Take a Look at the video:

AllHipHop would like to thank SUPERGOODMUSIC, Craveonline.com & Sharp TV for being sponsors for this event!

AllHipHop.com: RapMania is a highly conceptual project. Following its release, have any unconventional financial or creative avenues presented themselves?

Fred Knuxx: I couldn’t sell it because Vince McMahon – he is pretty much a billionaire – and anything that has to do with wrestling, he wants a piece of. So, we really couldn’t get the songs cleared. The way that we put it out was on a mixtape. That way, we let everybody know that it’s [for] promotional use only. So, we just passed out CDs. The main thing was to get the music out to the people. We didn’t really make a lot of profit off of it. But, from this standpoint, we got the word out. It got traffic. And, hopefully fans will listen to the music that we are selling and that we have out on iTunes. To me, it was just a good promotional tool to get to outside-the-box, Hip-Hop fans that can come back and say, ‘We know Fred Knuxx; he did RapMania. Let’s see what he got now.’

AllHipHop.com: In an interview conducted by BallerStatus.com you say, “Instead of complaining be the change you want to see now. Everybody is crying foul, but look yourself in the mirror and ask, ‘What am I doing to make a change?’” Regarding Hip-Hop, how are your actions challenging the status quo and working to make it better?

Fred Knuxx:  Right now, I just pride myself on trying to be different. I’m dropping a project called Outside Within. It’s basically saying I’m outside the industry. Basically, I’m giving you what’s inside of me by just being honest. Man, the artists that I’ve grown up on, the artists that I like, that artists that I listen to, they got substance. Now when you listen to the radio, there’s really no substance like that. You might get a handful of artists that give you product with substance in it. The rest are just putting out the same old thing.

With that essence alone, the material that I’m putting out has substance in it. First off, I’m a fan of Hip-Hop. If people feel how like I feel, then they’re going to gravitate toward the music that I’m putting out as well. So, I think, that’s kinda the change that I’m trying to put back into the music. If you listen to me, the last era where there was really substance within our music was the ’90s era. If you want to be honest, you don’t hear much of that on the radio now. So, just being an artist that’s putting substance back into his music, I think that’s already a change.

AllHipHop.com: Recently, I had the opportunity to hear “I Feel Like” and “Zoning.” In relation to a track’s production, how essential is it to create a cohesive sound that complements your conceptual idea?

Fred Knuxx: I’ll come up with an idea like, ‘I want to do a Rock influenced track.’ I’ll reach out to a producer, and I’ll tell him my ideas. ‘This is my idea for a song that’s Rock inspired,’ they may send me three or four beats that I’ll listen to. After I find a beat that I can work with, I’ll just go in the booth and write my lyrics and it’s a wrap. I got a producer out of Germany named X-Plosive, he might just send me beats, because we’ve been working together for so long. He kinda knows what type of sound that I’m shooting for. He automatically will send me something that I like. With new producers, I kinda guide them through the sound that I’m trying to put out at the moment. It’s a little bit different with different producers.

The Sidebar

“I’ve been doing the mixtape thing for a while…  And,  finally I wanted to put together an album. …I want to say the first quarter of 2013 is when I want to put it out. I’ll probably drop it digitally on iTunes. December is when ‘I Feel Like’ will be on iTunes. Hit me up on Twitter, and let me know how y’all feel about the music. ” -Fred Knuxx

“If your heart and your brain is saying the same thing, enjoy the pursuit.” – AP the Mayor

Between Philadelphia and NYC on the Northeast Corridor, you’ll find Trenton; a small city by population, but thefifth wealthiest metropolitan area in the country. In Hip-Hop, the city is known for artists like Poor Righteous Teachers, production from Tony D (rest in peace) and the Legendary DJ Juice. And since the ’80s, Trenton Hip-Hop has influenced many artists; and while East Trenton grew, it didn’t birth a Rap icon.

Today, with a bustling Hip-Hop scene, the Trenton area is working towards making the industry take notice. One of the many artists on the campaign is AP the Mayor. AP is a technician, with backpack MC qualities. He calls his style of Rap music “Blue Collar,” and he doesn’t mind telling people that he writes down his lyrics. In his conversation with AllHipHop.com, AP the Mayor talks about his expanding work ethic, his authentic approach to songwriting, and his lowly Philadelphia Eagles (*Chuck Creekmur voice*):

AllHipHop.com: How long have you been rapping? And how much of that time have you taken it seriously?

AP the Mayor (@APtheMAYOR): I’ve been rapping for 12 years. And have been taking it seriously for the past four. I’ve spent a lot of time experimenting and perfecting my flow, growing into my sound. When I first started, I noticed that nobody recited my verses. I represent Underworld Entertainment, and nobody was reciting my verses, not even my crew. I remember spending one summer writing verse after verse, throwing them in the trash, perfecting my flow. On the next project, people began reciting my lines, then my verses. I knew I was on the right path then.

AllHipHop.com: You’re very proud of being authentic – that you’re a 9-5, and the streets weren’t your vice. Who does your music speak to, and who does it speak for?

AP the Mayor: My music speaks to everybody that has a grind, to everybody that has a hustle, that Blue-collar Hip-Hop. I don’t feel that people necessarily have to live the way I do; having that 9-5, doing things the positive way. I represent results. I represent the people that are doing anything to win.

AllHipHop.com: Authenticity led you down a path of showing vulnerability through your music. Talk about songs like “Pride” and “Depression”.

AP the Mayor: Each time I do songs like “Pride” and “Depression”, I receive positive feedback from conscious listeners of the music. Those are real records. I write down whatever comes to me. It’s pure emotion. And sometimes it doesn’t even rhyme. I don’t scribble out lyrics by weak or strong.

AllHipHop.com: Be honest, how do you feel about your Eagles this year?

AP the Mayor: Destroy and Rebuild. I’m a prideful Philadelphia Eagles fan. I feel that’s why other fans hate us. Because no matter what our team is going through, we feel we’ll be back. We just need to destroy what we have and start all over.

AllHipHop.com: If you were the GM, what would be your first move?

AP the Mayor: I would get rid of the entire coaching staff. I’ve been a fan of the Eagles since ’96. And it would feel like every year, you’d hear rumblings about getting rid of Andy Reid. I didn’t support it until this year. I’ve seen some things with Andy during his press conferences that showed me it was time. He’s a great coach, but the team needs a new voice.

AllHipHop.com: Being a long time staple in the Trenton Rap scene, give a few reasons why major labels should pay more attention to the area.

AP the Mayor: We’re a melting pot for Hip-Hop. We’re located in the center of two major markets (Philly and NYC). Trenton is small compared to Philly and NYC. But if you come here and get introduced to the scene, you’ll be amazed by the stories being told here. There’s a unique source of talent here.

AllHIpHop.com: Who is in your Top 5?

AP the Mayor: The Notorious B.i.G., Jay-Z, Nas, Joe Budden, Lil’ Wayne

AllHipHop.com: To close this out, talk about “Stay”.

AP the Mayor: “Stay” is a remake from Nas’ latest album, Life is Good. What we’re (Dre Skuffs) talking about in the record is the struggle of an independent artist. Personally, I have my moments where I fall in and out of love with the grind of making it. It’s personal, I’m talking about wanting to spread my brand against all odds. But at the end of my verse, I talk about how every time I want to quit, something tells me to just stay. I want to give a quick shout to my team, Deuce Jones, Alamaj, Levi Lennon, Jaya Creates, Spiz, Boowie, Val the Grain, Surg, and Hellfire.

