The Blue Note Presents
Big K.R.I.T.
Slim Thug, Tito Lopez, Gt Garza, BIG SANT
Tue, October 2, 2012
Doors: 8:00 pm / Show: 9:00 pm
The Blue Note (MO)$15.00
Tickets Available at the Door
This event is all ages
A limited quantity of reserved balcony tables are available by request at our box office or by calling (573) 874 1944. Please note that you must purchase all four tickets at the table for a reservation. IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE 21, please be prepared to pay a $2 cash minor surcharge at the door in addition to purchasing a ticket.
http://www.thebluenote.com/event/141927/
Share This Event
Big K.R.I.T.
It is rare to find an artist who has both age and wisdom on his side. At just 24 years-old, Big K.R.I.T. possesses the musical intuition of an old soul. Hailing from Meridian, Mississippi, K.R.I.T. (born Justin Scott) grew up listening to early rhythm and blues records in his Grandmother’s house and later went on to discover songs by revered soul artists like Curtis Mayfield, Willie Hutch and Bobby Womack. It’s easy to detect these artists and rap legends who have influenced the young MC like 8Ball & MJG, UGK, Scarface and OutKast in K.R.I.T.’s own music which masterfully resurrects the rich heritage of Southern hip-hop in the 1990’s.
“I’m reintroducing a type of sound from the South that a lot of the newer generation doesn’t know about and reminding the older generation of what Southern hip-hop used to sound like,” explains K.R.I.T., whose stage name is an acronym for King Remembered In Time. “I was influenced by the third coast as far as Texas, Tennessee, and Atlanta so I was really trying to put all those sounds that I grew up listening to together to make a sound for myself.”
Big K.R.I.T. is the sole producer of his Cinematic/Def Jam Records debut album, Live From The Underground which serves as a testament to his multifaceted musical talent and overall artistic vision. His major label debut is being released on the heels of two critically acclaimed independent releases, K.R.I.T. Wuz Here (2010) and returnof4eva (2011) which featured Ludacris, David Banner and Bun B. In addition to receiving starred reviews from Pitchfork and Complex, K.R.I.T.’s growing popularity earned him a spot on the cover of XXL’s Freshman cover in February of 2011 placing him amongst the industry’s most promising newcomers.
“I feel like it’s extremely important that people get to know me on a personal level through my music,” says K.R.I.T. “This is my canvas, it’s my art and I’m really trying to paint pictures the way I see them. I’m creating compositions and not relying so much on 808s and snares. I’m really trying to make timeless music.”
Big K.R.I.T. grew up in a deeply spiritual family and spent a lot of the time in church as a child listening to sermons and occasionally performing in the choir. He started to write poetry and when he turned 14, he started writing lyrics and using his PC to record his first rap songs. “I used to play music out of my computer and rap into the microphone that was connected to a tape recorder,” remembers K.R.I.T. “It was like the most bootleg karaoke machine you could find. I went from doing that to actually trying to get in the studio. It didn’t become super serious until I started making beats and rapping which was around 2000. That’s when I really started to record and drop projects.”
Recording at the time under the name Kritikal, K.R.I.T. changed his name after graduating from high school and moving to Atlanta to pursue a career in hip-hop. He had some minor success as a producer and was able to sell some of his beats, but unfortunately it would be another couple of years until he was able to actually survive off his musical talent alone.
“I wasn’t really making money it was really difficult to survive,” says K.R.I.T. “My phone was shut off and I could only receive calls and one day I was walking down the street with some Ramen noodles and I was like man, I’m finna go back home and work on the railroad. Then, at the end of 2009, Jonny Shipes called me and he offered to work with me for six months with no paperwork.”
Shipes, whose company Cinematic Music is based in New York City, got straight to work with K.R.I.T. and within two months, the burgeoning rapper was able to record and release a series of songs and videos that caught the attention of major label A&Rs. Def Jam’s Sha Money XL, who is responsible for managing the careers of 50 Cent and the G-Unit Records roster, expressed a strong interest in Big K.R.I.T. In the spring of 2010, Sha Money signed the Mississippi MC to Def Jam. “Sha reached out because he heard all of the buzz and the music,” says K.R.I.T. “He definitely believed in me and wanted to be part of our movement. We chopped it up and really figured out the best way for me to stay organic and be myself as an artist.”
