Legends of North Memphis.
What do you think of when you hear North Memphis? Better yet, who do you think of? Many forget, many others have no idea of the legendary hip hop names that have come from the, sometimes infamous, Memphis neighborhood. I didn't have the luxury to forget, growing up I experienced alot of that infamy-- from (2) friends dying before I reached high school to being jumped three blocks from my home by a gang, to almost being killed while playing with a gun. So i had to find and pay attention to the positive. Beyond these all- too-common tragedies, I wanted to be a rapper, i wanted to change my life with hip hop, I had legendary examples to look up to--From Yo Gotti to, Juicy J, to Project Pat, to Dj Paul. In retrospect, I know that none of those guys were rappers, they were and are businessmen that happen to rap. Coming from a city that hasn't had a thriving music scene since 1975, with the closing of Stax, all of these guys were able to establish themselves as prominent forces in hip-hop. That was my inspiration, I knew it was possible to make a positive change on our city. I wanted that for me, I wanted that for my friends, I wanted that for my family, I wanted that for my neighborhood.
In 2013, I was struggling to keep my dreams afloat and establish myself as an artist. Around that same time there was another north Memphian about to follow in similar footsteps of our neighborhood's past. Snootie Wild was just released from jail, and he literally hit the streets a free man, with one of the biggest hits out of Memphis in recent years. "Yayo." We heard that song everywhere, all the time. The song debuted at number 50 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and at number 40 on Billboard's Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hopchart. This caught the attention of another legendary North Memphian, Yo Gotti, who signed Snottie to his imprint CMG. While, in my own corner of the world chasing my dreams, I had the opportunity to connect with Snottie at the video shoot for this mega regional hit.
Many might look at my grind as an artist and assume that me and Snootie have nothing in common, that's further from the truth than anyone can imagine. In a recent interview snootie, explained his need to know the business: "I had to educate myself on the business part a lot but every chance I got, I got a chance to sit down and work with people to make sure I understand the business part of the business." Anyone that knows me and is familiar with my grind, they know that that is dam near a quote that I've said before. I don't know what it is, but us hustlers from North Memphis don't play about the business.
Fast forward three years, I have started my own label, released a project on that label, been featured in the Source and had my video for the lead single on MTV. It's safe to safe that I know a little bit about the business. Three years later, I was able to link up with Snootie Wild, not as an extra in a video, but as 2 North Memphis natives with goals and dreams, plotting.
Photo by: Dj QuinnRaynor (Tour DJ for Snottie Wild)