Rapper, Lyricist & Proofreader

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: "Get Rich or Die Brian" was my 2021 LP--my third solo LP overall. I contributed the lyrics, vocal performances, and the album art to the album. I couldn't be more proud of that record.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Right now I'm working on making this profile look a little less embarrassing. I'm also working on an agreement to sign along with someone else here on SoundBetter for a project I just got requested to provide vocals for!

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

A: I haven't yet dived deep into SoundBetter's library of artists, but I heard about this guy Luscious Duncan that's pretty good. Oh wait--

Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A: "How soon can you have this finished?" Very soon (3~5 days). Rush Delivery available for an additional fee for when you need it very, VERY soon (<24 hrs). Contact for details.

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: That it's a joke. My physical appearance doesn't exactly scream "incredibly talented rap artist" so it can be hard nudging people I've just met into listening to my work for the first time, let alone getting them to take it seriously.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: 1. What artists are you trying to emulate (if any)? 2. What ~vibe~ are you seeking? Do you want a wordy/"intelligent" verse? Something a little simpler, more trashy party style, or...? 3. How would you like the lyrics to be delivered? Gravelly/baritone? Squeaky? All-over-the-place?

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: I have been a musician since I was 12 years old and will be turning 32 this year. I started playing guitar and bass in bands and quit the band I was in (The Para-medics) during the summer of 2012 to focus on pursuing a career in hip-hop.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: A strong vocabulary and a good sense of humor without being over-the-top to the point of being called "comedy rap". I love eccentric musicians in general but especially rappers because there's SO much that can be done with the human voice. Lord Have Mercy is a fantastic example of a rapper who, while not the most prolific or well-known, has vocal cords BUILT for hip-hop. His voice is so low it sounds like he's nine feet tall. So fun to listen to.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I happen to use digital because it's what I started out on and it's the easiest for me to work with. Sounds just fine to me!

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: I PROMISE you will not be disappointed with the work that I provide you, be it a feature, a voiceover, or a simple proofreading of a verse you had written yourself.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I write raps literally every single day for fun. Writing/performing verses for other artists is an exciting way to explore what is already an incredibly exciting thing for me.

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: Check out some of my other material first. While I am very versatile I can be "offensive" to some people which is understandable, but that can be toned down to Sesame Street levels if need be.

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: Well, assuming we have electricity and cables on this deserted island, I'd say: 1. A decked-out Macbook Pro. 2. An Apogee rack unit (cause why not?). 3. A Neumann TLM 103. 4. A pair of Sennheiser HD 820s. 5. An easy-to-use and far-reaching radio of some sort. What am I gonna do, make music until I die and get washed into the ocean...?

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Witty, lyrical, confrontational (when need be), funny, violent (again, when need be), depressing--really I can do it all for the most part! I will say that ~romantic verses~ are one the few things I haven't really delved deep into yet to be honest.

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: I would love to work with Yung Gleesh because he has such a unique voice (both literally and figuratively) and I'm curious to see how he goes about his writing process.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: High-pass filter on your vocals!! No one needs those 20Hz throat rumblings in their recordings!

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: I guess you could say trap-influenced hip-hop...? It's not "true" trap music in the Chicago/Atlanta sense (though I did grow up in the area). I absorbed a TON of trap music growing up but was always interested in the more "intelligent" rappers--I've since grown out of this phase and can appreciate nearly all hip-hop for what it is.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill would be what I call "rhyme juggling". You'll often see typed-out verses online by Earl Sweatshirt or Eminem where words that rhyme (or half-rhyme, what-have-you) are highlighted a certain color to showcase the proficiency of the authors in question and how deftly they can stack rhyme after rhyme after rhyme; This is something I not only exceed at but strive to accomplish in my writings. That being said, if something simpler is in mind a la Lil Pump or 21 Savage for example, I can do that too. I don't discriminate when it comes to styles of hip-hop.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: If I'm writing a verse to a beat my process depends on my "love" for the beat. If I'm completely infatuated with it I will leave it on repeat until my 16/32-bar verse is complete. Otherwise I will use a Korg Metronome MA-30 to tap out the BPM and rap to the that while still maintaining the overall "feel" of the beat to which I am writing.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have an Apogee Firewire One that has treated me exceptionally well over the years. I also have an Audio-Technica AT4040 microphone which sounds phenomenal. I have a pair of Adam F7 studio monitors as well as a pair of Sennheiser HD280 Pros to make sure everything sounds perfect.

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: I know it's been said before, but Zelooperz, Busta Rhymes...Hittman is an UNBELIEVABLY under-appreciated rapper--he appears on over half of Dr. Dre's 2001 album and was supposedly set up to be the "next Eminem" but it just never came to fruition. His verse on Light Speed is out of this world. A similarly lesser-known rapper (though one with far less output) would be Rampage the Last Boy Scout; His two appearances on Busta Rhyme's first LP are incredible. Abandon Ship is a classic. Six minutes of just straight hip-hop mastery.

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: I mostly do 16-bar features for clients. These are the most entertaining and can be quite fun because as an artist you are actually being challenged to perform in a certain WAY as opposed to SAYING a certain thing, per se.