Miami, Florida is a land of extremes. Here, nonsensical white lines indicate excess. Personal destructive endeavors abound, be it spilled party favors or prey; they confetti landscapes. Fueled by a laissez-faire economy, the carnage continues. Is this a ceaseless cycle of depravity? No. Perspective, coupled with awareness, is key to maintaining and challenging any reality. Change is possible.

J. NICS, a resounding product of his Miami environment, uses his voice as an MC to cultivate change. Hip-Hop affords NICS the personal and creative freedom to impact the world. Catalyzed by purity, encouraged by a cohesive circle of friends, and inspired by a supportive family, he is surrounded by unity to help manifest his dreams. Improving his craft since the age of 13, the wordsmith steadily challenges his expression to accurately display his art’s development. In this AllHipHop.com exclusive, J. NICS speaks on Miami, music, and manhood:

AllHipHop.com: I’ve read that you’re from Miami Dade county, and that you grew up in the Uptown area of Miami, the Miami Gardens. At times, struggle and strife have been your neighbors. Often when folks can’t see past the block, they’re met with hopelessness and complacency. How did you learn to challenge that mindset and to strive for more?

J. NICS: I was always encouraged to do more. When you’re growing up you learn a lot from your surroundings, and the people that you’re surrounded by. I was just blessed that a lot of the people that I came into contact with, that were older than me, were always instilling knowledge on me. They’d share the life-lessons that they’d learn with me. Being a kid, and being around that, it gave me a different ambition and perspective. Normally, if you’re just wrapped up in the block—the way that things come at you as a child, it’s almost like they’re trying to brainwash you. Because everything is just pushed at you, ‘This gotta be this way, this gotta be that way!’ And rarely do people even put the thought into trying to question that, or think about, ‘Why does it gotta be like this?’

When I met up with older people, whether it be my uncles, or the dude from the corner, or even the homeless person from the corner store—at the moment he may just be ranting on to other people—but, as a youngster, I picked up something from that. All of those different things, they mold you. In that point in my life, I was like, ‘Let me find out what I love, and I’ll strive towards that.’  No matter how dark it might seem, on every situation there’s always a light. There’s always a light. I’ve had dark days; I’ve had bright days.

AllHipHop.com: Regarding the previous three years, what circumstances or events have encouraged an evolution with your life’s priorities?

J. NICS: There’s a lot of different things. For one, with many people, I feel like death is one of those things that is taken as a life experience. So, unfortunately, I’ve been close to people who have died. I’ve gone to school with people, and at a young age, their lives were taken. It really gave me an outlook on life. I gotta learn from my mistakes. If you make the same mistakes, you ain’t going nowhere. I’ve always been a person about progression. I can’t be complacent. I gotta keep going forward with anything that I do. An event like that with losing people who are close to you, even though gun violence, or illness—whatever—those types of events in life gave me a different outlook on things.

AllHipHop.com: People appreciate your mixtapes series, Southern N*ggas Ain’t Slow. From The Tribute, my favorite track is “Exception”. That track is raw. Today, what motivates you to strive for more?

J. NICS: There are a lot of different things. Those things really don’t change. I’m motivated by my family. I’m motivated by my life’s experiences. Things like that motivate me; I’m really family orientated. I feel like that’s the basis for a lot of things. By family, I don’t just mean my blood, I mean my friends. I keep a very tight circle of people around me, and those people are my family. They motivate me, because we’re all in this sh*t together. As a unit, we’re all rocking together. My daughter motivates me. Seeing her, I know that I created a life. In this world, I want her to have the best possible opportunities. You feel me.

AllHipHop.com: You sound like a real man right now.

J. NICS: [chuckles] I mean, I am a real man.

AllHipHop.com: From The Product, on “Kung Fu” you say: “…I don’t write about sh*t I don’t do…”In relation to Hip-Hop, is there a difference between telling lies and entertaining? How do you balance poetic intent with realistic accounts?

J. NICS: Like I said, the thing about it is that pureness. That’s my approach to the artistic form. A lot of artists, they’re not doing it. Now a lot of rappers aren’t making music that’s pure to them. Okay, everybody’s doing this because it’s the cool or the trendy thing to do. It’s not coming from the pure form. When I came and I first started making music and writing, I wasn’t doing it, because everybody was a rapper. Or because rapping was a cool thing to do; I did it because that’s what spoke to my heart. So, that’s what I end up doing.

As a kid, before I started rapping and emceeing, I was writing. I used to write stories. I would take an event that happened to me and just write a story about it. You’re a journalist, you understand when you take a story, and you get inspired by it. With my music, I’ve been influenced a lot by Scarface, and Biggie, and Jay[-Z]. Their music always played out like a movie. So, a lot of times, I try and do that with my music. Sometimes, the story that I’m talking about is my life, or sometimes it’s a story to where I’m speaking from the perspective of someone. Either I met that person, or it’s a mentality of someone that I know. You know what I’m saying. Instead of just saying the mentality, as a character I’m describing that mentality. Great artists like Jay[-Z], B.I.G., and Scarface were able to do that. Adding that element of street, and realness of your reality and the things that you grew up in, your surroundings, but you’re taking to it to another poetic and lyrical zone. I feel like that’s dope.

AllHipHop.com: With “Kung Fu”, what happened first, did you have the concept and lyrics; or, did you have that Lottery beat?

J. NICS: Actually, the beat was first. When I heard the beat and how they flipped the sample, I was like, ‘Man, that sh*t’s hard.’  I was like “Kung Fu!” I love the f*cking name. I was like, Kung Fu, hell yeah. With a lot of my music, I’ll write it on the spot. It’s like I hear the beat for the first time, or I’m even there while the beat is being created, and then I just write the song. It’s all in one motion. Making a song is like throwing a punch. It’s like all in one motion. Everything flows, from the creation of the beat, to the writing of the lyrics, to the recording, and the mixing of the song.

AllHipHop.com: Earlier, you touched on this, now I’d like you to go into greater depth. In an interview that you did with KevinNottingham.com you said, “I make the music that I make, not because I’m trying to impress somebody or anything, I make it because that’s the kind of music I like to hear.” When you’re creating music, is it done purely for cathartic reasons? Why do you do it?

J. NICS: As an artist, it’s important to hear your music as a listener, and not get caught up into your music itself. Musically, I know what I like, and what certain elements that I like to hear. When I hear a beat, this beat makes me feel this way; so this type of element is coming out me. When I hear the beat it might feel real aggressive. So, that’s the type of emotion that’s going to come on the track. It all depends and I feel like that’s the beauty of it. That’s the beauty of music – it can be anything.

AllHipHop.com: Let’s discuss Miami’s Hip-Hop reformation. Right now, ¡MAYDAY!, Space Ghost Purp, Golden, and yourself have my ear. What are your thoughts on the local Hip-Hop scene?

J. NICS: It’s dope. I think it’s at the best that it’s ever been. All my life I’ve been down here. I’ve never seen the music scene the way that it is now, as far as the artists that are coming out and what they’re able to do. A lot of factors have to do with that. It’s timing, it’s the type of artists, it’s the type of music, and it’s the place to where music is as a whole. It’s just a lot of different factors that. It’s beautiful. There are a lot of good things going on down here in Miami. From music, to art, to sports, to you name it. Right now, it’s just a real blossoming and flourishing city.