In May of 2010, just a month after signing with Def Jam, K.R.I.T. dropped Krit Wuz Here which lead to stints opening up for Wiz Khalifa on the Wake & Bake Tour and co-headlining The Smokers Club Tour with Curren$y. In March of this year, K.R.I.T. released his most downloaded project to date, returnof4eva which he recorded as an homage to the type of music he grew up listening to. “Returnof4eva was me being more country, more Southern, more gritty,” he says. “I really wanted to showcase that I could go back into the studio after signing the deal and drop music that was cohesive. I think a lot of people thought Krit Wuz Here was a fluke, so returnof4eva was my way of building up confidence in my supporters and getting them to go out and buy my album.”
With his first studio album, Live From The Underground, K.R.I.T. stays true to his winning formula. He does so by producing a collection of records that continues to build on the musical history of the South, while simultaneously showcasing his personal beliefs and background in an honest and open way. K.R.I.T. also called upon some of hip-hop and r&b’s heavyweights to bless the album including Anthony Hamilton, Big Boi, Melanie Fiona, Bun B, and 8ball & MJG. The wide-range of collaborations add bass, but also the soulful-harmony that give Live From The Underground its dynamic and exciting feel.
“I’m really taking people in-depth about my relationships and the morals I gained from my Grandmother,” he says. “I go out and do shows and see the type of impact my songs have so it’s important that I say something positive, something relatable. I’m going to touch on a lot of different topics, there will be a lot of uplifting music on there and a lot of music that inspires people to do more right than wrong.”
Confident with where he is as a man and an artist, Big K.R.I.T. is dedicated to creating songs for fans of the music he grew up loving. “I’m forever underground,” he says. “Underground for me is about being more for the people. I’m comfortable with where I’m at in my life and the music that I make. With this album, I really sat down as a producer and as an artist and constructed the best beats possible and came up with the best content possible. It just happens to be underground.
“I’m reintroducing a type of sound from the South that a lot of the newer generation doesn’t know about and reminding the older generation of what Southern hip-hop used to sound like,” explains K.R.I.T., whose stage name is an acronym for King Remembered In Time. “I was influenced by the third coast as far as Texas, Tennessee, and Atlanta so I was really trying to put all those sounds that I grew up listening to together to make a sound for myself.”
Big K.R.I.T. is the sole producer of his Cinematic/Def Jam Records debut album, Live From The Underground which serves as a testament to his multifaceted musical talent and overall artistic vision. His major label debut is being released on the heels of two critically acclaimed independent releases, K.R.I.T. Wuz Here (2010) and returnof4eva (2011) which featured Ludacris, David Banner and Bun B. In addition to receiving starred reviews from Pitchfork and Complex, K.R.I.T.’s growing popularity earned him a spot on the cover of XXL’s Freshman cover in February of 2011 placing him amongst the industry’s most promising newcomers.
“I feel like it’s extremely important that people get to know me on a personal level through my music,” says K.R.I.T. “This is my canvas, it’s my art and I’m really trying to paint pictures the way I see them. I’m creating compositions and not relying so much on 808s and snares. I’m really trying to make timeless music.”
Big K.R.I.T. grew up in a deeply spiritual family and spent a lot of the time in church as a child listening to sermons and occasionally performing in the choir. He started to write poetry and when he turned 14, he started writing lyrics and using his PC to record his first rap songs. “I used to play music out of my computer and rap into the microphone that was connected to a tape recorder,” remembers K.R.I.T. “It was like the most bootleg karaoke machine you could find. I went from doing that to actually trying to get in the studio. It didn’t become super serious until I started making beats and rapping which was around 2000. That’s when I really started to record and drop projects.”
Recording at the time under the name Kritikal, K.R.I.T. changed his name after graduating from high school and moving to Atlanta to pursue a career in hip-hop. He had some minor success as a producer and was able to sell some of his beats, but unfortunately it would be another couple of years until he was able to actually survive off his musical talent alone.
