About Me
What is hiphop? I am hiphop. I am all the elements of the culture wrapped into one being. I am a rapper, breakdancer, graffiti artist, dj, and still enjoy beat boxing and making beats. Although I am now over 30 years old, I am only getting more extremely versatile on the mic since I started in 1984. I spent time in New York, LA, Indianapolis, Chicago, and of course my hometown of SBI(SOUTHBEND,IN) famous for ND football and where they make HUMMERS. At Indiana University at Bloomington, Indianapolis, and SouthBend, not only did I earn Degrees in Arts, Science, and Business, but I also performed with D. J. Top Speed, the Insomniacs, Mudd Kids,DJ Indiana Jones, and Complex who all contributed to Ron Miner who with Dj Indiana Jones works with Rhymefest and helped us maintain Indys first weekly venue called "Sunday Sweat" at fountain square.After I Graduated, I returned to SouthBend, IN where I mostly hustled DUSK TO DAWN with my nephew BUDDIE STONE. I am generation w,x,y, & z product because i grew up in the pre-crack, crack, gangbang, postcrack, and hiphop generations. Interesting huh? How could I leave college and give my life to the streets? My lifestyle continued like this until Master P made balling and rapping cooler than soley just slanging. I then hooked up with my best friend KENNETH BRANDY(WISEGUY ENTERTIANMENT). Acting as more than my manager, we became business partners and began managing groups with whom I had also featured on stage and albums with like Jae Ellis, DJ Strict 9, Paranorm, Million, NHN, Soul Purpose,Komain, NON-FICTION, CLIK-47, BORN HUSTLERS, AND MANY MORE MIDWEST ARTISTS. It was kinda like an Eazy E and Jerry Heller relationship but truthful, fair, and honest. I formed a group Called Secret I.D. where we performed and made public appearances with our faces covered at all times because in Southbend people hate and die over jealousy involving community popularity. With the masks we overcame it, and my group consisted of Homicide from NYC who once recorded with the infamous Teddy Riley, and D. J. AK-47 most heard of from CliK-47. Secret Identity toured with Das Efx, Black Moon, Coco Brovas (Smiff-n-Wesson), Conscious Daughters, Paris, Too Short, and so many more artists that there is no room to name. There are two things that stand out most during that time. One, I PROTECTED my love for the art & lifestyle of hiphop that I never became a THUG emcee cause I felt my sanctuary and peace from the streets was music and hiphop culture. Two, I remember I was seen as a traitor rather than someone who wanted to learn the BUSINESS when I became a partner with KENNETH and WISEGUY ENTERTAINMENT.I struggled with being a rapper, drug dealer, and educated professional in corporate america for atleast 10-15 years of my life and sometimes still feel the effects of it. Obviously, I have had my share of court dates, jail time, and rival street fights and wars as a result. In the end though, as I began to have children, get older, I slowly moved toward slanging dope less, being an artists and business man more, and working in corporate america more. Many times though, I have worked with many who were not on my level and would steer old ways out and leave a negative effect on positive intentions for my life.I still currently pop in and out of Hip-Hop events across the country sometimes wearing a mask and sometimes without one. Study my pictures carefully. You may have been blessed by me and not realized who I am which is HIPHOP. I have a love for helping underground and indie artists with strategic ideas to help them out, coronating new emcees into hip hop culture and many are grounded enough to allow me to earn their respect and become honored to meet and hear my story. Even though, the city of SOUTH BEND causes many artists to become sucked into their own egos and stir up drama over meaningless things that actually breaks up a unified front to put the city on the map, the Midwest Martyrs project and almost any artist from the