Born and raised on the south side of Chicago, The Natural has been through almost everything. Growing up with drug addicts for parents, he spent nearly half of his life on welfare. When he was in the seventh grade, The Natural decided to transform the pain that was his life into an art form: music. Nearly one decade later, he has accomplished what some said he would not, and what most others said he could not.Not only has The Natural successfully completed an undergraduate career at the University of Notre Dame—which will undoubtedly help bridge the gap between his family and success—but he has also made significant strides in the music arena. In 2004, his song “Dedication†received airplay on South Bend’s 99.1FM radio station. Shortly after in 2005, he was selected to be the opening act and master of ceremonies for a concert featuring Universal Recording sensation Akon and Columbia recording artists CAKE. Most recently, in the Spring of 2007, The Natural opened up for Star Trak recording duo The Clipse and Motown bombshell Mya, as part of the Seagrams Gin Tour. That’s not bad company to have for an unsigned artist today.The Natural is what the game has truly been missing. With a voice that’s easy on the ears and a delivery more reliable than FedEx, he is one of few artists that can hold his own on the microphone and remain socially conscious. Say what you will about the fact that he finished college, and feel free to question his street cred because he will be the first to tell you that he has never shot anyone or trafficked drugs. But make no mistake; spending a considerable amount of his life in the Ida B. Wells housing projects, The Natural has been through equal, if not worse shit than most of the heavyweights in the game today. No matter who you are or what you’ve been through, one thing is for sure: his music will touch you and truly speaks for itself.
