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..Some say that money makes the world go round. Others may even say that the functions of the brain – thinking, learning, teaching and creating – deserve credit for rotating the globe. Whatever the case may be, PAYPA is definitely one that will keep it spinning. Born on March 1st 1988, in the small city of Coatesville, Pennsylvania, a place infamous for its heavy drug traffic, PAYPA was attracted to music at an early age. While all of the other children played around with toys, PAYPA was calmly, and constantly, nodding his head to the tape playing in his walkman; that’s if he wasn’t performing for the family. At the age of five, he recorded his first 'rap song', through the headphones plugged up to an old record / tape player his grandmother owned.
As PAYPA grew older, his passion for music also went through major growth. At the tender age of eleven, he started crafting complete songs. With the help of partner-in-rhyme iSH.dOT (Treach-Raw at the time), the pair recorded their first full album, Symphony of Chaos. Shortly after, iSH.dOT was placed in a maximum security juvenile facility, which left PAYPA on his own. In 2001, PAYPA linked up with a team by the name of Heat Tuckaz. During the span of about 2 years, Heat Tuckaz flooded the whole Tri-State area with a string of mixtapes of raw material. These mixtapes and many local battle victories would go on to make PAYPA a neighborhood favorite within the rap scene. He also caught the eye of fellow Coatesville musicians, 50/50 L.G. CEO, DJ Dre-Money, and R.I.C.O. a/k/a Francis Fire of C.V., who he would eventually team up with in the future. He then went on to release two solo mixtapes, "The Introduction..." (2004) and "Paper Route: The Mixtape" (2005).
But music wasn't the only thing that attracted PAYPA. Like most mothers, his mother tried her hardest to guide her son along the right path and keep the streets out of his visibility and reach. But watching his male influences drive fancy cars while draped in expensive jewelry and luxurious clothing, which didn’t come from nine to fives, would attract him to the allure of this lifestyle. At 15, PAYPA caught his first case. Not even a year later, he caught another one.
It was time to gain control of life, and that's what PAYPA did - for a little while. He graduated high school and pursued a Bachelor's Degree in Business at Saint Joseph's University. During this time, he would also release the classic underground album 'Paper Route: The Hustler's Manual'. But summer break would only send him back home to the same streets. Eventually, they would lead him to two more criminal cases, with charges ranging from Possession w/ the Intent to Criminal Attempt Criminal Homicide. For these cases, not only was he excused from St. Joe’s indefinitely, but on July 23rd of 2007, he was sentenced to 2-4 years in a Pennsylvania State Correctional Facility. By participating in the State Boot Camp Program, he was able to return to society on July 28th of 2008, more focused then he ever was.
Now, PAYPA ensures his fans that this is the last time they will go without him. He is now completely done with the street life, and is fully focused on his music and music only. Not only has he become more focused musically, but is now even dealing with the business side of things, using the knowledge and skills he gained while at SJU. Now 21, PAYPA is in the process of launching his label, Stack Paypa Entertainment. He is also currently seeking management, in order to obtain airplay, press and a long list of live performances. PAYPA vows to give fans six mixtapes within the next year, along with a documentary which will be available online and on DVD. The first of this series of "It Don't Grow On Trees" mixtapes was released Friday, August 14th, 2009. When asked about the title PAYPA responds “Man, ’09 is go time! The economy is at a very low point which means wealth is not that easy to come across – it’s not growing on trees. That means I, as a man, have to get of my ass, grind hard and go get it.â€
