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NEW ARTIST "HIGHLIGHT"
HOMETOWN?
Schriever,
LA., if you don't know bout it
you going find out soon ya dig. We put on out there.
HOW LONG YOU BEEN
RAPPING?
Man, I been rap hustlin' since I was like 9 years old. Gettin it in! From lyrically
bruisin' cats in the school yard to my people sneakin' me in clubs to
perform ya dig. It's been a minute.
SO WHO INFLUENCED YOU
IN THE RAP GAME GROWING UP?
I was influenced by icons like Kanye West, Jay-Z, Lil' Wayne, Young Jeezy, T.I., Bone Thugs N
Harmony (like daily) --- you know, modern day big dogs who chose to
grind and overcome the situation they were in and turned it into something
beautiful. I take my hat off to each and everyone of them!
WHAT
DO YOU FEEL YOU CAN BRING TO THE GAME?
Aside from some of the key assets that every artist should already come to the
table with....such as tremendous talent and an unstoppable drive for success, I
feel as though I bring a sense of "PRESENCE" to the game! I say that
so strongly to say this, you gotta acknowledge me; you gotta know I'm here!
It's like when you see President Obama- you know he's there, you're all ears,
you just expect him to do or say something spectacular! I'm aiming to gain that
same respect in rap! Presence equals success!
HOW HAVE THE STREETS ACCEPTED THE
"CHECK MY SWAGG" SONG?
U really gotta ask that? You heard it (as he laughs out loud)! They are loving
it though! The streets responding just like I thought they would. From the mom
and pop stores to the big homies washing they whips at the car wash. It's a
good look right now. And I mean, the song is already a banger but it also gives
me a bigger advantage cuase we in the era of swag right now. Everybody on that
swag tip, so that definitely helps in the success of it.
HOW DO YOU PLAN TO SEPARATE YOURSELF
FROM OTHER ARTIST?
Success, a lot of artists come in the game with the head on backwards. They focused
on the whips, the chicks. you know, the petty. But what they ain't getting is
that success brings all that! So I plan to continue being hungry, stay humble,
continue making great music, and to keep grindin' like I'm still trying to get
heard! I'm tryin' to leave my mark. Everything else gon' automatically fall in
place.
SO, HOW HAS THE GRIND
FOR YOU TRYING TO BUILD THAT STREET CRED AND GOOD FAN BASE?
Man, it's crazy! The grind never stops so let's put that out there first off!
I'm still lookin' to build a bigger fan base and more street cred! Japan, China,
Europe--they got hoods too, they money spend
too (as he laughs out loud)! But the grind is hard work! I remember goin' 2 or
3 days with no sleep on the road! I remember falling asleep with the pen still
in hand! Gettin' turned away from radio and clubs, but continuing to push til'
I kicked the door down! Plain and simple, it's hard work! You gotta go through
it.
WHAT'S
OUT THERE FOR THE PEOPLE RIGHT NOW TO HEAR FROM YOU (CD'S/MIXTAPES)
As you already know, I got the hot new single "Check My Swagg"
bubblin' in the streets as we speak. Make sure you request that on your local
radio station right now! I got the mixtape "Heavyweight Flow" coming
this summer, we pushin' for June with that! Also, I got the album following
that will hands-down headline the fourth quarter! I got a lotta big name
features already lined up for the mixtape and album so you gon' definitely hear
me on some of the same tracks with some of your favorite artists! I'm
gettin' ready to shoot the official video for the new single, some footage
in Baton Rouge, some
footage from back home, and some footage from the road so stay tuned
for that. I got the Youtube poppin right now with a few underground videos www.youtube.com/highlight00 you
can check that out. And I mean various features with locals, you know, just
staying busy.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR YOU?
Continuing to grind man, getting money! I'm already CEO of my own label Money
Right Entertainment, so I'll be signing artists in the near future. I'm
currently in negotiations involving my new clothing line scheduled to hit
stores next year. I also been talking to a lotta publishers about book deals,
so who knows, you might see ya boy hit the shelves too! I plan on starting a
foundation dedicated to stressed moms and less-fortunate kids. Gotta give back!
So I'm just lookin to get money in more ways than one, homie, that's all. After
that who knows, Highlight for president (as he laughs out loud)! Shout out
Obama!
MOST RAPPERS FIRST
ALBUM IS REAL LIFE BASED, MOSTLY WHAT THEY'VE BEEN THROUGH, WHAT CAN THE PEOPLE
EXPECT FROM YOU?
Well out the gate, you can expect to hear extraordinary flow! Of course a great
album, but expect to hear lyrics like none other! The game has been missing
that for a minute. I'm bringing that era back. Like I said before, I plan on
leaving my mark in the game, so I want the people to cop the album then say,
"Damn, homie just as cold as Jay-Z or Wayne--shit homie might be better!!!"
That's my aim. Now I don't knock the rappers who base their 1st album on
their life, but I do think it slows their success a bit! The people do want to
feel as though the artists have seen what they've seen and have been where they
have been, but they also want this artist to be good! They want their money
worth, ya feel me. I guarantee you will get that with me!
MY SWAG