“I wasn’t really making money it was really difficult to survive,” says K.R.I.T. “My phone was shut off and I could only receive calls and one day I was walking down the street with some Ramen noodles and I was like man, I’m finna go back home and work on the railroad. Then, at the end of 2009, Jonny Shipes called me and he offered to work with me for six months with no paperwork.”
Shipes, whose company Cinematic Music is based in New York City, got straight to work with K.R.I.T. and within two months, the burgeoning rapper was able to record and release a series of songs and videos that caught the attention of major label A&Rs. Def Jam’s Sha Money XL, who is responsible for managing the careers of 50 Cent and the G-Unit Records roster, expressed a strong interest in Big K.R.I.T. In the spring of 2010, Sha Money signed the Mississippi MC to Def Jam. “Sha reached out because he heard all of the buzz and the music,” says K.R.I.T. “He definitely believed in me and wanted to be part of our movement. We chopped it up and really figured out the best way for me to stay organic and be myself as an artist.”
In May of 2010, just a month after signing with Def Jam, K.R.I.T. dropped Krit Wuz Here which lead to stints opening up for Wiz Khalifa on the Wake & Bake Tour and co-headlining The Smokers Club Tour with Curren$y. In March of this year, K.R.I.T. released his most downloaded project to date, returnof4eva which he recorded as an homage to the type of music he grew up listening to. “Returnof4eva was me being more country, more Southern, more gritty,” he says. “I really wanted to showcase that I could go back into the studio after signing the deal and drop music that was cohesive. I think a lot of people thought Krit Wuz Here was a fluke, so returnof4eva was my way of building up confidence in my supporters and getting them to go out and buy my album.”
With his first studio album, Live From The Underground, K.R.I.T. stays true to his winning formula. He does so by producing a collection of records that continues to build on the musical history of the South, while simultaneously showcasing his personal beliefs and background in an honest and open way. K.R.I.T. also called upon some of hip-hop and r&b’s heavyweights to bless the album including Anthony Hamilton, Big Boi, Melanie Fiona, Bun B, and 8ball & MJG. The wide-range of collaborations add bass, but also the soulful-harmony that give Live From The Underground its dynamic and exciting feel.
“I’m really taking people in-depth about my relationships and the morals I gained from my Grandmother,” he says. “I go out and do shows and see the type of impact my songs have so it’s important that I say something positive, something relatable. I’m going to touch on a lot of different topics, there will be a lot of uplifting music on there and a lot of music that inspires people to do more right than wrong.”
Confident with where he is as a man and an artist, Big K.R.I.T. is dedicated to creating songs for fans of the music he grew up loving. “I’m forever underground,” he says. “Underground for me is about being more for the people. I’m comfortable with where I’m at in my life and the music that I make. With this album, I really sat down as a producer and as an artist and constructed the best beats possible and came up with the best content possible. It just happens to be underground.
Slim Thug
Slim Thug is the voice of Houston rap, a 6'6" tall colossus who dominated the early-'00s underground scene on Michael "5000" Watts' Swishahouse imprint. In 2005 he released his Neptunes'-produced major label debut, Already Platinum, and followed it with his tremendously-popular eOne Music follow-up Boss of All Bosses four years later. He returns on eOne1/Boss Hogg Outlawz with his latest album, Th...a Thug Show, due out November 30. The work shows him in top form and features single, "So High," with chart-topping Atlanta emcee B.o.B. "What I'm trying to do is give fans the best of Boss of All Bosses and of Already
Platinum," Slim says.
Born Stayve Thomas, Slim was already running things as a high school student. He drove around in a drop-top Cadillac, inspiring some of his older classmates to call him Boss Hogg -- after The Dukes of Hazard character -- which inspired the name of his record label. Many folks just called him Slim, however, and since he was doing thuggish things and looked and acted like a thug, he extended it to Slim Thug. "I was grilled-out since I was, like, 15 years old," he explains. "I was walking around with braids, Dickies, white t-shirts, and Chucks all the time, so I looked like a thug."