AllHipHop.com: Come on, you said sports? Are the Dolphins any good? F*ck the Heat.

J. NICS: [chuckles] I understand. You’re an OKC fan. It’s okay. I got on a Heat jacket right now.

AllHipHop.com: Well, I enjoyed the interview. Good day, sir! BOOOO!

J. NICS: [laughs]

AllHipHop.com: I’m hearing great things from your upcoming project DarkSide. “Wonderland” is still on repeat. How did you hook up with DJ Burn One? How does his creativity complement yours?

J. NICS: I did a show at A3C on the DJBooth stage. There he ended up DJing for me. Then we ran into each other again at South By Southwest. I had an album release party for Southern N*ggas Ain’t Slow; he came down and DJ’d for me then. From there, we just got into the studio. We just kept seeing each other around and kept working with each other. He’s a dope producer; I’m a huge fan of his. So, when he came down to Miami, we just f*cking got into the studio and started working on some tracks. The next thing you know, we got an album.

Working with him was really dope, because, right there on the spot, he makes like all of his beats from scratch. With me being an artist that likes to move in a fluid motion when making music. It was the perfect combination. He’s making the beat then and there, and I’m writing the outline for my hook; or, maybe starting on my verse. This was the first project that I ever did where I traveled around and recorded. Usually, I would record all my stuff in Miami. Working with him, I was branching out to different worlds. I recorded in Miami, I recorded in Atlanta, I recorded in New Jersey and New York. So, I got to go around to different places. You know, we were still moving in the same forward motion, and creating on the spot. It was dope, and a great experience.

AllHipHop.com: Your physical appearance demands attention. A lot of these rappers are petite while you’re tall, very nice, and juicy. Plus, you have a voice like a man.

J. NICS: [laughs]

AllHipHop.com: How are you making time to incorporate romantic love within your profession?

J. NICS: I got a daughter, you know what I’m saying. Her mother holds it down. I just be out here doing my thing, just vibing, man. I really don’t put too much thought into that. When it comes to situations like that, I’m more of the go-with-the-flow feelings. I never go out looking for anything. It just comes.

AllHipHop.com: You can recognize the difference between a good woman and a bopper?

J. NICS: Yes, I can definitely recognize that difference. Those characteristics will show. Like I told you, when I was young, I learned from some old heads that been put me up on game. So, this ain’t my first OK Corral. [laughs] So, I’m well aware. You got to be well aware. That’s what a Mack does. A Mack ain’t a person who’s a player or a pimp; a Mack is someone who knows and understands the game. You got to know and to understand the game on every level.

AllHipHop.com: In what ways are you working to become a better MC and a better man?

J. NICS: As a better MC, I always try and challenge myself with different things musically. I always try and step outside of my boundaries. When I’m working on a project I’m in a certain mode. There’ll be a certain vibe for that project. Then I’ll go on and move into something else that’s maybe completely different. I hate being complacent. It gets boring, you know what I’m saying. The thing with music is it always has to feel new and fresh. There has to be purity for me really to be vibing it. As a man, I always try and learn something new. As a human, you should always try to learn something new to be a better person. So, every day I’m becoming a better person.

AllHipHop.com: Until the next time that I’m able to do you, what would you like to share with your supporters?

J. NICS: Everybody that’s rocking with me, just know that I’ma keep on rocking with you. I’m going to keep on being myself. I’m going to keep evolving and making different sounding music. The people that listen to my music, I feel like they’re people who evolve as well. They should be able to understand and respect that.

Follow J. NICS on Twitter (@JNICS_305).

Now with a new EP called Dangerously Kool available on iTunes, and some singles circulating the clubs and online, Major Williams is showing Hip-Hop fans across the world what all the hype is about. Most importantly, Major’s music seems to represent the authenticity of being yourself, and not being afraid to take risks on the path to finding yourself, or as he says living “dangerously kool.”

He is truly is an individual worth a listen, because although he does speak about the good life, he also knows the trials and struggles that life brings after a rough childhood. Take a read and get to know Major Williams, next up in AllHipHop.com’s Breeding Ground class:

Download Major Williams’ EP, Dangerously Kool, HERE

AllHipHop.com: What’s good, sir? Just to get things started, talk about your upbringing and growing up in Texas.

Major Williams: You know, honestly, growing up in Texas, I can’t recall many great moments because my childhood was so unstable at times. With my mom in and out of prison several times, and with me being passed around from family member to family member, it showed me early on that nothing is what it seems. It also taught me that the things you want for yourself, you have to have a plan of action and execute, because no one is going to embrace your vision and dreams the way you could yourself.

AllHipHop.com: OK, a vision that you have is the “dangerously kool” movement. Explain “dangerously kool,” and what the movement you have dreamed about stands for.

Major Williams: “Dangerously Kool” is basically a everyday hard working person that defines what in life makes them happy and doesn’t allow the so called “cool” people and magazines to determine what their agenda should be. Whether it be with music, fashion or choices in religion etc., it’s about embracing self-expression to the fullest and saying, “Hey, if I’m one way this week and decide to be another way the next week, by all means it’s normal because I say so period.” So to some, it ups the danger. It’s the strong willed, fearless side, and the kool and easy calmness you have to have to operate in society.

AllHipHop.com: What has it been like making the transition from Texas to L.A. and the life out here in California?

Major Williams: I’m not going to lie; I really miss Texas. My family is all there to this day, but I love Los Angeles and the life I live out here. You can’t beat the weather, the energy is electric, and there is so much to do if you’re into exploring all the cool stuff it has to offer. It wasn’t a hard adjustment beyond getting used to not being around family and close friends.

AllHipHop.com: So, did you meet Jamie in Texas, or what? How did you link up with Jamie Foxx and Foxx City Records?

Major Williams: I met Jamie through a high school friend of mine who happened to be Jamie Foxx’s sister, Deidra Dixon. I met him when I moved to Los Angeles some years back, but as far as on the music tip it wasn’t until last year 2011 that we started talking and chopped it up in regards to music and him wanting to start a label to help me out. With all the grinding [that] he seen and heard I’ve been doing promoting my music, he wanted to help me.

AllHipHop: What role does Jamie have in your music, and what can we expect from Foxx City Records?

Major Williams: Jamie plays a big role in my music, but I must say it’s no different than being with a big label, because it’s just like a corporate label. Foxx City Records goes on hiatus when Foxx is filming mainly because he is active during the development process of projects. So with that said, me as an artist in these days and times, I have to keep my own situation, which is keeping my name hot in the streets by any means. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing. Still releasing singles through the label and shooting videos on my own dime and working with my own in-house team to keep me active until it’s my time. So once Foxx is like let’s rock, it’s not going to be like creating my movement from a blank canvas…it’s already there.

AllHipHop.com: What can you tell us about your debut EP?

Major Williams: Well the EP album is called Dangerously Kool, which is a term I’ve come up with to describe my mentality and the crew of people around me. It’s a lifestyle and culture that already exists within so many people. I just made a movement and a name to it, so you and fans identify with it more. As far as the project and music goes, I’m very excited about this material for multiple reasons – one being it will be the first official release off Foxx City Records/CoolGuyMusic and will mark another chapter on my journey. Secondly, the music I’ll be releasing is just some cool dope material given to you from my perspective. Lastly, the production is by Mo Ager and Sean Dillon, my close partners. You gotta check it out.

