The fiercely talented, unapologetically authentic Eddy Puyol (pronounced “pooh-yole”) infuses a passion for life, family, and faith into his innovative hip-hop tracks. Puyol grew up listening to iconic 70s and 80s greats like Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, and more. At eleven years old, he first discovered his calling to make spiritual hip-hop, after visiting a church where praise was delivered through rap. Later working in the illegal pharmaceutical industry and going down a bad road, Eddy returned to the Lord in the early 2000s, earning a Christian hip-hop record deal in 2006. Since then, Puyol has achieved incredible success in creating uplifting, groovy earworms that resonate with audiences both in and out of the church. More recently, Puyol has been embracing a personal and musical renaissance, evolving his sound and style to match his renewed spirit and successes guided by God. Formerly known as Rawsrvnt, Eddy Puyol champions his principle of “keepin’ it real” by releasing songs from the heart that connect to multiple generations.
On “Like a Cadillac,” Eddy Puyol cleverly uses the image of this vehicle, a long-standing symbol of success and wealth in American culture, to highlight the blessings God has bestowed upon him. As outlined in the track, Puyol takes the Cadillac out for a spin of his own—infusing his positive energy and drive for genuineness into the song’s lyrics and sound. Sampling from his previously released “Flossin’ Him” single, Puyol refreshes its sun-shiny groove and bouncy melody while reinforcing the classic hip-hop feel. The poetry is also inspired by words that guide Puyol’s life outside of music—including Bible verses and personal catchphrases he often shares with family and friends. It further showcases the artist’s gratitude for the One who helped him bounce back from hardship and embrace a life of authentic joy. “This is the day that the Lord has made so Imma rejoice and be glad in it,” sings Puyol. “Every day above ground’s another day for me to say thank You.”
“Bang Bang Baby” is a high-energy anthem of reflection and celebration, pulling the title phrase from Puyol’s previous career-reflecting track, “This One’s For You.” With the help of longtime collaborator Chuck Hemann, Puyol’s energetic rhymes and lively beats, including a subtle reference to the SportsCenter theme, incite the feeling of standing on a mountaintop looking down at the cleared obstacles below. Puyol exhibits his musical giftedness by rapping amusing, yet powerful, verses in double time. This triumphant reflection shows his sincere appreciation for building a career, passion, and family by following God’s word
In the “Like a Cadillac” music video, Puyol blends hip-hop nostalgia with modern aesthetics as he and his wife Corinne roll down the vibrant streets of Wynwood, Florida in a stylish Cadillac from Miami’s Magic City Classic Car Club. Puyol cruises around town in style, flaunting not only the Cadillac Brougham’s 24-inch rims, but also his love and respect for God. It’s a groovy celebration of overcoming challenges and emerging stronger, reminding us that the true things worth showing off are the ones who support and guide us through it all.
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The “Bang Bang Baby” music video immerses viewers into Puyol’s typical weekend hitting the links at the North Palm Beach Country Club (where he recently got married) surrounded by lush palm trees and loved ones. This fun video features Puyol’s father Orlando, brother Bobby, and friend Adam Jones living large on the golf course. The bright colors, sporty mood, and energetic cuts showcase Puyol’s natural swag and enthusiasm to always have a good time. Puyol preaches that flipping a negative to a positive is “the only real way to be.”
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Together, these videos reflect Puyol’s joy-centered life and invite viewers to celebrate God’s blessings witnessed in their individual journeys.
Can you tell us a little bit about the writing and recording process for “Like a Cadillac” and “Bang Bang Baby?”
For “Like a Cadillac” I remembered some lyrics I always loved off my song “Flossin’ Him” and thought it would be cool to reuse them but in a sped up fashion. For “Bang Bang Baby” I caught myself saying that line a lot in my everyday life—especially while coaching my kids’ basketball teams. “Like a Cadillac” starts off with one of my favorite Bible verses Psalms 118:24 and on “Bang Bang Baby” I was so excited to flex the line “Look at the scoreboard baby / Man that thing lit” in honor of my good friend and one of my groomsmen David Cooper who helped me walk out a difficult life storm that tried to take me out.