An aspiring rapper, his fate forever changed one night in high school when he performed a freestyle at a northside Houston teen club in front of Michael Watts, the influential local DJ and mixtape guru. Impressed by Slim's verse, Watts invited him to his studio to lay down a track for a mixtape album. "I went over, did the shit, and it's been poppin' ever since," Slim says. With Swishahouse and Boss Hogg Outlawz he moved thousands and thousands of CDs, and began drawing major label attention. But, considering he was already the making big money playing shows around Texas, he had no need for their puny offers. "Every label tried to sign me-- Universal, Atlantic, Warner Bros, everyone. But the money they was offering, I wasn't with it, 'cause we were getting that out in the streets."
Eventually however, one of the independent distribution networks trafficking his CDs went under. And so, when Interscope finally called with a good offer he signed on, and was eventually placed on The Neptunes' Star Trak label. Pharrell Williams and his crew were the hottest thing working, and though their spaced-out, pop-friendly style strayed from the gritty, slowed, Houston sound Slim built his name on, Already Platinum debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, and spawned hits including "Like A Boss." (That song inspired a wildly-popular
Saturday Night Live parody of the same name last year, featuring Andy Samberg as a not-so-bosslike boss.)
Meanwhile, also in 2005, Watts used a line from a Slim freestyle -- "still tippin' on fo-fo's, wrapped in fo'-vogues" – as the hook for the breakout song from Swishahouse artist Mike Jones, called "Still Tippin'." The track, which also featured Paul Wall, was a massive hit, bringing Houston's emerging hip hop sound (and its references to lean, candy paint, grills and swangers) to the mainstream. Slim's star was launched and he appeared on hits like Gwen Stefan's 2005 song "Luxurious" and Beyonce's 2006 number one, "Check On It."
Despite his national success, the major label scene wasn't for Slim, and a few years later he signed with eOne. "A lot of people thought I was stupid for walking away from Interscope, but I wasn't going to be on the sidelines, while they pushed back records," he says. "At the end of the day, I'd rather go with a smaller company and keep the money coming." His critically-admired 2009 follow-up Boss of All Bosses may not have had a big budget or production from The Neptunes, but it returned to his original sound and was beloved by his core fans, selling some 150,000 units. Last year he also had another great look through a collaboration with Jon Stewart's The Daily Show called, "Still A Boss," a parody video about the way the economy is affecting the rap industry. ("I don't pop bottles in the club/ It costs too much…'Cause up at Costco it's half the cash/ I buy a bottle, for what you're spending on one glass.")
Tha Thug Show aims to split the difference between the mainstream-accessible sound of Already Platinum and the Texas flavor of Boss of All Bosses. Much of the production comes courtesy of his collaborator Mr. Lee, and the album features Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Yo Gotti, Nipsey Hussle and Big Krit. Single "So High," with B.o.B., comes after the pair nearly worked together on Slim's 2008 single "I Run," which, in the end, instead featured Yelawolf. "After Yelawolf did it, it just sounded so right, I didn't want to change it," Slim says. "But I've definitely been knowing
B.o.B. since before he took off."
It's clear that Slim has settled into his role as a young Houston legend, and that returning to his independent roots has been good for him. "I might be local again, but I'm still getting money, so I'm cool on it," he says with a laugh. "I've got better focus, and more power." Even in these recessionary times, it's clear, the Slim Thug brand goes a long way.
--Ben Westhoff
Platinum," Slim says.
Born Stayve Thomas, Slim was already running things as a high school student. He drove around in a drop-top Cadillac, inspiring some of his older classmates to call him Boss Hogg -- after The Dukes of Hazard character -- which inspired the name of his record label. Many folks just called him Slim, however, and since he was doing thuggish things and looked and acted like a thug, he extended it to Slim Thug. "I was grilled-out since I was, like, 15 years old," he explains. "I was walking around with braids, Dickies, white t-shirts, and Chucks all the time, so I looked like a thug."
