Hey y'all, I'm a somewhat experienced producer looking for some advice on my next steps. Not really sure what sort of feedback I expect, maybe I just wanna get this off my chest. Long-ish post, you can skip to the last 2 paragraphs and mostly get the gist.

I've been seriously (as in not just hobby) producing for almost 5 years now. Friend of mine started a (rap) recording studio, and I worked there as resident engineer for a long time. Been lucky enough work with some relatively known (trap and R&B) artists in the south. In fact, I've been told that I have serious chops by most of the artists I've worked with. Thing is, I'm a tiny dude with a nasally voice and a babyface, in my 20's but I get mistaken for a high school student all the time. (So what, right?)

I'm actually really comfortable in my own skin, but it's still been a huge problem for me. I've never really been taken seriously by the artists I've worked with. Plus I've never been credited for my work even though I've been a huge part of more than one artists' project, and I've realized over time that it's because artists don't want to associate themselves with me based on my looks. I've tried actively nagging artists I've worked with to credit me and tag me on social media, and all of those songs are unreleased now. I even got passed over for my biggest potential business opportunity to date explicitly because of my looks.

I'm not trying to get any pity. I'm not exactly crying myself to sleep at night, at the end of the day I've gotten professional-level production and engineering skills out of all this. But I'm still at Square 1. At this point, I still produce, but I haven't been able to gain any steady following or name for myself whatsoever, and I have no finished work that I can really show for all this time I've put in. I'm thinking I'll just go the route of being my own artist, producer, and engineer. I've found my own unique style as a producer and engineer, but I'm nervous about the artist part (vocals and lyrics).

Is it a good idea for me to be my own frontman when so many people are obviously put off by my voice and looks? Like I said, I'm not an insecure person, but for example I've performed a few times (DJing and live instrumentals) and afterwards people always come up to tell me how funny I look, no comments whatsoever on the music. And every music industry insider I've met up with has told me the equivalent of "you're very talented, but over here at X we wouldn't hire someone who looks/sounds like you".

I hope I don't come off insecure about my looks, or too cocky about my skills, I like to think I'm coming from a place of logic and not emotion here. Have any of y'all had a problem like this? I'm gonna start recording vocals soon and see how it goes, it'll be fun to make the music itself, but I'm not all that confident about my overall prospects as an artist going in.