Salute to you on your new track "Elevator"; it's very dope. How did you connect with JeeJuh Productions and what was your creative process for the song's development?

I have been working with JeeJuh Productions since around 2014/15. Their beats are always clean, radio ready and hit potential. JeeJuh is actually a conglomerate of individual producers so technically the track was produced by "The Legion" for JeeJuh Productions.

That's what I look for when it comes to beats I use. Can I realistically see this being on the radio, does it sound like a hit and most importantly to me..... if I'm not instantly inspired to pick up a pen and paper to write right then and there when I first hear it or I don't see the video in my head, I pass. If I can't visualize it, I don't touch it.

Will "Elevator" be a part of an upcoming EP or album? If so, what can tell us about it?

Yes it's the first release on the upcoming album "Tale of 2 Cities" which basically encompasses me being a native NYer now living in the south where my parents and sister are from and the influence the two worlds had on me and my music over the years, which you will hear throughout the album.

How would you describe the rap music scene in Greenville, SC? Are there a lot of venues to perform at and are locals supportive of talent in the city?

Honestly I don't think the city supports local talent the way it could and should. I mean you see a lot of what I call "Promoter Hustles" kind of stuff. Open mics and stuff. My time here I have honestly felt like Greenville doesn't really take advantage of being two hrs away from ATL which is sort of the nucleus of today's rap scene.

You have a lot of major concerts throughout the year but you never see any auditions for opening acts; it's kept under wraps for a chosen few. Whoever this one or that one wants to see make it rather than who has the best shot of putting SC on the map musically. It's like every DJ, every party promoter so-called has a record label and therefore some artist or homeboy that whether he has a realistic shot or not at appealing to anyone outside of his zip code the powers that be will force feed them to the market and insist he or she is the next big thing. Yet the same people that organized the concert and kept that quiet til somebody that no one has heard off outside of their zip has already been handpicked and thrown on the flyer will magically tag and dm everyone that ever attempted to rap in the state. Like I said "promoter's hustle".

Anyone that's been in the game for more than a year knows nobody goes to open mics or indie showcases anymore other than the artist that are performing and their entourages. There's no exposure to be gained from that. No visuals even. A video of you performing in a venue for a crowd that's a 10th of maximum capacity that only consists of people there to gain fans not become one, is not a come up for anyone but the people throwing the event and the venue.

Perfect example, I recently had a falling out with a DJ that use to be on FM radio with a real platform for independent artists that pretty much ignored my music and the fact that I was Source Magazine Unsigned Hype "Most Viewed Artist" back in 2015 and wasted the platform and exposure on artist that jocked him constantly even though most of them had terrible recordings crappy music in general and most didn't even have their music encoded or registered anywhere so whenever u would tune in, instead of your stereo display showing the artist and track name it would just say, "Track 1" instead. If that's not a waste of exposure I don't know what it.

Meanwhile, you have artists making dope music with dope beats, dope recording and they are actually BMI or ASCAP, Soundscan, SoundExchange registered which means they not only could've received royalties from BMI or ASCAP but could possibly chart if it places enough because it could be pitched to stations in other markets and had a better shot at being played elsewhere because their sister station played it. No such luck here though. So unfortunately I have seen most of the more talented shot worthy artists either move to Atlanta or just get discouraged and give up because they can't catch a break here. It's like that everywhere in South Carolina for the most part. I would say Charleston and the surrounding area is the only real exception.

Most cities and towns every 2 or 3 years or so some guy becomes the chosen one based more on the fact they were the only one pushed more than it being a people's choice situation. Can't really say someone was chosen if they were the only option presented. So for the next few years every party in every club in that town will keep having the same artist perform over and over and over and over till finally they fade to black and then another "promoters choice" act comes a long and whether they are good or not the promoters circle the wagons and swear this guy is the next to blow meanwhile no views on YouTube, no shows or movement outside of their town even with all the exposure opportunities being monopolized on their behalf.

Tell us about TBT Entertainment and what motivated you to develop it? Also, what are some of your goals with the company?

TBT was founded by myself and a couple of friends in college shortly after my dorm roommate and I secured a radio show on the school's radio station lineup. We then went after and secured a TV show which was a parody of the now defunct BET Rap City In Da Basement hosted by DJ Tigger. Not long after that since pretty much the whole crew with the exception of the girl was a rapper with some serious bars. We were all mostly from the 5 boroughs of NYC and eventually transferred.

We started going through a local hipster newspaper "The Village Voice" that would list auditions for showcases and other opportunities for artists in and around the city. After a bit of success with showcases and a lot of networking, I built my first studio in my bedroom at my parents house and started putting out mixtapes and selling them in the neighborhood and around the city.

It wasn't until I set my sights on the south and relocated to be closer to Atlanta that we started seeing some real advancement as far as getting closer to the goals we set and feeling more like an artist with a profitable music career rather than a starving artist. By then I had years of research as far as the top to bottom inner workings of the industry and how to navigate it and Atlanta was the perfect place because by then it was just as big in the rap industry as NY only with 10 times the opportunities for indie artists and 10 times better quality as far as the opportunities themselves.

There's janky promoters in every city where rap lives. The difference was that there were even more legit opportunities and they weren't hidden as much as NY or even here in South Carolina. The goal for the company is to get to the point where we are the new Maybach Music or Young Money or Rocafella etc but without having to sell out our ideals and beliefs and just making braindead rap to sell records. I rather work a 9 to 5 than do that. Nothing trumps being true to yourself. That's the first and most important step to being true to anyone else.

What would you say has been your biggest accomplishment as an artist thus far in your career?

I would say being The Source Unsigned Hype Most Viewed Artist back in 2015 was a start. After that was when I transitioned into being an opening act for major artists. The first was an outdoor concert in Charleston, opening for Boosie Badass when he first came home.

The second was for Trina in NY back in 2016 and last year returning home to do a show with Dej Loaf and Jay Critch at one of the biggest venues in NYC. It was like a homecoming for me. Coming back to where it all started for me life wise and musically.

I left NY trying to get my foot in the door in the south and came home years later on tour with a superstar on a very hot streak of hits. Every year my goal is to top the biggest accomplishment from the previous year. I'm on the right track I think considering I have a promo track with Boosie and another with Rick Ross that I will be dropping on Soundcloud and YouTube next month.

With 2020 winding down, what can we expect from you musically in 2021?

You can expect banger after banger after banger from me this year. Pedal to the floor all 2021. I have a ton of singles, videos, promo/throw away tracks lined up and an album scheduled to drop this summer.

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