An aspiring rapper, his fate forever changed one night in high school when he performed a freestyle at a northside Houston teen club in front of Michael Watts, the influential local DJ and mixtape guru. Impressed by Slim's verse, Watts invited him to his studio to lay down a track for a mixtape album. "I went over, did the shit, and it's been poppin' ever since," Slim says. With Swishahouse and Boss Hogg Outlawz he moved thousands and thousands of CDs, and began drawing major label attention. But, considering he was already the making big money playing shows around Texas, he had no need for their puny offers. "Every label tried to sign me-- Universal, Atlantic, Warner Bros, everyone. But the money they was offering, I wasn't with it, 'cause we were getting that out in the streets."
Eventually however, one of the independent distribution networks trafficking his CDs went under. And so, when Interscope finally called with a good offer he signed on, and was eventually placed on The Neptunes' Star Trak label. Pharrell Williams and his crew were the hottest thing working, and though their spaced-out, pop-friendly style strayed from the gritty, slowed, Houston sound Slim built his name on, Already Platinum debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, and spawned hits including "Like A Boss." (That song inspired a wildly-popular
Saturday Night Live parody of the same name last year, featuring Andy Samberg as a not-so-bosslike boss.)
Meanwhile, also in 2005, Watts used a line from a Slim freestyle -- "still tippin' on fo-fo's, wrapped in fo'-vogues" – as the hook for the breakout song from Swishahouse artist Mike Jones, called "Still Tippin'." The track, which also featured Paul Wall, was a massive hit, bringing Houston's emerging hip hop sound (and its references to lean, candy paint, grills and swangers) to the mainstream. Slim's star was launched and he appeared on hits like Gwen Stefan's 2005 song "Luxurious" and Beyonce's 2006 number one, "Check On It."
Despite his national success, the major label scene wasn't for Slim, and a few years later he signed with eOne. "A lot of people thought I was stupid for walking away from Interscope, but I wasn't going to be on the sidelines, while they pushed back records," he says. "At the end of the day, I'd rather go with a smaller company and keep the money coming." His critically-admired 2009 follow-up Boss of All Bosses may not have had a big budget or production from The Neptunes, but it returned to his original sound and was beloved by his core fans, selling some 150,000 units. Last year he also had another great look through a collaboration with Jon Stewart's The Daily Show called, "Still A Boss," a parody video about the way the economy is affecting the rap industry. ("I don't pop bottles in the club/ It costs too much…'Cause up at Costco it's half the cash/ I buy a bottle, for what you're spending on one glass.")
Tha Thug Show aims to split the difference between the mainstream-accessible sound of Already Platinum and the Texas flavor of Boss of All Bosses. Much of the production comes courtesy of his collaborator Mr. Lee, and the album features Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Yo Gotti, Nipsey Hussle and Big Krit. Single "So High," with B.o.B., comes after the pair nearly worked together on Slim's 2008 single "I Run," which, in the end, instead featured Yelawolf. "After Yelawolf did it, it just sounded so right, I didn't want to change it," Slim says. "But I've definitely been knowing
B.o.B. since before he took off."
It's clear that Slim has settled into his role as a young Houston legend, and that returning to his independent roots has been good for him. "I might be local again, but I'm still getting money, so I'm cool on it," he says with a laugh. "I've got better focus, and more power." Even in these recessionary times, it's clear, the Slim Thug brand goes a long way.
--Ben Westhoff
Tito Lopez
Tito Lopez’s first words tell the story. When he was less than a year old, the Gulfport, Mississippi native was sitting in his high chair and said, “Wild, wild, west,” the chorus of a popular Kool Moe Dee song at the time. Flabbergasted, his mother declared that one day her son would be a rapper.
Fast forward to 2012 and Lopez’s mother’s words have proven prophetic. The Capitol Records signee is in the midst of recording his debut studio album and has already gotten the endorsement of Dr. Dre, Sha Money XL and the Dungeon Family, and has worked with such platinum producers as Organized Noize (OutKast, TLC), Mr. DJ (OutKast, Common) and DJ Toomp (T.I., Ludacris).
Building off the momentum of a string of acclaimed mixtapes, including 2010’s King With No Crown, Lopez rips through his new material with the precision of a lyrical sniper, deftly balancing top-tier wordplay and punchlines with food for thought. The raw “Conversation With Tito,” for instance, is a grimy cut where Lopez acts as though he’s talking to the listener, while the Mr. DJ-produced “Got That Shit” features Lopez at his most optimistic.
