How did you get into music?

I’ve always liked writing, especially poetry. So when some of my friends started making beats I tried rapping on them. I recorded it and sent it around to different labels. I ended up getting picked up by an independent label called Tate Music Group out of Oklahoma City. I released my solo LP with them called Sound Check. On that album I have a couple of songs with a live band, The Commoners. But now my focus is on solo projects with my own production.

What solo projects are you working on right now?

My last project was a mixed tape with DJ Benzy from Michigan. He’s big in hip-hop. He’s worked with Cudi, Wayne, Kanye and Pharrell. It’s a project to generate bg on replacing my day job income with music income.

What is your ultimate goal with music?

My ultimate goal is to be totally independent. As far as record labels these days they aren’t the saving grace anymore. What a lot of artists are doing now is creating their own label with a few artists you help as well as yourself. I’ve gained a lot of knowledge about how to get your own stuff out there and physical distribution as well. So I’m pushing to do that. Once you do, that’s when a bigger label will come in and partner with you, versus coming in and supporting you as a starving artist.

What do you love about hip-hop?

I’ve always loved basketball and sports and hip-hop go hand in hand a lot of the time. The culture of it has always fascinated me, too. Coming at it from a lyricist point of view, I like examining different aspects of it. Whenever I come across artists that are more conscious buy drugs online like Most Def or Common or Lupe Fiasco, I get drawn into the story telling of it all and being able to convey a message.

What do you rap about?

More conscious topics. Government issues. Things I’m going through, emotional things. I’m not the type of artists to rap about the club, it has its place and time when everyone is feeling good and you just want to bounce to a beat, but for me it’s more lyrically based. My mind gravitates toward giving a message.

What advice do you have for other musicians?

A piece of advice the head of A and R at a label in LA gave me is to just be honest. Whatever that means to you as an artist, be honest. Follow what you want to do. Don’t follow trends blindly. Do your own thing. And go after whatever it is in life you want. I used to always want to play basketball and the NBA or college ball seemed so out of reach, but whatever you want to do you can reach it. Never become captive to complacency.

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