B.I. (Alexis Brandon Isbell) doesn't want to be labeled a rapper, or even a producer for that matter. The only title he deems fitting is 'music artist', and after listening to his stellar production laced by hard-hitting drums, deep unnerving bass lines and crisp string arrangements it's clear why. Add that to his fluid delivery and it's apparent that BI can't be restricted by titles-- the artist in him simply won't be contained."I'm a producer and rapper, that's why I call myself an artist first," he reiterates. "People don't give rappers enough credit as real musicians."And that's one of the primary reasons BI is dedicated to bringing his style to the Hip Hop world. He wants to eradicate the misconceptions placed on Hip Hop by the mainstream media and critics. With musical influences that include everyone from Eightball&MJG to Tupac and Triple 6 Mafia, the BlackHaven, Memphis native is diverse."Eightball&MJG showed everybody in Memphis that we can do it outside of Memphis, Triple 6 Mafia showed me that we can do it all from Memphis and Pac is the greatest rapper of all time," he says explaining his influences. "Pac showed me that you can have a powerful message and still have a hit song."With that as the basis of his music, BI was excited to become a part of the League and bring his unique perspective to the group via head-nodding production and inspired rhymes."I really get inspired when I hear other producers tracks," he relays. "If it's a weak track, I think 'Damn, I'm crushing that.' But if it's a tight track then I get really inspired to make something better."For BI, Hip Hop isn't just a musical genre-it's a vital part of everyday life. "Hip Hop is my way of life, from my generation," he says. "It means everything to me."
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