“That’s the most carefree record I’ve got,” he says. “It’s really just supposed to be something fun. It really was a joke. It’s the total opposite of how I was growing up. It’s like a day in your life when everything is going right for you.”
One thing that’s always been right in Lopez’s life is his relationship with his mother. On “Mama Proud,” he doesn’t overtly rap about her, but the chorus features a simple, heartfelt refrain: “I just want my mama to be proud of me.”
“Whatever you’re doing in life, your basic goal is to make your mama proud,” Lopez says. “I said a few times in the song and when we were listening to it, it’s jamming enough to go on the radio and it’s hip-hop enough to where it’s something to build on. It’s going to flip the world on its ear.”
Before Lopez was on his way to stardom, he had to flip his own world first. Born to a 17-year-old mother and 20-year-old father, Lopez was a standout student. But with high grades came considerable ridicule from his peers. In elementary school, Lopez found himself isolated, typically finding solace in his parents’ extensive rap collection or by watching movies.
Inspired by pre-teen rappers Kris Kross, Lopez started writing his own raps when he was five. By the time he got to junior high, he had built a small circle of friends. But he was still an outcast in many ways and had developed a Napoleon complex, which led to a string of fights and getting kicked out of school.
Yes, he was able to watch BET’s “Rap City” while at home during school hours, but his father put a damper on his rap dreams by telling him that he would not be able to succeed as an artist.
At school, though, Lopez was becoming a celebrity of sorts because of his advanced lyrics and potent flow. Getting a positive reaction from his classmates became an addiction that Lopez chased by making and performing his raps.
Soon thereafter, Lopez turned a laser-sharp focus to his music. He graduated and started recording material in his house. He also visited Miami and Detroit in order to soak up music industry knowledge from some of his contacts.
By the mid-2000s, Lopez was churning out high-quality material and began presenting and posting it to websites. In 2009, his music ended up in the hands of music industry veteran Keith “WOK” Watts, a seasoned executive and manager.
Blown away by Lopez’s skill, fire, attitude and microphone presence, Wok traveled to Mississippi to meet Lopez. Sold instantly on Lopez’s potential, Wok soon coordinated an appearance for Lopez on the coveted Def Jam Cypher.
Hosted by Sha Money XL, Lopez understood the impact his performance could have on his burgeoning rap career. “When we got there, I remember thinking, ‘This is my time to show that this is what I do,’” he says. “‘I rap.’”
Lopez’s masterful verse and commanding performance earned him a standing ovation from the tough-to-impress New York crowd and gave Wok even more confidence in his rising artist.
After drawing interest from Def Jam and other labels, Lopez signed to Capitol Records (via Steve Prudholme) in June 2011. One selling point was that he was going to be a top priority at the label. He started work on his album in September 2011, hitting the studio in Los Angeles in September before traveling to Atlanta in October, where he worked with Dungeon Family, DJ Toomp and Drumma Boy. He then went with Wok to New York to record there.
“Tito Lopez represents people being true to who they are,” says Wok, who has billed Lopez as the Voice of the Underdogs. “Everything you want will come to you if you stay true to who you are.”
Lopez agrees wholeheartedly. And he doesn’t just want to make an impact on music. He wants to leave a legacy.
“I’ve got to be legendary,” Lopez says. “I can’t be here and gone in six months like some of these dudes. I’ve got to be where Em is at, Jay is at. I want to be one of these dudes that makes it for 10-plus years. There’s only a handful of them, so I’ve got to be legendary.”
And he’s well on his way.
Fast forward to 2012 and Lopez’s mother’s words have proven prophetic. The Capitol Records signee is in the midst of recording his debut studio album and has already gotten the endorsement of Dr. Dre, Sha Money XL and the Dungeon Family, and has worked with such platinum producers as Organized Noize (OutKast, TLC), Mr. DJ (OutKast, Common) and DJ Toomp (T.I., Ludacris).
