Behind The Song: Coquí - "LIVING 2 DIE" - CMADDICT.com

Behind The Song: Coquí – “LIVING 2 DIE”

Guest Post

July 31, 2025

Behind The Song

I wrote this while reflecting on who I was before I started living in faith again. Back then, I was chasing everything — success, attention, control — but I was slowly losing myself. I thought I was doing great on the outside, but inside I was numb. Spiritually disconnected. Back then I was trying to prove something, and it just left me empty.

When my wife and I left L.A. and moved to Texas, it felt like more than just a relocation. It was like closing the chapter on who I used to be. That theme of “moving on” became both literal and symbolic. I was stepping away from the noise, the pressure, the identity I’d built, and relearning what it means to be alive.

The line “I’m not living to die” became my anchor. It echoes Romans 8:13; dying to the flesh to truly live. For me, this song is about coming back to that truth. Letting go of who I thought I had to be, and finding peace in surrender. It’s not just about change, it’s about the freedom that comes after.

Biography

Raised on Tony Hawk Pro Skater soundtracks, his dad’s vinyl collection, and a church worship band that felt more punk than polished, Coquí pulls from everywhere he’s been — and everywhere he’s headed. Blending hip-hop grit, desert psych textures, post-punk basslines, and fuzzed-out indie guitars, his music feels like a spiritual gut-check wrapped in a blown-out cassette. It’s raw, rhythmic, and unfiltered — anchored by storytelling that’s equal parts confession and confrontation.

Before stepping into the spotlight, Coquí spent years running playback for artists like Blink-182 and Thirty Seconds to Mars. Now he’s telling his own story — one marked by ego, unraveling, and the slow rebuild of belief. His songs don’t preach. They reveal. Wrestling with pride, control, doubt, and grace, they hit with sharp honesty and zero gloss.

Now based in San Antonio, he’s traded L.A. glitter for Texas gravel — starting over with his faith and a mission to reach those who stopped listening a long time ago. Don’t call it worship. Don’t call it alt-rock. Coquí is carving out something in-between — a holy disruption with a pulse.