AllHipHop.com: Sup with the “Bout II Go Down” track? That seems to have gotten a great response thus far…

Major Williams: The record, “Bout II Go Down” came from a conversation with my producer Mo Ager on what kind of club record could we create to smash the clubs and strip clubs. The very next day, he got to work on a few ideas and this record is what came about. When I first heard it, I was hyped because I knew this would be that record I’d have fun performing [laughter]. The icing on the cake was when I had Layzie Bone come to the studio, and I randomly played it for him and seen how he moved to the edge of his seat with a slight grin as if to say ‘this record, I love this record.’ So taking advantage of perfect timing, I asked him if he wanted to get on the record, and he said let’s do it “tonight” [laughter], and the rest is history.

AllHipHop.com: Talk about some other collaborations that you’ve been working on.

Major Williams: Collaborations I have coming will include a dope female artist by the name of Kym Cartel who is like a sister to me, Layzie Bone as I just mentioned, T-Mills, and I have unreleased records featuring my mentor Jamie Foxx and Busta Rhymes’ artist, J-Doe. By the time this article comes out, I may have already worked with more artists on my collabo list..

AllHipHop.com: Talk about your events coming up. You have something big planned, right?

Major Williams: For the “Bring On the Cash Tour” series, I will include three dope artists, including myself. The events/shows that I’ll be putting on will be the final piece to my puzzle. I just need to go and get additional sponsors and endorsement brands attached to an extended mini tour of 15 shows in different regions, filmed and documented for digital distribution. It will be a great vehicle and platform for all the artists involved, not only to showcase their talent but to also to connect with the fans and supporters on a more intimate level. If all goes right, this will be a brand used by many up and coming artists with a buzz generated. It’s going to be epic, and once completed, it will be slated as one of my biggest accomplishments in regards to planning and executing a idea I had. I really can’t wait.

AllHipHop.com: Sounds dope, man; can’t wait to see how this all comes together.

The Double Rush directed video was filmed in NYC and NJ just before the destruction that Sandy caused to the region. The 49ers told AllHipHop.com, “We want to send our thoughts and prayers out to the victims of Sandy.  We hope that this can be a record that unifies New York and all those affected by the destruction Sandy caused.”

Just before their project drops on November 21st the 49ers head overseas to the Japan for a set of shows where they will be performing their new material for fans from November 19th – November 30th.  For more information visit, the49ers.wordpress.com/

The 49ers – Dope Emcee

Over the years, we have spotlighted the hottest rising talent in the Hip-Hop industry, and on October 20, we continue the tradition with a first-time showcase at CMJ. Come out and watch Troy Ave [BGA], Tone Trump [BGA], Rugz D. Bewler [[BGA], Bodly James [BGA], Sonnie Carson [BGA], Mr. Mecc [BGA] along with soon-to-be interviewed [BGA] Nitty Scott MC, Bueller Da Don, and Sneakerbox Chock along with music by DJ Laser.

Doors 8PM. Show 9PM. Cost $10.

Some rappers have proof of their struggle. 50 and Weezy got shot. Jeezy showed you his truth in the documentary. Jay-Z popularly told fans, “Hov’ did that / So hopefully you won’t have to go through that.” Maybach Music Group ringleader Rick Ross has been questioned about his authenticity in the past as a correctional officer, but Ricky Rozay keeps pushing. Today, he remains arguably one of the most popular artists in rap today.

The real question is, do people even care anymore? This is just entertainment, right? Not with Boldy James, this is his real life, to this very day.

The story you are about to read is NOT entertainment. This is the story of real struggle and fighting for your life everyday in Detroit. Boldy James is as real as it gets, and he has really lived the life he raps on tracks. Don’t get it confused, Boldy’s music isn’t your typical street music – it’s classic Midwest music, bundled up with production from Chuck Inglish, the Alchemist, and others, that pulls from the struggle and hustle you can hear in his lazy flow.

Take a look at AllHipHop.com’s exclusive sit down with one of Detroit’s own, Boldy James:

AllHipHop.com: So, tell me your story, man. Who is Boldy James, and how did you start your come up across the Internet and in your city?

Boldy James: First of all, my real name is James Jones. I’m from Detroit city all over the board.  I lived in every neighborhood. Real Detroit native, pure Michigan bred. My gang is called the Concreatures, you know what I’m saying? Concreatures, the definition of a Concreature is a real street n*gga, you know? My rap name is Boldy James because I got it from my big homie from the block I grew up with that got murdered. And right before he died – he didn’t rap – he just sold cocaine, and I liked the name because his name was James too, his names was James Osely III and my name is James Jones III, so for some reason it had some significance on it cause, Boldy James, it reminded me of the singer Boney James that my father used to listen to.

My original name was Golden Charles and like, I started rapping when I was first starting to write and count. Listening to all the Eric Bs and Rakims, the EPMDs, the Heavy Ds, the Kool Moe Dees and, you know, Rap just evolved and came to Ice Cubes and the DJ Quiks and, you know, I just grew up on that gangsta music.

BOLDY JAMES & LOGIC Feat. Aaron Williams – “Take What’s Ours”

At the same time, I’m from Detroit and a lot of sh*t goes on around here. Sh*t just growing up around this maf*cka, just off bill, you see things and you wonder about things, and before you know it, you dibblin’ and dabblin’ in a whole bunch of bullsh*t that you don’t know why you in, you know what I’m saying? And you look up and this sh*t just became your life, and you get consumed and caught up and look up and now you going with the trials and tribs that come with the bullsh*t.

I always just took time in between the door knocks and the bullsh*t and the trap when I was trying to get a couple of dollars. I would take time to write in my journal on some dear diary sh*t. I just try to capture the feel and the emotion of everything that’s going down at the moment or that went down. I always feel like sort of a narrator and real descriptive and everyone be hearing my Raps and say that they are vivid.

And words can’t never pinpoint real life  exactly 100 percent, but I think that I do one of the best jobs of coming close to perfect, ’cause nobody is perfect. But I be feeling like my flow ’bout as perfect as it’s going to get sometimes, because I keep it 100 and I try to give as accurate a description of my life as possible.

AllHipHop.com: Yeah, seeing all your videos and hearing the music, you tell that what you are talking about is real and that you have been through a lot.

Boldy James: Man, real ain’t even the word, homie. Me and Mafia Double Dee, that’s my sister, it’s a project that’s bout to come out shortly. That’s the next thing I’m about to do; we bout to drop something big for the streets of Detroit, man, and just let them know how it goes. We ’bout to take this b*tch over and show them, because we really be out here doing shit and it feels like everyone is writing raps about us and telling our story and they don’t live our life. As they say, they ain’t ’bout that life, and we is. You know what I mean?

Boldy James – “JIMBO”

AllHipHop.com: Uh huh…

Boldy James: So sh*t, at the end of the day, why we gonna sit there and let them get fat while we starve and keep eating off our plate? F*ck that, we tired of feeding maf*ckas; they don’t show the respect back, and they don’t understand the long grind and all the work and the long grind and the long time coming and everything before it manifests and materializes in to what you was trying to make of it. And, we made something out of nothing. So we just ’bout to show the world how real family orientated we is, and how we ain’t f*ckin’ around anymore, period.