Building off the momentum of a string of acclaimed mixtapes, including 2010’s King With No Crown, Lopez rips through his new material with the precision of a lyrical sniper, deftly balancing top-tier wordplay and punchlines with food for thought. The raw “Conversation With Tito,” for instance, is a grimy cut where Lopez acts as though he’s talking to the listener, while the Mr. DJ-produced “Got That Shit” features Lopez at his most optimistic.
“That’s the most carefree record I’ve got,” he says. “It’s really just supposed to be something fun. It really was a joke. It’s the total opposite of how I was growing up. It’s like a day in your life when everything is going right for you.”
One thing that’s always been right in Lopez’s life is his relationship with his mother. On “Mama Proud,” he doesn’t overtly rap about her, but the chorus features a simple, heartfelt refrain: “I just want my mama to be proud of me.”
“Whatever you’re doing in life, your basic goal is to make your mama proud,” Lopez says. “I said a few times in the song and when we were listening to it, it’s jamming enough to go on the radio and it’s hip-hop enough to where it’s something to build on. It’s going to flip the world on its ear.”
Before Lopez was on his way to stardom, he had to flip his own world first. Born to a 17-year-old mother and 20-year-old father, Lopez was a standout student. But with high grades came considerable ridicule from his peers. In elementary school, Lopez found himself isolated, typically finding solace in his parents’ extensive rap collection or by watching movies.
Inspired by pre-teen rappers Kris Kross, Lopez started writing his own raps when he was five. By the time he got to junior high, he had built a small circle of friends. But he was still an outcast in many ways and had developed a Napoleon complex, which led to a string of fights and getting kicked out of school.
Yes, he was able to watch BET’s “Rap City” while at home during school hours, but his father put a damper on his rap dreams by telling him that he would not be able to succeed as an artist.
At school, though, Lopez was becoming a celebrity of sorts because of his advanced lyrics and potent flow. Getting a positive reaction from his classmates became an addiction that Lopez chased by making and performing his raps.
Soon thereafter, Lopez turned a laser-sharp focus to his music. He graduated and started recording material in his house. He also visited Miami and Detroit in order to soak up music industry knowledge from some of his contacts.
By the mid-2000s, Lopez was churning out high-quality material and began presenting and posting it to websites. In 2009, his music ended up in the hands of music industry veteran Keith “WOK” Watts, a seasoned executive and manager.
Blown away by Lopez’s skill, fire, attitude and microphone presence, Wok traveled to Mississippi to meet Lopez. Sold instantly on Lopez’s potential, Wok soon coordinated an appearance for Lopez on the coveted Def Jam Cypher.
Hosted by Sha Money XL, Lopez understood the impact his performance could have on his burgeoning rap career. “When we got there, I remember thinking, ‘This is my time to show that this is what I do,’” he says. “‘I rap.’”
Lopez’s masterful verse and commanding performance earned him a standing ovation from the tough-to-impress New York crowd and gave Wok even more confidence in his rising artist.
After drawing interest from Def Jam and other labels, Lopez signed to Capitol Records (via Steve Prudholme) in June 2011. One selling point was that he was going to be a top priority at the label. He started work on his album in September 2011, hitting the studio in Los Angeles in September before traveling to Atlanta in October, where he worked with Dungeon Family, DJ Toomp and Drumma Boy. He then went with Wok to New York to record there.
“Tito Lopez represents people being true to who they are,” says Wok, who has billed Lopez as the Voice of the Underdogs. “Everything you want will come to you if you stay true to who you are.”
Lopez agrees wholeheartedly. And he doesn’t just want to make an impact on music. He wants to leave a legacy.
“I’ve got to be legendary,” Lopez says. “I can’t be here and gone in six months like some of these dudes. I’ve got to be where Em is at, Jay is at. I want to be one of these dudes that makes it for 10-plus years. There’s only a handful of them, so I’ve got to be legendary.”
And he’s well on his way.
