Free The Optimus (FTO): 1234 and More
Free The Optimus (FTO) is a North Carolina Hip-Hop collective comprised of C.Shreve the Professor, DJ Jet, Mike L!VE, Phil Dangerous, Ill Will, She Carretta, Good Shepard, James Millen, and other affiliated collaborators including Pragmaddix, Phlo Deli, C.Pitt, ILe Flottante, Tha Last Boss, Soulful Chemistry, Jerrel Moore, P.U.R.P. and Beek the Sneak. Sub-sets of the collective include Mind Ninjas, and PRO-Dangerous as well as everyone's solo work. The focus is on raw food for thought packed full of phytochemicals.
The “1234” video below finds FTO in higher education mode at Cypher University where they thoroughly demonstrate each element of the Hip-Hop culture that has so thoroughly shaped their lives. The lyrical aggression comes from witnessing “the wackness that y’all perpetuate, that’s insidious” and their response to “rap for dope North Carolinians” – bottom line, dispensing with sucka MCs will always be an issue, and we’ve had a knack for handling business lately.
Filmed in Boone & Asheville, NC, and in Knoxville, TN, this is the follow up to the Summer Ransom series of videos that helped propel FTO to win Best Hip Hop Group at the 2015 Carolina Music Awards. The production comes from Dylan Guye (Greensboro, NC), who has several songs on FTO's upcoming album FTOLive. FTOLive will be released later this fall and will star C.Shreve the Professor, Mike L!VE, and DJ Jet along with features from Jrusalam, Tuscon, Hunter, Pragmaddix, and Chachillie with production from P.U.R.P., Dylan Guye, Flue, Millie Vaughn and more.
Please believe that DOPECAUSEWESAID will keep you posted as to when the FTOLive album drops; in the meantime, scroll below to stream/download Summer Ransom.
Connect with Free The Optimus: Website Soundcloud Facebook Twitter (FTO) Twitter (seeshreve) Twitter (JetMusake) Twitter (LongLiveLive)