SouthBend area or underground Midwest artists still keep pushin for our defining moment.My LATEST PROJECT, MIDWEST MARTYRS, WAS RECORDED FOR KNOWSIDE RECORDS AND IS THE PERFECT COMBINATION OF RHYME AND REASON. I WAS MORE OF AN EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, LEADER, AND MENTOR IN MOTIVATING CHOSEN ONE, READYMADE, STRICT 9, FEATURED ARTISTS, AND EVEN SONN GOTTI"SLYCEMEDIA" IN WORKING HARD FOR PERFECTION FROM THE WRITING, PRODUCING, RECORDING, & MARKETING OF THE PROJECT. IT DEMONSTRATES THE LYRICAL AND BUSINESS GENIUS IN ALL OF US ON IT AS SOME OF THE MIDWEST'S MOST SKILLED EMCEES. IT COMBINES A DOWN HOME INDIANA FLAVOR WITH A WORLDWIDE FLAIR. IT OFFERS EAR CANDY FOR HIP HOP LOVERS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE. THE TRACKS WHERE MYSELF, MY COUSIN CHOSEN 1, & FORMER UTMOST RECORDS ARTIST READY MADE SPITTING OVER EXCLUSIVE PRODUCTION BY DJ ERIC STREET, DJ STRICT 9 ALLOWED THE ARTISTS THEMSELVES TO CO-PRODUCE BEATS THAT HAVE HAD NIGHT CLUBS, MIXTAPES, AND AIRWAVES UNDERGROUND, ABOVE GROUND, ACROSS THE INTERNET, AND THE GLOBE STUNNED. FINALLY FOCUSED A DIFFERENT SIDE OF BOOGIEMAN WAS REVEALED. RATHER THAN RECORDING A SELFISH SOLO ALBUM THAT I STILL HAVEN'T TRULY DONE, MY MATURITY SHOWED MY EMERGENCE AS A LEADER FOR SBI HIP-HOP, BRINGING ARTISTS TOGETHER FOR EVENTS, SETTING UP SPONSORSHIPS, MUSIC SUMMITS, AND MORE. I HAVE SINCE MOVED ON AND APPRECIATE THE RESPECT, LOVE, & RECOGNITION FROM SBI ARTISTS WHO HAVE NOT ONLY TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF MY DESIRE TO WORK FOR THEM AND THE SBI HIP HOP MOVEMENT THROUGH THE YEARS, BUT THE ARTISTS WHO HAVE ALSO TOOK A STEP BACK AND BELIEVED IN ME THE WAY I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED IN THEM.BEFORE LEAVING INDIANA IN 2004, I REACHED A CRISIS OF PUTTING MY ENTIRE LIFE AND LEARNING EXPERIENCES INTO EVERYTHING INVOLVED WITH THE MIDWEST MARTYRS ALBUM, INCLUDING A REGRETTABLE PARTNERSHIP WITH HEATED RECORDS WHOM I BRIEFLY WORKED WITH TO FORM A JOINT LABEL CALLED COLD FUSION TO RELEASE ONE OF SBI BIGGEST MOST NATIONALLY CELEBRATED ALBUMS, LIVEWIRE BY KOMAIN. FITZ AND I WERE DEFINITELY PLANNING TO UPSTART A GREAT LABEL TO PUT OUT SOLO ALBUMS FOR CHOSEN, READY, MANIP OF OAKLAND, AND SO MUCH MORE, BUT DUE TO THE WHOLE "SBI MINDSET" OF THINGS IT FELL APART. I REGRET IT AND BELIEVE WE WILL SOMEDAY STILL FINISH WHAT WE STARTED WITH A CLEARER UNDERSTANDING OF RESPONSIBILITIES AND EXPECTATIONS OF EACH OTHER PROFESSIONALLY.AFTERWARDS, THIS CRISIS WAS A MENTAL LET DOWN AND I PACKED NOTHING AND STAYED OVER A WEEK WITH ONE OF MY TRUEST FRIENDS, JAE ELLIS, IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA. HE KNEW WHY I CAME AND CLEARED MY MIND OF 15 YEARS OF BULLSHIT TO GET ME FOCUSED AGAIN. HIS INSPIRATION LED ME TO BILL FINN WHOM I WROTE ARTICLES FOR IN LIQUID MAGAZINE IN THE 90'S, AND 7 STAR BATTLE WHOM I MET THRU STRICT 9, BOTH ALLOWING AND SUPPORTING ME TO UPSTART A WEEKLY EVENT AT CHEERS NIGHT CLUB FOR HIP HOP NIGHTS. IT DEFINITELY PAID OFF AND REMINDS ME OF HOW OVER 10 YEARS AGO IN INDY WE DID THE SAME TO GIVE LOCAL HIP HOP A HOME. AS AN EXECUTIVE PRODUCER AND MANAGER, I WILL CONTINUE LET THE WORLD KNOW ABOUT CHOSEN 1, READYMADE, 7STAR BATTLE, DJ ERIC STREET, AND ALL OTHER ARTISTS WHO HAVE CONTINUED TO CHERISH THEIR CRAFT AND ARTISTRY. AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE MIDWEST MARTYRS COMPILATION WAS ONE OF THE BEST EFFORTS TO PROMOTE AND EXPOSE AS MANY HIP HOP ARTISTS FROM THE SBI HIPHOP COMMUNITY AS TIME ON A CD PERMITS. FROM THE SHOUTOUTS OF OVER 20 VOICEMAILS IN THE INTRO TO THE 8BAR VERSES FROM OVER 10 ARTISTS/GROUPS IN THE OUTRO MEGA MIXES. THE MIDWEST MARTYRS ALBUM AND EFFORT IS A RESULT OF MY YEARS OF TRIAL AND TRIBULATION OF USING MY OWN TIME TO PUSH US FARTHER AHEAD AND WILL HOPEFULLY REFLECT IT. LISTEN AND ENJOY, AND IF YOU ARE NOT AFRAID...STAND UP, MAKE AND CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO MEET, GREET, AND ESTABLISH A PEACE OF MIND WITH ME, BOOGIEMAN.
