solid 5 years. Around 2017, Good News Hang began to dissolve. With members life’s being change by starting families, getting married, or just life in general, the group began to move away from the music. Though we are all brothers to this day and still amazing friends, some just started to move away from the music. So around that time, I began to start working on my solo musical journey. In 2017, I released my first mixtape labeled “ABnormal.” ABnormal was a play on words. It had my name in it, but also described me so well. Being a white that grew up in a predominantly black community, I was always the outcast. Funny enough, OutKast was my introduction to Hip Hop back in my teenage years. I embraced being abnormal, so the name fit me well. So from there, I was inspired to release my own clothing brand, “ABnormal Clothing.” From there, I released my debut original studio album “Stories From Depression” that was fully produced by my homie and great friend Wayne “Klassik” Palmer. Stories From Depression spoke on my journey of going thru depression in my teenage years, leading up to me finding hope in Jesus. I wanted to make an album though that wasn’t just for Christians, but for anyone that has ever went thru depression. Christians go through depression, Muslims go through depression, atheist, Buddhist, fill in the blank, we as humans all can go through depression, and I wanted to make this album for anyone that ever has went through that battle. From that album, that really began to change my trajectory when it came to my music. I wanted to make music that any and everyone could relate to. I wanted to make music that could give hope to anyone listening. Don’t get me wrong, I still was and still am sharing my faith in my music. Jesus forever changed my life, and I will forever talk about it. But I don’t make music that’s just for Christians. I talk about real life situations in my music. Rather it be heart break, financial struggles, just day to day battles we all face, I want to make music that anyone can pick up the headphones, and bob their heads to it. After Stories From Depression, I went on to release more projects, such as “ABnormal 2”, and my first EP “Wising Up”. I eventually moved back to Texas in 2019 to my home town. Since being back in Texas, I released my second studio album “Taurus In China Shop” in 2023. I also released some singles before that and afterwards as well. Now, I’m currently working with an amazing Artist Development team out in Houston Texas that consist of my great friends Kathy who works as a manager, PR, and overall just get it done type leader, and a new friend of mine who is a producer, engineer, and who ironically enough is Lecrae’s drummer, Nate Robinson. Talk about a full circle haha! We have a lot of amazing stuff in the works as we speak, and are aiming to have a big 2026 coming up! You can stay in the loop with us and get exclusive updates at www.abnrmlmusic.com
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I like to describe my musical journey, and honestly life I general as a “Rollercoaster.” My musical journey has consisted of many ups and downs. One thing I’ve learned as an independent artist is, you have to be willing to sacrifice not only time and energy, but A LOT of financial resources. I’ve easily have spent way more money than I have made, but that’s part of the passion. The thing that has kept me going since back in 2012 is definitely not the money or the fame, because if it was dependent on both of those, I would have quit a long time ago. The thing that always kept me going was the pure passion of the music, and the conviction from God that this is a gift and calling He has given me to share to the world. There’s been many times in my musical journey where I straight up asked God “hey, if this isn’t your will God, please just take away the want to and desire to make music” but it never went away. Matter of fact funny enough, at the beginning of 2025, I literally was beginning to feel like maybe I need to move away from this since financially, from a ROI point of view, this was beginning to no longer be a wise thing to continue with. But surely enough, shortly after that, I began working with the team I spoke of earlier in Houston, and now things are truly beginning to turn around more than they ever have in my musical journey. It’s funny how sometimes right before God is about to blow things up for us, we begin to feel like it’s time to come to an end. It reminds me of the guy mining for diamonds meme. If he would have struck the dirt one more time, the diamonds were there! Sometimes, we just have to keep mining.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
So I am a Hip Hop artist. I am a writer, a lyricist and performer. I write all my own lyrics and all of my music is original. And that’s honestly one of the biggest things I’m most proud of. I’ve always stayed original. I always wrote my own lyrics and songs, and have always been willing to take a risk on myself. I would just go for it, release the music. Releasing new music can be a very scary thing at times. You don’t know how people are going to react. Will they love it? Will they hate it? These are things you will never know, unless you just go for it. There’s a famous quote I once heard that said “you miss every shot you don’t take.” That always really resonated with me. I’ve released songs that people didn’t like so much, and I’ve released songs that people loved! But, I would have never known either of those things, if I didn’t make that art and share it to the world. With that, I always just stayed true to myself. I just stay in my own lane and stay unbothered by those beside me. I don’t try to be better than other artist, or compete with others. I just try to become a better me over all, one day at a time, and that includes becoming a better artist as well.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Absolutely. First, not to sound cliche, but God gets all the credit first and foremost. He literally gave me the gift. My whole childhood and teenage life I never thought I would be a Hip Hop artist. I was always shy, low confidence, and very introverted. I loved sports, it was something I was able to find a sense of identity in. When Jesus changed my life, the desire and gift to write music literally came out of nowhere. So like I said, God gets all the credit. But definitely along the way there has been many many mentors and people that helped me. Joe McDaniel and Tim Capps were two gentlemen that helped me greatly at the very beginning. Tim Capps actually bought my first press of CDs for “Stop The Violence” back in 2012. Of course my mama and dad for always believing in me. My best friend, Steven Vowell, actually was the first one to teach me how to write my lyrics in 16 bars format. Before, I just wrote all my lines jumbled together, but he taught me how to break down the lines bar for bar. He’s also helped me in so many other ways. He was one of the founders of the group “Good News Gang” I spoke of earlier. From there, I’d have to shoutout Blazz, Stephen Crow, Von Won, Orlando Williams, Trevor Lee, Kevin Keel, Robbie Jarvis, Wesley Henderson, Micah Johnson, Wayne Palmer, Warren Williams, M Brown, Josh Walker, Kathy Wilson, Nate Robinson and many more I could label. All of these people have helped me in many ways along this journey.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.abnrmlmusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abnrmlmusic
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Austin AB Burton
- Twitter: https://x.com/abnrmlmusic
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/abnrmlmusic
Image Credits
Colton Gatlin
CHEDGRR Photography
Kathy Wilson
Steven Vowell