AllHipHop.com: Speaking of family, can you talk to me about your connection with Chuck Inglish of the Cool Kids?

Boldy James: Yeah, shout out to the Cool Kids, man, shout out to Chuck Inglish and Mickey Rocks. That’s my family, that my lil’ blood cousin and my lil’ bro bro. Mickey like the closest thing I got to a lil’ brother in real life, so it’s ride or die for them Cool Kids.

But I’m on this Concreature gang time sh*t my n*gga. Yo, put this in your interview: Mafia Double D-e-e and Boldy James, I’m trying to think of the title, but I don’t want to leak it, too, soon cause whenever I leak titles too soon. I got mothaf*ckas trying to steal my sh*t and take my sh*t and run with it, like they been doing they whole life. My whole life people been stealing my sh*t, man, and I’m tired of lending my sh*t out so other mothaf*ckas can present it to the world like they the founders or inventors of that sh*t. I started that gangsta gangsta sh*t, man.

Boldy James – “Consignment”

AllHipHop.com: A lot of times, people try to glorify the street sh*t…

Boldy James: Man, look here, man, we don’t glorify the street sh*t, we really out of this shit man. That’s the only reason we put anything at risk writing these raps, man. Because if I really told y’all the truth, man, I probably wouldn’t be able to make it out of the booth before that would be the end of that. I know everything, man, you know what I’m saying? We be in everything that we have no business being in, man, so it ain’t really nothing to talk about no more. We just really trying to entertain ourselves right now. This sh*t not even for y’all; this sh*t for us.

AllHipHop.com: What about some Detroit artists that you might have listened to coming up?

Boldy James: Blade Icewood, Street Lord’z Worm,, Big Herk, Rod Day, Steet Lord’z, Rock Bottom, Little Mike Mike, my man Costra Nostra, Lethal Grain from Costra Nostra, my man Hash, my man Reage, my man Zo, the Jerk Nation.

I don’t know, I just be doin me my dog, I don’t be on no bullsh*t. I keep to myself, just try and stay out of the way so don’t know n*gga try and murder me,  and so don’t know ni**a catch me on no cell charge, I’m out here on some real street sh*t, n*gga. I don’t even play by the same rules everybody play with man.  I roll with the hammer, I don’t let nobody box me in and jam me up, I don’t trust too many people, I’m anti-social, I’m not really a people’s person, you feel me? This is a real interview.

I don’t even really got time to do this interview right now, bro. I got so much sh*t goin on right now, dog. I’m in the middle of something right now that I don’t have no business doing right now, right now at the moment. But at the same time, I understand how important this interview is, and how important it is for me to tell everyone who Boldy James really is, man, so they can get a clear understanding of why I’m making the music that I’m making, dog. But I’m making the music that I’m making, because I’m really in the streets going f*ckin’ crazy, dog. You hear me?

Boldy James – “Long Run / Optional”

AllHipHop.com: Man… So what about this first tape, man, Trapper’s Alley?

Boldy James: Man, Trappers Alley, everyone started dying prior to it, man.  My whole high school class, middle school class,  I didn’t go to college, I dropped out of high school in 9^th grade at 14 years old, man. And everyone in my f*cking yearbook is dead, man. Eighty percent are dead, the last 15 percent is locked up, bro, and that last five percent is out here living life, man, you feel me?

AllHipHop.com: That’s what I can hear in the music, this is no bullsh*t. People can tell it’s official. You recently linked up with Alchemist right?

Boldy James: Of course it’s real, man. I’m just making the best music I can. I must be of the elite MCs at this point, because Alchemist ain’t just f*ckin’ with everybody. I was with Alchemist for like a month, man, f*ckin around in the studio and just trying to make something work and doing what’s natural. And Al got my particular style of beats anyway, and anything that he played, the sh*t that he made me was limited, and everything that you will hear, that’s all we did. We didn’t do no extra sh*t and have to pick from it or none of that. We just gonna give it to you the same way we cooked it up. Other than that, Mafia Double Dee, ain’t nothing else. Y’all gotta hold on for the rest.

Dead End Drive, an ominous name given to a particular neighborhood on the Southside of Houston, Texas. As in countless other locales, here some residents yearn to defy the imposed oppression of strained finances. Others are content with complacency; they embrace the darkness of an invisible apartheid. Killa Kyleon is an MC who has emerged from this environment. An ingrained faith, an organic skill for rhyme, and a tireless work-ethic helps him to share his message. Using “sixteens” to reach a public anesthetized by Pop culture propaganda, Killa Kyleon has an arduous job.

Too often the public has doll eyes; staring at everything they see nothing. These sheep are easily manipulated by the corporations behind the curtain. While pantomime MCs parrot what’s hawt; Killa Kyleon continues to share his truth. “I put my heart and my soul into my music every time. I’m going to invest all that into Hip-Hop,” emphatically states the more athletic wordsmith.

Juvenile said it best, “55% of these n*ggas is fake. The other 45% they handling they weight.”  Read along to decide if Killa Kyleon is carrying his weight.

AllHipHop.com: If you were to review your body of work, which three tracks best demonstrate your personal journey through Hip-Hop?

Killa Kyleon: My journey through Hip-Hop, in three records? With Slim [Thug and Young] Jeezy, there’s a record called, “Diamonds (remix).” Mannie Fresh produced the record. And I gotta say my “Bodies Hit the Floor” record. It’s on my CPTP 2[Candy Paint & Texas Plates 2] project. That collab was a long-time-coming. And my whole T.R.I.L.L. [The Realest Individual Living Life] album.

AllHipHop.com: [laughter] You said your whole T.R.I.L.L. album?

Killa Kyleon: My whole T.R.I.L.L. album; it’s the best sh*t I ever did. But since you said three, I’ll probably say my “Change Up” record.

AllHipHop.com: To date, are you at peace with the time that you’ve sacrificed from your friends and family in order to pursue your Hip-Hop aspirations?

Killa Kyleon: Yeah, I feel like every day that I step out it’s a sacrifice. Time is the most valuable thing. It’s more precious than anything; you can never get it back. Time is life. It’s time away from the kids.  It’s time away from the family. That’s the main sacrifice. I put all my time, my energy, and my grind into my music. At the same time, it’s a sacrifice and it’s a gift. The more time that I put into what I’m doing, and the harder my grind, means that it will pay off in the end.

AllHipHop.com: What is your bottom-line truth? In relation to your art, how do your lyrics help to convey this truth?

Killa Kyleon: My bottom-line truth is that hard work pays off. And hard work will beat talent any day of the week. Not in an arrogant way, but I somewhat feel that I’m quite talented in what I’m doing. Plus, I got the hard work. Truth is, at the end of the day, hard work will beat talent. You’ll get out of it what you put into it. I feel like my hard work and my grind is a fact of what my music is. You can hear it [my work ethic] in my music. It’s like everything that is Killa Kyleon—my life—I’m a student of the game. You can hear all that in my music; it’s a fact. I can’t preach it if I don’t live it.

If I did that, at the end of the day I’d feel like a false prophet. Being that our music is so well loved by everybody across the board, people feel like our songs help them throughout different events in their lives. So, I feel like if I’m rapping bullsh*t, it says a lot about the person that I am. If I’m giving them the full truth from me—the real—they’re going to respect that. They’re going to respect my music a thousand times over. Yeah, we’re entertainers, and we’re authors; but, I feel like if I ain’t live it I can’t give it.

