Born to a biracial couple and adopted as a baby, Real Juan was originally named Brian Ralston. But as he explains, “I’m not trying to make any puns about real ones”—his name reflects a deeper personal and spiritual identity.

Raised in a musical household, Real Juan observed his father writing songs and began rapping before the age of 14. By 14, he was already penning his own rhymes. “I was inspired by Run DMC, and had some friends from Barbados and Jamaica that I would jam with. They had turntables and would throw down some rhymes,” he recalls. These early influences led him to enter high school battle of the bands competitions, beginning his journey as a performing artist.

Real Juan took a break from music in the mid-2000s and began building houses. But life threw him a curveball—his mental health took a significant hit. Diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and ADHD, he began therapy and treatment, a process that would profoundly shape his life and music.

In 2015, Real Juan returned to hip hop with the release of Robotica, a critically acclaimed album that marked his reentry into the music scene. Despite this creative breakthrough, he continued to face challenges with mental health until receiving comprehensive treatment in 2018 in Ponoka, Alberta, Canada.

It was during his time in Ponoka that Real Juan found healing through writing. That creative process led to the album Sick as Your Secrets. “The therapy of songwriting itself has been a big part of the healing being done in my life,” he shares. “I think my main inspiration is the Most High—Yah! I should’ve been dead many times over from my struggles. Like, [my name] Juan means Yahuwah is gracious, and I've seen it first hand.”

A man of deep faith but not organized religion, Real Juan puts it simply:

“I’ll tell you the truth ‘cause I’m not a liar;
I rap for Yah because I couldn’t make the choir.”

To date, Real Juan has released 12 LPs/EPs, and shows no sign of slowing down. He has also begun exploring visual storytelling through music videos, expanding his presence on YouTube and beyond.