For Colarte, the path toward becoming a recording artist began long before studio sessions, streaming releases, and live performances entered the picture. Music and performance have been part of his life since childhood, but what stands out most about his story is the consistency of the goal. Even during periods when sports took center stage, becoming an artist and actor remained the destination he ultimately wanted to reach.
His first major memory of performing came in fourth grade, when he auditioned for his school play and landed the lead role as Flat Stanley.
“That was my first time ever being on stage singing and acting, and I really aced it,” Colarte recalls. “Everyone was telling me I was a natural.”
That experience gave him an early sense that performing was more than something he simply enjoyed.
“I think that was the first moment where it really solidified for me that this was what I was born to do,” he says. “It just came so naturally.”
Colarte continued singing and acting throughout childhood before stepping away from the arts somewhat during high school, when football became a major focus. His athletic career was successful in its own right. He won a state championship during both his junior and senior years and finished his varsity career with a perfect 24-0 record.
Still, music never disappeared from the larger plan.
“Becoming a recording artist and actor was ALWAYS my end goal,” he says. “I never lost sight of that.”
When high school ended and his peers began selecting colleges, majors, and career paths, Colarte decided it was time to fully commit to the dream he had carried for years. At 18, he began writing and recording his own music and has continued building from there.
Colarte openly credits two major pop artists with helping shape his musical foundation: Justin Bieber and Justin Timberlake.
He first discovered Bieber as a child in 2009 and immediately connected with his music and career.
“From that moment forward, that’s who I wanted to be,” Colarte explains.
Bieber remains one of his biggest influences, although Colarte emphasizes that inspiration does not mean imitation. His goal is to take what he has learned from the artists who shaped him while creating something that remains recognizably his own.
Timberlake’s influence came through Colarte’s father, Damian, who has long been a fan.
“The Justified album has basically been on repeat in my house for the past 24 years of my life,” Colarte jokes.
Together, Bieber and Timberlake helped establish what Colarte describes as his “musical DNA.”
Those influences became especially important while developing his debut EP, ** vo1ume one **, released July 17, 2026.
When Colarte and collaborator De’Tale began creating the project, their goal was to combine elements from both of those influences while developing a sound that still belonged entirely to Colarte.
De’Tale jokingly gave the concept a memorable name: “Justin Bieberlake.”
The idea was not to duplicate either artist, but rather to use their influence as a starting point for something new.
Colarte spent the year developing vo1ume one alongside De’Tale and production team Pengea, ultimately creating a project he says the entire team is proud of.
The final stages of the EP became even more intense when Colarte received an invitation to perform on On The Radar Radio.
The appearance was scheduled for July 15, with only about two weeks of preparation time.
Instead of choosing a song that had already been completed, Colarte and his team decided to create an entirely new record specifically for the opportunity.
That meant making a beat, writing the song, recording vocals, mixing, and mastering it while simultaneously completing vo1ume one.
The result was “shine ur light.”
“Pressure makes diamonds,” Colarte says, “and ‘shine ur light’ ended up being a gem because of it.”
That ability to work under pressure reflects a larger part of Colarte’s personality. He describes one of his strongest attributes as an obsession with succeeding.
“I don’t know many people who are willing to work harder than I am to achieve their goals,” he says.
At the same time, his journey has included deeply personal challenges. Colarte speaks openly about struggling with his mental health and describes those periods as some of the most difficult experiences he has faced.
Yet each time he moves through one of those periods, he says he emerges feeling significantly stronger.
“That’s the tallest mountain I ever have to climb,” he explains. “Once I’ve climbed that, everything else in comparison feels possible and doable.”
Despite his confidence and ambition, Colarte is careful not to describe himself as the best at what he does.
“I give myself credit for sure, but I wouldn’t say I’m the best,” he says. “I still have a lot of growing to do, and honestly, that excites me.”
For Colarte, believing that growth is still possible is part of what keeps an artist motivated.
“You should believe you can be the best and constantly fight to get there,” he says. “That’s what keeps the fire lit.”
That mindset is carrying him toward what he expects to be an even bigger 2027.
After releasing significant new music and reaching personal milestones throughout 2026, Colarte plans to release more singles in the coming months leading toward his next project, ** volume 2wo **. He also has several collaborations in development.
As excited as he is about what comes next, he is making an effort not to rush the experience.
“Part of me wishes I could just hit fast-forward and see it all happen,” he admits. “But in reality, I know the journey is the most special part, so I’m trying to appreciate every step of it while I’m living it.”
Colarte is especially grateful to his family: his mother Nicole, his father Damian, his sister Sophia, and his younger brother Dan.
He credits them with believing in his career long before there were numbers, accolades, or outside validation suggesting that success was guaranteed.
“They believed in me during a time when they really had no reason to other than the fact that they loved me and believed in my talent,” he says.
He also gives special credit to De’Tale, whom he met unexpectedly at The Come Up Awards Show in Brooklyn in 2024.
What appeared at first to be a brief interaction eventually developed into a crucial creative relationship. After agreeing to work together, De’Tale later arrived at Acosta Park Studios in Manhattan with a group of producers who would eventually become part of Colarte’s core team and contribute to vo1ume one.
Looking back, Colarte sees that chance meeting as one of the pivotal moments of his career.
For other emerging artists, Colarte’s biggest piece of advice comes directly from his own experience.
“Belief in yourself is the most important thing — specifically when there really isn’t any reason to believe yet,” he says.
Between 2020 and 2024, Colarte says his career had virtually no momentum outside of support from his family and a small group of friends. There were no major numbers, buzz, or visible signs confirming that his dream would work.
He continued anyway.
“You have to place all bets on yourself,” he says. “You have to stay confident in the belief that you can do it, even before anyone else has a reason to believe you.”
For Colarte, persistence eventually changes the equation. An artist keeps working, keeps developing, and eventually creates results that allow other people to see what the artist believed all along.
That lesson may ultimately define Colarte’s journey as much as any individual song or project.
“You have to believe before there’s proof.”
Fans can find Colarte on all major streaming platforms and connect with him across social media at @colarte123.
