Macho Perez Featured In #MusicLov3rz April

Where do I begin, my name Is Emilio Perez Jr. Macho Perez is my artist name. I’m born and raised in Newark, NJ. Ok now that that’s out of the way let’s get real. I was born in poverty to a mother who would beat me. I wet the bed till I was about 15, uncontrollably. I would wake up soaked and then to the belt. My mother would beat me because I peed the bed. Then she would make cornmeal (which I hated and refused to eat) and I would receive my second whooping of the day. Then I had to go to school smelling like urine. They would belittle me and emasculate me with vulgar names in Spanish. It felt like they hated me. I say all this so you can see what led up to the waste of two decades of my life. 

My first attempt at suicide I was 9 years old. I climbed out on the ledge of the third floor window. I stood out there for 30 minutes. Freezing , crying, and confused, I stood on that ledge and imagined what it would be like if I did it.  I realized something on that balcony, they don’t even care I exist so why kill myself if they won’t even cry for me. I immediately turned into a psychopath. Lighting stuff on fire, animal cruelty, cruelty to younger kids. I became the bully. But only to those smaller than me. I would still get jumped at school, until I shed blood and then they didn’t want any problems. I dove head first in the streets. It was a crazy time in the early 90’s in NY/NJ. I started gangbanging and selling drugs, everything the streets had to offer. 

I was terrorized by demons, clouds of smoke with red eyes. I would have dreams of falling out of buildings or airplanes but I would hit the floor and not die. I had dreams of being shot in the head but I wouldn't die. I would have dreams of snakes biting me but I wouldn't die. These happened often. I remember at one house I woke up in the middle of the night to a demon on top of my dad choking him. I tried to scream but nothing came out. The demon turned and looked at me screamed and just dispersed. My dad was gasping for air looking at me like why were you choking me. I told him what happened and he knew what it was, it wasn't his first rodeo. This was something that existed within our culture because of witchcraft. My mom and her sisters came from a long line of people who worship the saints. They did things and opened doors for these demons to come terrorize us. I was collateral damage.

Fast forward 20 years of death, I was lost and I knew it. I had moved to Orlando, FL and I was living in so much filth. I hit rock bottom and landed on my cousin's couch. I met my wife and she asked me what I do for a living. You better not be no wannabe rapper. LOL. I got sober and enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu college of culinary arts. I bought the “Top Chef” dream they sold me and received long hours and unequal pay. It sucked, Soo I enrolled into ConCorde for Respiratory Therapy. Graduated with an associates in Respiratory Science. Met Jesus and then Married my wife that year. Then the real battle started. 

Full story in the magazine March 28th!

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