Gt Garza
G.T. Garza hails from a city that has produced some of hip-hops brightest stars, and is quickly gaining a name for himself as Houston’s next big Hip Hop star. Born in San Diego, California he moved to Houston at the age of five. At the age of 14 as a freshman in high school, he was inspired to stop listening to hip-hop and start creating it. Garza began to develop his own style and broke ground battle rapping in various Bars and Clubs. Once he perfected his style, he took his chances at the 2002 Import Expo.
Garza caught the eye of Universal artist Rob G and was recruited to G Style Entertainment. He was also recognized by the Houston radio group “The Choppaholix," who then recruited him to represent the new era of hip-hop in Texas. With names such as "The Phenom," “The One Man Army," and "The Future," this young star is rapidly on the rise. His unmistakable flow and style even landed him a spot on an exclusive H-Town Remix of Ashanti's "Still on It" alongside Paul Wall, and the remix to Chris Brown's "Run It" which both hit heavy rotation on FM dials throughout the southwestern and western parts of the United States.
With many victories under his belt, including "Road to the Apollo" sponsored by Footaction and Adidas, as well as "The Sunkist Sound Lab" sponsored by Sunkist. Garza is no stranger to the grind. With his hard work and dedication he has made his name well known in the Houston area by appearing on shows, such as the Choppaholix XM radio show, Texas FM radio shows and many mixtape features. His first major mixtape release "Maverick Music" earned him the respect of his peers and his fans.
Working under his own independent label, The Machine, Garza is constantly grinding his gears trying to make the transition from underground to mainstream. He has been offered several deals by record labels in Houston but has turned them down in hope of something more. His ultimate goal is to be wearing a Houston T-shirt while accepting a Grammy. With his incomparably unique style and hard work ethic, if anyone has a shot at doing so, it’s Garza. If you see him out somewhere, he will undoubtedly have his headphones on listening to new beats while penciling down lyrics. With 11 mixtapes under his belt and more than 50 features, he knows what needs to be done to reach his goals.
Currently, Garza is working hard on projects with T Gray, Trakksounds, Risky Boi, and more. In an effort to create a larger fan base, he will be producing more albums, music videos, and shows than in the past. From the streets to the booth, Garza can bring the heat on a beat and is truly next in line to rise from the South.
Garza caught the eye of Universal artist Rob G and was recruited to G Style Entertainment. He was also recognized by the Houston radio group “The Choppaholix," who then recruited him to represent the new era of hip-hop in Texas. With names such as "The Phenom," “The One Man Army," and "The Future," this young star is rapidly on the rise. His unmistakable flow and style even landed him a spot on an exclusive H-Town Remix of Ashanti's "Still on It" alongside Paul Wall, and the remix to Chris Brown's "Run It" which both hit heavy rotation on FM dials throughout the southwestern and western parts of the United States.
With many victories under his belt, including "Road to the Apollo" sponsored by Footaction and Adidas, as well as "The Sunkist Sound Lab" sponsored by Sunkist. Garza is no stranger to the grind. With his hard work and dedication he has made his name well known in the Houston area by appearing on shows, such as the Choppaholix XM radio show, Texas FM radio shows and many mixtape features. His first major mixtape release "Maverick Music" earned him the respect of his peers and his fans.
Working under his own independent label, The Machine, Garza is constantly grinding his gears trying to make the transition from underground to mainstream. He has been offered several deals by record labels in Houston but has turned them down in hope of something more. His ultimate goal is to be wearing a Houston T-shirt while accepting a Grammy. With his incomparably unique style and hard work ethic, if anyone has a shot at doing so, it’s Garza. If you see him out somewhere, he will undoubtedly have his headphones on listening to new beats while penciling down lyrics. With 11 mixtapes under his belt and more than 50 features, he knows what needs to be done to reach his goals.
Currently, Garza is working hard on projects with T Gray, Trakksounds, Risky Boi, and more. In an effort to create a larger fan base, he will be producing more albums, music videos, and shows than in the past. From the streets to the booth, Garza can bring the heat on a beat and is truly next in line to rise from the South.
BIG SANT
One Man Show, Half of The Alumni, Full Time Hustler, 100% Real, 0% Bitch, Last Of A Dying Breed...refrain from being lame.
Sponsored by: www.thebluenote.com