You sample from your previous work in both “Like a Cadillac” and “Bang Bang Baby,” what inspires you to sample from yourself to reimagine your sound and style?
I’ve always been a fan of how hip-hop started with the honoring, sampling, flipping, and remixing of other works that inspire you. However, such clearances can be more difficult to clear and navigate today than they were back then. And lately I catch myself just wanting to revisit powerful words and cadences I’ve communicated before. It seems to be working and the fan base digs it as it brings back memories from past records they’ve connected with too.
Christian and rap music are often seen as different worlds—how do you fuse these genres in “Like a Cadillac” and “Bang Bang Baby?”
The separate “Christian rap” title has always been an interesting topic for me. If someone’s Jewish, Muslim, or any religious belief in hip hop culture they typically don’t get labeled or sub-categorized as that type of rapper, but it does seem to be that way sometimes for followers of the Messiah. It’s an honor as I believe He’s the GOAT so it’s cool. But I also hope people respect and vibe to the music and message regardless of what type of playlist it falls on as I always strive to produce life music that is obviously backed and influenced by my faith, family, and day-to-day behavior.
How have your past musical experiences shaped your current sound? In what ways do “Like a Cadillac” and “Bang Bang Baby” showcase your evolution as an artist?
I love the iconic 70’s and 80’s music, so a lot of that has come out through my own work—especially as of late. I’ve been producing a lot of my music with my longtime friend and collaborator Chuck Hemann. Our new tunes are definitely a great representation of what I love and listen to.
Which musicians or genres have the biggest impact on your sound?
I gotta be honest, I love music so my roots run in to different genres. I love listening to anything from Sade to Barry White and The Love Unlimited Orchestra to Marvin Gaye to funk music to Bob Marley and other reggae greats to Celia Cruz and other salsa legends to rap artists like Hulvey, Forrest Frank, and Lecrae as well as Smooth Jazz just to zone out. So when it comes to who actually influences my sound, I can’t pinpoint one artist, but just overall great music.
“Like a Cadillac” and “Bang Bang Baby” are both anthems of celebration—how important is it for you to spread joy and positivity through your music?
There’s so much darkness and negativity in the world already, so I believe it’s super important and so powerful to share and spread love in my music. We all have an opportunity to share a message in our everyday walk, so in mine I want to breathe life and goodness to all.
What were your creative visions behind the “Like a Cadillac” and “Bang Bang Baby” music videos? How did you collaborate with the director and team to bring your visions to life?
For “Like a Cadillac” I was very intentional to make sure we included a ride that matched my lyrics since the hook says, “My soul done got saved / So I be flossin’ Him / Like a Cadillac sitting on 24’s.” My director Will Thomas and I connected with Miami’s Magic City Classic Car Club to secure that and once the car was secured I brought the real life vibe into the video by cruising around Wynwood with my wife to celebrate all the blessings God has given us.
For “Bang Bang Baby” I wanted to bring a different feel to the visuals and showcase a sport I love. When I’m not rapping I love to play golf so I brought Will Thomas to my home course (North Palm Beach Country Club) to film a round with my Dad, brother Bobby, and good friend Adam Jones. The end result is a combo of “Happy Gilmore” and DJ Khaled’s short-form video clips on Instagram—just pure fun with a lot of swag.
What motivated you to showcase your family and loved ones in the music videos for “Like a Cadillac” and “Bang Bang Baby?”
My Abuela raised me on her saying, “Family’s the main thing” so I keep that motto going. I’ve had my family in past videos like “Never Lose” and others, so I love to keep it real and exemplify what I call ‘life music.’
What do you hope listeners and viewers will take away from “Like a Cadillac” and “Bang Bang Baby?”
That you can make great music with a great message and not be derogatory, negative or just plain foolish. The world needs more people to smile and that’s what I love doing with my music. Like I said in “Bang Bang Baby,” ‘Flip negative to positive / That’s the only real way to be.’
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About the Author
Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.
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