I was exposed to Hip-Hop Culture through my older brother who would play Run-DMC, The Fat Boys, LL Cool J, Slick Rick and many others as a young child. Many of my friends spoke Hip-Hop terminology/slang, Break Danced, Beat Boxed or did one of the five elements of Hip-Hop Culture. I gravitated more to the Emceeing/Rap element and started formulating my own rhymes in the early nineties. During those times my discipline was to be original and not sound like anyone else which took knowledge of self and countless hours of experimentation. I later advanced in my skills and attracted other artists such as producers who would craft beats for me in order to make songs and then demos, EP”s and later albums. In High School I would perform songs in Pep Rallies, House Parties and in the Lunchroom Cafeteria to sharpen my stage presence and showmanship. In those days there was no internet so in order to. I had to be very proactive and ready to rhyme at the drop of a dime and engage my audience in order to garner followers/fans. What set me apart from the majority of rappers was Knowledge of Self, Subject Matter, Style, Personality, Passion and Drive. And also a willingness to study the roots of my craft and build with the elders of my inner circle. Musically, a few of my crowning achievements was debuting my first solo album entitled The Tempest which gave me recognition in my city Austin,TX and allowed me to open for acts such as KRS-One, R.A. The Rugged Man, Killah Priest, Slum Village and many others. What I want followers, fans, supporters and opposition to know about me is that I represent True School Hip-Hop and it’s many facets. Which is but a musical level in The Black Pool of Genius that has spawned i.e Rock Music, Blues, Jazz, Classical, Soul, etc. I also represent the militant and rebellious uncompromising fire that speaks truth to power in the form of Edutainment.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

The lesson I had to unlearn in Hip-Hop Culture is that we are the only people who sing of our own destruction. Be it robbing and killing each other, low morality, worshipping materialism, over sexualization. We are mentally and spiritually robbed of our true righteous nature and displayed as animals and slaves on the world stage. These things I tend to distance myself from joining in unless it’s to bring a soul-lution or shine a light on these travesties that have become so mundane. In order to change this vicious cycle we must reverse the brainwash and gain back our Knowledge of Self that was brutally taken.