Voyajor: The UCSB rapper and Entrepreneur you haven’t heard of yet

After meeting Voyajor (first-year, Jordan Friedman) in person for the first time, I can tell you this – the kid. is. driven.

I don’t know about you, but I have never successfully raised money from investors to start a business around an idea of mine – nor have I created my own mixtape to voice the inner-rapper that I know I have within me. Not only has Jordan (Voyajor, henceforth) done both of these things, but he continues to work hard to further his career in the music industry, as well as in the business world.

A Quick Background – Wayward Seas

Wayward Seas

The writing for Voyajor’s first mixtape, Wayward Seas, began January 1, 2015 and ended on New Year’s Eve the same year. The 19 year-old rapper has been rapping for over seven years with no signs of stopping any time in the near future.

Born and raised in Oakland, California and now residing in Santa Barbara, Voyajor has never found himself far from the water. After listening to Wayward Seas, it becomes clear that Voyajor encourages college students with a broad taste in music to appreciate his distinct blend of tropical house, EDM, and rap.

Voyajor attended school at UCSB for the past two quarters, but has since chosen to pursue his dreams in music, as well as in business. He also plans on finishing his first book by the end of 2017.

In demonstrating his versatility, Voyajor proves to be more than just your ordinary rapper. Bringing his Bay Area flow to beats like Lean On by Major Lazer & DJ Snake, and Snow (Hey Oh) by The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Voyajor’s success lies in his unique combination of both rap, and EDM genres. You can check out some of his music from SoundCloud.com below:

But what about the entrepreneur side of Voyajor?

Voyajor has, and always will be, an entrepreneur.

Starting his first business at the young age of six, Voyajor has decided to take a “leave of absence” during the Spring quarter of his freshman year.

This absence comes after he worked to create five companies, and personally raised venture capital and angel investment for two of them. Doing business in the tech industry, and the medicinal marijuana industry, his business experience is gaining momentum and seems to be progressing quickly (To be continued…)

During a Deltopia-weekend interview with him, Voyajor said: “I was born on December 31, 1996, and no – not at midnight, so please don’t ask…with that being said, yeah – I’m definitely trying to make it big.”

Voyajor projects (and hopes) he can make his first million dollars before the age of 20, but as he put it – “it’s not a big deal if I fall a bit short of that… that’s still a decent place to start.”

For Voyajor, however, money isn’t his main priority – it’s a byproduct of his hard work and determination.

“Money is just a scoreboard that supposedly lets you know how well you’re doing. It’s not a real measure of success. For me, it’s more important to be able to invent and create in the way that I see fit, rather than to simply ‘make a lot of money.’

“Sure, it’s nice having financial success – but I’d rather do what I love to do. I think I’m just fortunate enough to where the things I love doing happen to have a good pay out.”

So the end message? What did I learn after my interview with him?

Be like Voyajor. 

Not in the literal sense, but in the sense that you follow the things you love to do – regardless of the uncertainty of the journey. Find new ways to create and innovate. Follow your passions, explore your interests, and do things that haven’t been done before within those fields.

Whether a fan of his music or not, one thing’s for certain – everyone can take something away from this successful and motivated 19 year-old entrepreneur.

Myself?

I’ve realized it’s time to get my life together.