| 03 December 2008
Once and a while we come accross an artist that actually does what he raps about and cares about the content of his verses. Article hails from Charlotte, North Carolina and his understanding of the game is clearly manifested in his body of work. Few unsigned acts from the region have been able to put together a quality mixtape as Article has and you can listen to it here. We speak breifly with Article about what he brings to the scene.
Q: Are you originally from the North Carolina? What about the rest of your family?
A: Originally I was born in Columbia, SC which is about an hour from Charlotte, North Carolina. I moved to Charlotte in '98 and have been here since. Its been a little more than ten years now. As far as the fam, most of my family is from New York, the Bronx and Long Island.
Q: So what high school did you rep?
A: Man that seems like it was just yesterday. I went to West Mecklenburg High School, known for a lot of things other than academics.
Q: How long have you been in the game and how did you get your start?
A: Well I actually started making music when I was thirteen years old. I used to freestyle on the bus on the way to middle school. I had two older brothers who were nice as hell on the mic and making beats so naturally I wanted to be involved with what they were doing. I’m just doing what I love.
Q: Why do you think more artist out of NC haven’t blown up?
There are a few reasons I could guess. I would say the number one reason is because a lot of people sleep on the level of talent coming out of the Carolinas. You might be able to attribute that to the lack of hip hop venues available compared to other cities like an Atlanta or Miami. Or it could just be that a lot of cats aren’t on they grind like they should be. You know what they say, “Nothing worth having it is easy to get".
Q: What makes you different from other cats?
A: Creativity, originality, quality music. I feel like I bring substance to the game. If music is food for thought, then I feel like my music is steak and lobster. A lot of rappers out now are feeding u oodles of noodles and fried bologna. At the end of the day what would you rather have, Ruth Chris or McDonalds? lol. Nah but I love what I do. I like to challenge myself as well as the art of hip hop. I’m here for the long run. Ya feel me?
Q: Who helped you put together the mixtape?
A: Honestly, I did most of it myself. My producer Tinman and another producer by the name Gyphted laced me with some beats. I did a lot of recording at Lyfe Line Studios in Charlotte and Tinman did all the mixing.
Q: Any major label interest? Close to signing or going the independent route?
A: Of course. Plenty of interest on my part. Time will tell if they’re interested in me. Currently, I’m not engaged in any negotiations though. I can’t rely on anybody but myself. I love what I do, so that drives me.
Q: What’s next for Article?
A: I’m doing shows at the moment. At the same time I’m working on my next mixtape, “The Revison”. So look out for that. Just grinding bro...trying to reach out to the world with my music. Shouts out to Carolina! Look out for the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. And thanks for having me.
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