AllHipHop.com: It’s 2012, and we’ve witnessed our first African-American president. A provocative bumper sticker boldly declares, “Don’t Re-Nig in 2012.” What are your thoughts?

Killa Kyleon: I don’t appreciate it. It’s showing you how racism still exists. I can look at that and go several different ways. N*ggers! Don’t re-elect a n*gger. Or re-nig, meaning don’t ride with that sh*t [continue to support an African-American president]. Like, if we’re against it; we’re against it.

AllHipHop.com: So, you feel it’s more than a clever play on words; it’s blatant bigotry?

Killa Kyleon: Whether we like it or not, racism still exists. It’s at an ultimate all-time high right now. I feel like us as Black people are falling off and falling short. Re-nig is against. The whole word is damn near sarcasm. Don’t Re-NIG; don’t re-elect a n*gger. Don’t re-elect a n*gger in 2012. The word renege means against; it’s not for it. Racism is at an all-time high. To this day, I feel like racism still exists.

For a dollar, a lot of n*ggas is out here selling their souls. Yes, we have a Black man in office; but, we’re living in a White man’s world. A Black man has statistically proven that he can get the job done. He’s done that, and it’s still a problem. The [zealous Republicans/Teabaggers] are trying to dig up sh*t on this man [President Obama]. They’re trying to create sh*t to make it appear that his job isn’t being done properly.

The sh*t that they’re bringing up is pointless. The man is doing his job. The man has stopped the war [War on Terror]. Now they’re trying to start another war with the Kony 2012 sh*t. They just want to go over there and steal Uganda’s sh*t [natural resources]. Us in the U.S. have our priorities f*cked up. We try to go and run other people’s sh*t, but here our sh*t is not even together. I feel like he’ll run two terms if they don’t kill him. I hate to say this, but if he wins this time, I feel like they’re going to kill him. Or, they’re going to try.

AllHipHop.com: When I was watching him get sworn in, I was worried that a sniper’s bullet would kill the hope. Didn’t think he’d make it this long. What’s your stance on voting? Does our vote actually count?

Killa Kyleon: I’m from Texas. I’m from where the a**hole who f*cked us up is from. I feel like voting is damn near like religion. If you have faith in it, and you believe that it’s gonna work—to each his own. God is Somebody that we’ve never seen. We actually don’t see them votes. Bush [George W.] showed us or sh*t don’t count.

AllHipHop.com: [begins to cackle] You’re right.

Killa Kyleon: They had it in black and white that this man loss, but they still put him in office. Honestly and truly, that right there showed me that my vote didn’t count. It’s just like what I say about religion. You go to church to get the word, not to listen at the pastor. Whether they’re wrong or not; you vote, because it’s right. That’s damn near the same thing.

AllHipHop.com: Do you ever bring any of your political awareness to your music?

Killa Kyleon: Sometimes, I let it be known. I just don’t get too all the way in it. Rap needs to get back to that. Our voices are powerful. We’re the most powerful music genre in music. We do too much shining, and too much stunting, and too much n*ggerdom; we don’t focus on the real. We’ll come together and do positive sh*t; but, we’re damn near brainwashing people with what’s hot. Why not brainwash them with what’s real?

AllHipHop.com: From you, what projects should we anticipate?

Killa Kyleon: Be looking out for T.R.I.L.L. – “The Realest Individual Living Life, Team Run It Living Legend”. It’s a culturally conceptual album. It’s going to be super dope. It’s going to be one of my best bodies of work.

AllHipHop.com: How do you plan to release it? Have you linked with a major record label, or secured a distribution deal?

Killa Kyleon: As far as giving away the music, I think I’ve done everything that I can do. Now, I’m about to put an actual project, that is going to stamp me that I can make a complete album. It’s going to be an album. I feel like everything I put out is an album; but, at the same time, I haven’t put out a solid project to where it’s completely solid, like using all of my own production. I’ve done mixtapes with my own production, but I didn’t actually put the stamp on it that, this is an album. This is a street album that I’m putting out.

AllHipHop.com: Do you have an anticipated release date for it?

Killa Kyleon: We’re working to finalize it. You know in Hip-Hop, fans got A.D.D. I swear they do. I feel like that’s why as long as I’m constantly putting out dope sh*t, I can’t lose. It would be a difference if I was putting out sh*t that wasn’t dope—just putting out random sh*t. I always give my fans something that leads into something else.

AllHipHop.com: Is it going to be released this year?

Killa Kyleon: It’ll be within the next couple of months that it’s released. Honestly, it’s going to be released no later than May or June. The project is done. We’re just going to do all the proper promotions for it. This time I’m going to get out and hit every region. That’s what I’m going to do differently with this project. I’m real good with a lot of the blogs. I would like to thank y’all for placing a lot of my stuff as well. Y’all have been rocking with me for years. Now, the internet is more important than it ever has been. It’s stronger than radio. I’ve been pretty much regional based. But now, I’m fixing to get out there and give the project legs. I’m going to actually go to these different regions and touch these different markets where they don’t know me. I’m going to go out there and touch the fans.

AllHipHop.com: You have to have a hell of a work-ethic.

Killa Kyleon: Baby, I do five to six records a day.

AllHipHop.com: I hear you talking.

Killa Kyleon: My next three projects are done. I’m working on trying to outdo that. I have a five year plan and I’m sticking to it.

AllHipHop.com: Well, check you out. I’m definitely interested in hearing your new stuff.

Killa Kyleon: It’s going to be dope. I worked with a lot of dope people on it, too.

AllHipHop.com: Can you tell us any names?

Killa Kyleon: Pretty much, I want it to be a surprise.

AllHipHop.com: You can surprise us now.

Killa Kyleon: Out here, I got relationships with a lot of good guys. Just expect me with other dope people.

AllHipHop.com: See how you didn’t give me a name?

Killa Kyleon: [chuckles] Everybody wants to know who’s going to be on it. It’s going to be classic. I just can’t reveal it yet. It’s going to be classic though. I’ll give you a little sneaks about it.

AllHipHop.com: [snickers] What is a sneak going to do?

Killa Kyleon: We riding around and getting it; we just love Mary Jane. You know, the Kush goes good with the orange juice. It’s going to be real dope.

AllHipHop.com: I went all the way to Austin, [Texas for South By Southwest], and you wouldn’t even talk to me.

Killa Kyleon: I didn’t know you was down there. I was working super hard. I had a bunch of demands. I felt like I was one of the hardest working men out there.

AllHipHop.com: I hope your funky album is worth it.

Killa Kyleon: [chuckles]

AllHipHop.com: May I ask you a personal question?

Killa Kyleon: Let’s go.

AllHipHop.com: Is Z-Ro on your album?

Killa Kyleon: Ah ha; that’s the homie! Z-Ro is one of the dopest artists ever. That’s a real dope guy.

AllHipHop.com: So, that’s a yes; that dope guy will be on your album?

Killa Kyleon: That’s a real dope guy.

AllHipHop.com: Is he dope enough to outshine you on your own sh*t?

