Industry heavyweights and fast rising phenoms step inside the DJBooth for exclusive interviews with DJ Z
Filed under: We Got Next, Interviews
Underground hip-hop is full of idealistic up-and-comers who believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that they’re destined for superstardom, but precious few are as justified in their optimism as GhostWridah. Since introducing himself to our readers with the Shawty Lo-assisted “Born & Raised” more than two years ago, the Miami hopeful (and exclusive freestyle series contributor) has proven himself as an artist with both the …
Filed under: We Got Next, Interviews
During the years that DJBooth.net has been in operation, we’ve already helped to launch the careers of quite a few up-and-coming rappers who now seem destined to write their names on the pages of history. Hoping to become the next in that illustrious line is Big K.R.I.T., a multi-talented Meridian, Mississippi native (and exclusive freestyle series contributor) with aspirations of taking his place among Southern legends …
Filed under: Industry Heavyweights, Interviews
When Friedrich Nietzsche wrote, “That which does not kill us makes us stronger,” he could easily have been talking about the long and illustrious, but tumultuous career of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Though many and varied obstacles, from artistic and financial differences to prison sentences, have divided the Cleveland quintet over the course of their 15-plus years in the game, the Bone brothers have weathered the storms and …
Filed under: We Got Next, Interviews
In the hip-hop game, there’s confidence, and then there’s confidence. Using a debut mixtape to announce the arrival of “Your Future Favorite Rapper” is a prime example of the latter. Less than one year after the release of his freshman effort, it’s clear that Spring Hill, Florida native Laws’ self-assurance paid off big-time – having scored a major deal with J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League and Asylum, the 24-year-old …
Filed under: Alternative, We Got Next, Interviews
The derivative, disposable nature of modern pop has long been a source of consternation for music-lovers, but old souls may want to start looking for something else to complain about; if the relentlessly creative Outasight‘s signing to major label Warner Bros. is any indication, the pendulum may finally be swinging back towards timeless tunes. Having spent years paying his dues on the underground scene, the Yonkers …
Filed under: We Got Next, Interviews
With thousands upon thousands of artists competing for listeners’ attention, an up-and-coming emcee has to treat each and every project like a career-making Audition – one false move, and you may have lost your best chance at the big-time. Booth mainstay Shawn Chrystopher knows exactly how high the stakes are as he approaches the release of his brand new EP and, despite the nervousness that afflicts …
Filed under: We Got Next, Interviews
Achieving success and longevity in the notoriously fickle music game is all about defying the norm and, as an artist who’s spent his life Going Against the Grain, Haitian-American emcee Jeff Chery has a considerable leg up on the competition. From his decision to leave a secure job in NYC and pursue his dreams in Atlanta, to his recent decision to drop former moniker “Pay$0z” in …
Filed under: Alternative, Pop, We Got Next, Interviews
What do you get when you cross Mos Def, El-P and the Roots with The Beatles, Led Zep and Radiohead? Well, you get one of the most versatile and unconventional up-and-comers to hit the scene in a good, long while. Incorporating these disparate influences (and many more) into his distinctive, genre-defying sound, singer/songwriter/emcee/producer Jared Evan is one of those rare recording artists who can do it …
Filed under: We Got Next, Interviews
In a game crowded with “studio gangsters” and hip-pop trend-hoppers, it’s easy to forget what “real” even means. Here to offer a (sometimes) friendly reminder is Freddie Gibbs, a Gary, Indiana-bred, L.A.-based emcee whose stories of urban hardship are as true-to-life as they are compelling. A true street survivor among wannabes, Gibbs incorporates his life struggles into his work with a level of honesty that sets …
Filed under: Pop, Producer, We Got Next, Interviews
For most college graduates, especially in today’s economic climate, finding work and making the transition into “real life” is an uncertain prospect. Not so for singer/songwriter/producer Mike Posner, who spent his senior year at Duke University juggling the academic grind and the hectic life of an up-and-coming musician. Needless to say, he had no doubt about his post-graduation plans – after receiving that diploma, Posner was …
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