Killa Kyleon: To outshine me? There’s one thing that I can say; to do that one, they’re going to have to light a bonfire. I don’t think that nobody can beat me but me. They’re going to have to light a bonfire to do that one, baby.

AllHipHop.com: You sound confident.

Killa Kyleon: They mistake that confidence for arrogance; but, that’s what that is. I’m confident as ever.

AllHipHop.com: So, we’re confirmed that Z-Ro will be on the album?

Killa Kyleon: He’s dope. I love, Z-Ro. That’s my homeboy. I f*ck with Z-Ro heavy, man. His new shit is super jamming.

AllHipHop.com: [laughter] You’re killing me. What would you like to share with your supporters?

Killa Kyleon: Team Run-It, we run it. Killa Kyleon, f*ck with me like I owe you some money. I guarantee that you’re going to get money back, real talk.

In Studio Sessions: Big Hud “Something out of Nothing” from 3 Little Digs on Vimeo.

Directed by Count Jus of 3 Little Digs
BIG HUD’s upcoming mixtape with DJ Burn One titled “The Long Way Home” is scheduled for release in June 2012.

A$AP Rocky and Curren$y were surprise guests that Smoke DZA brought out and Wiz Khalifa [BGA] came out to support Chevy Woods. These guests added even more energy to an already star-studded night.

Confirmed artists to perform during this year’s Breeding Ground showcase include Juvenile, Mystikal, Trae the Truth, Don Trip, Big K.R.I.T, as well as Breeding Ground Artists [BGA] Future, Travis Porter, Chevy Woods, Smoke DZA, Six Reasons, Erreon Lee, Dee 1, Tito Lopez, Rockie Fresh and the new additions of The Airplane Boys and Chase N Cash and others.

The first event to take place is AllHipHop.com’s Breeding Ground showcase, which takes place on Friday, March 16 from from 8pm – 2am at Kiss & Fly nightclub in Austin, TX

For more details visit vibe.com/sxsw and to support on twitter use #VIBEHouseSXSW!!

If you won’t be at SXSW this year, The VIBE House will also stream live via Livestream, so fans around the world can tune-in to watch the entire show, exclusive at new.livestream.com/vibehouse.

Our emerging artists are forced to take a stance; they may choose to become part of the inane minstrel show, or they may become part of Hip-Hop’s reformation. Propain, a Houston, Texas, artist is prepared to share his creativity to improve our current state of Hip-Hop. Pro ardently believes his skills are, “very musical, very lyrical, and very conceptual.” In his AllHipHop.com debut, he discusses his influences, his message, and his negotiations with the majors:

AllHipHop.com: How do you view Hip-Hop as a culture, as part of your extended community, as an art? When you think about Hip-Hop, what comes to mind?

Propain: I mean, it’s a lifestyle, you know what I’m saying? I grew up on this. I look at it like it’s an everyday thing in my world. From fashion to sports, everything is in tune with Hip-Hop.

AllHipHop.com: Albums can be viewed as time capsules. These musical exclamation points are tied to different important memories. Is there a certain album or a certain MC whose message has served a significant impact to your life?

Propain: Most definitely—Nas, Joe Budden—of course, Jay-Z, and Andre 3000.

AllHipHop.com: So, you appreciate lyrics. When you say, Nas, which of his tracks or albums resonate with you?

Propain: I always rapped [ever] since I was little. I rapped and played basketball. But, after that Stillmatic album, I knew that [pursuing music] is what I wanted to do. That’s the way I wanted to rap. Nas, has a song called “Rewind” where he tells the whole story in reverse. That sh*t was amazing. I was like, ‘That’s what I want to do; that’s what I’m going to be.’ Nas’ wordplay and the way that he’s a poet—I feel like nobody can do it like he can do it. The storytelling, the way he played with the words—all of that was big to me.

AllHipHop.com: There are many things that you could be doing with your time. Why do you choose to invest into pursuing a Hip-Hop profession?

Propain: Sh*t, the love. I feel like this is what I was born to do. I don’t feel like it’s about the money. This sh*t is real to me; it’s therapeutic. Plus, I feel like I’m pretty good. I feel like there’s a purpose in everything that I do. I feel like my music has a voice for a lot of people.

AllHipHop.com: What is your truth that you hope to share?

Propain: You can have it [and] anything is possible. You can go from nothing to something. Life’s not about [buying] jewelry, or [purchasing] cars, or no sh*t like that. Especially where I come from, I want to show it’s hope and always a way out. I want my music to be an everyday symbol that you can make it from there even if you ain’t got sh*t. You can always preserver.

AllHipHop.com: Being a Southern artist, a lot is demanded for you to stand out. Given that you’re from Houston, why’d you decide to hook up with Unauthorized Entertainment?

Propain: They saw my movement and saw what I was doing. I felt like they could do something for me, and that I could do something for them. More so, it was like a partnership, you know what I’m saying. On my part, it was a real strategic move.

AllHipHop.com: What does it feel like to earn a co-sign from a legend like Bun B? Did you have to pay him some money to get that, or did it happen naturally?

Propain: [laughter] Hell, nah! The crazy thing about that—from Bun, to Z-Ro, to Chamillionaire, Slim Thug—I’m never the one to go reaching for attention, or to ask for a co-sign. When I was doing my thing they saw it and it earned them more respect for me. Every time I jumped on a song with the Bun’s or the Slim’s, it was approached to me. They saw me doing my own thing in the city and coming up, they f*cked with the movement. They like where I was going with it. I respect them to the death for that, because it was big for my career. Man, you got some people who rely on a co-sign. But, with me, I was doing my own thing. They noticed it and they respected it. Honestly, I feel they look at me as someone they can feel comfortable with representing the Houston culture, and the Houston name. So, they f*ck with it and they get behind it; they support it.

AllHipHop.com: Z-Ro and Chamillionaire are raw lyricists. How do you mentally prepare to get on a track with an MC of their caliber?

Propain: At this stage in my career, it comes naturally. Even when I’m on a track with a Z-Ro or a Slim Thug, it’s just like a basketball game when you know you’re going against somebody that’s good. There’s an adrenaline rush. It’s almost like a given. I know I gotta come with it, because my competition level is dope. It’s going to make me excel. It’s just like when you’re in the gym. You run faster, you jump higher when there are a lot of people in the gym. Every time that I’ve been on a track with them, God-willing, I was able to do what I had to do to get some notoriety. So, I feel like there’s never any pressure; it’s more like a respect factor. I’m not going to come weak, because I know I’m on a track with legends. That’s the beauty of it. I always feel like I step it up when I get into the same building with these dudes.

AllHipHop.com: It’s evident that you’re grinding, because you have the streets talking. It’s being said that you’ve gained the attention of some major labels. Are you at liberty to give us the exclusive on if you’ve signed to one?

Propain: A lot of labels have been calling, but at this point we haven’t made a decision of what we’re going to do. I want to make the best decision for Propain. As an artist, until that deal is presented to where I feel it can take me to the next level; I’ll continue to working [the independent route]. We’re not forcing nothing. We’re not settling for anything. But, we have been in a lot of talks with a lot of labels. Right now, we continue to build the brand, and we’re building the movement. I’m sure they see it. Man, we’re just going to keep going. One way or another, we’ll make it to the next level. If the right situation presents itself, we’re definitely going to take it.

AllHipHop.com: What’s essential for you to feel comfortable signing to a major?

Propain: For both parties, I want a reasonable deal. Of course, I still want to be able to be myself and put out real sh*t. I want to be able to present my message. I don’t want to become a puppet, you know what I’m saying. I want something reasonable to where my brand will be able to grow. Not just locally, or regionally, or nationally; I want to do it [share my music] globally. At the end of the day, I want to be heard by the world.

AllHipHop.com: That is a huge goal. What are you willing to sacrifice to manifest your dream?

Propain: At the end of the day, the bigger the risk, the bigger the reward. That sums it all up right there. I’m willing to do whatever it takes, you know what I’m saying? But I wouldn’t sacrifice my character or what I stand for, nothing like that. At the end of the day, I won’t get rewarded if I don’t take a risk. I’m willing to put it all on the line.

AllHipHop.com: To those who would like to learn more about you as a man and as a musician, what would you like to share?

Propain: Check out the music. It’s Southern, but it’s something different. When people think of Houston, they think of a certain type of music. I’m everything but that, you know what I’m saying? When people get in contact with my music, there’s so much to it that you don’t normally hear from a Houston artist. It’s way different; there’s a different movement. This is something that more people can gravitate to. This is for the regular Joes and the have-nots and people on the come-up.  It’s not about the drank and the candy-paint. Not saying that’s not where I’m from; that’s my culture. But, I’m an artist all day. When you think of your real artists you think of Nas, Common, Jay-Z, and everybody else who has came up and made a movement. They’re real artists; that’s what I’m trying to present for Houston.

I’m trying to be that artist that Houston got. You know, the Scarface, the Bun B, you feel me? Some sh*t like that. When you’re having conversations with people from other states, I want to be that one that you’re proud to call his name. They scream out, ‘Well, we got Biggie, we got Jay-Z.’ I want for them to be like, ‘We got Scarface, and we got Propain!’ For Houston, as a whole that’s what I’m trying to do. I want to be that artist. Not to knock no other artist that’s coming up out of Houston, because I feel like everybody’s doing their thing. At the same time, there’s nobody in my lane. The ones that are in my lane, I don’t feel like they’re doing what I’m doing with it. In that aspect, I want to be [viewed] as the best artist from Houston. Not the one with the best song, or the best beats—I want to be seen as, ‘He is the artist; he is the one that can go!’ That’s the brand that I’m trying to bring [forth] for Houston. Not just Houston, but Texas, period. I want to be that for Texas.

This year, performers included Freeway, Random Axe, Ying Yang Twins, an entire evening presented by 9^th Wonder including a screening of his film, The Wonder Year, and a showcase by Jamla artists. Panels featured topics about the media, women in hip-hop, leveraging the European market, and much more. A3C, on the whole, is a productive and fun weekend.

But one of the biggest highlights had to be the AllHipHop.com Breeding Ground Showcase which took place on the last night, Saturday Oct. 8^th.

Hundreds of hip-hop fans stood under a cool, clear sky at the outdoor stage for the show which featured performances by Issa, Killa Kyleon, Termanology (who was celebrating his birthday), Reks, Ras Kass, Elzhi, M.O.P. and dead prez.

Video Recap of Breeding Ground Showcase:

The Breeding Ground is a feature of AllHipHop.com which hand picks artists who are often considered “underground,” up-and-coming, independent or just plain hot and introduce them to the site’s larger readership. The Breeding Ground Showcases puts these artists on stage to introduce live audiences to their music. “We always combine bigger names to bring out the people,” says Steve Raze, AllHipHop.com Executive Vice-President, and Editor of The Breeding Ground section of the website, he also managed the stage on Saturday, “M.O.P is doing their 2^nd show with us, this is our first time with Ras Kass and dead prez.”

Breeding Ground Showcase has also been going on for 7 years. It started in New York and has moved around the country to Austin for SXSW as well as showcases in Dallas, Miami, Myrtle Beach, and its second year at A3C in Atlanta.

I sat down with several Breeding Ground artists to discuss their upcoming projects and why A3C is so important.

AllHipHop.com: How does it feel to be out at A3C?

Lil Fame (M.O.P.): I mean, I love hip-hop. I love working. So, it’s always good to be out working.

Reks: I love A3C. The people are real nice, that southern hospitality is real.

AllHipHop.com: So, what are you working on right now?

Ras Kass: I released my first fully indie CD, a double CD, called A.D.I.D.A.S (All Day I Dream About Spitting), I’m having fun with that. I’m doing the follow up to that which is called F.I.L.A. (F**k It, Lose it All). I’m actually doing three projects at the same time. I’ve got a group with Cee-Lo and a guy named Jack Splash, we’re called Oxymorons, we’re almost finished with that project, and I created a group with a group called Doc Hollywood, they do more pop and dub step, so I’m having fun with all of that. I’m multi-tasking.

Lil Fame: We just did a joint on Nature Sounds with a production team called Snow Goons from Europe. We’re just working, the new project, Sparta, comes out November 2^nd.

Reks: I’ve got an album out right now called R.E.K.S, Rhythmatic Eternal King Supreme. The album came out March 8^th, and we basically wanted to pay homage to the late great Biggie Smalls, and dropped it at a time when we could celebrate him and the fact that hip-hop is still alive. The album has DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Alchemist, Styles P is on the joint. Lil Fame did a beat and rocked out with me on the record. It’s a who who and I’m just humbled to have them be a part of it.

AllHipHop.com: Last weekend, in Atlanta, was the BET Hip-Hop Awards. Where last weekend was dress-up, this weekend is totally dress-down. A3C is like “anti-VIP,” it’s one of the only festivals where you can be standing shoulder to shoulder with artists all night. What makes this kind of festival important to hip-hop music and culture?

Reks: It keeps the music that I find the most important, it keeps it current and available to the public and it gets it out to a new breed of kids who don’t regularly get an opportunity to see how much amazing talent goes global. You got cats here from all over the country and artists who tour all over the world. Everybody is coming out in the A, and getting together in the name of hip-hop. It’s a great thing.

Lil Fame: This is home right here, this is what I’m used to. I like to keep it like this, I can stay in touch.

Ras Kass: This is big. This is my first time coming. I am thankful to be invited, I had nothing but a good time. I would say that hip-hop is all of it. I’m not mad at the person who wins a BET Hip-Hop Award. I may not like his music, but that would be my aesthetic opinion. I don’t lump everybody up together. I like songs or I don’t. I live this s**t, I love it. I analyze, I have it down to a science. I’m a connoisseur, I’m not a consumer. Festivals like this? I’ve heard a lot of different kinds of music, All Three Coasts, and the Midwest, a dude’s background, his coastal background, may tell me some s**t that I ain’t never heard. I like hearing what a ni**a from somewhere else has to say, if he says it good, if it’s wack, then I’m not interested. These events are dope. My homeboy kind of related it to New Music Festival, which was a long time ago. I remember Jay-Z outside in a cipher, battling ni**as, it was dope, hip-hop s**t. Hopefully it doesn’t get too political and kind of just stays like this. Evolution obviously and more success, pay ni**as to rap (laughs) but that’s a whole different story.

Catch up with these Breeding Ground Showcase artists via Twitter:

@therealreks    @raskass  @famemop

Biba Adams is a Senior Writer for AllHipHop.com. Follow her at @BibatheDiva

Find out more about A3C @ http://www.a3cfestival.com/ihiphop/