Rap Influences

So what is rap music to Dreez? I had an early introduction to rap and all its brilliance and diversity. Throughout the years, going as far back as the late 90s and the early 2000s, I was fascinated with the rhythm and flow of the music that made the speakers boom and the head naturally nod. I seek to give some of those same vibrations and inspirations to everyone who listens to my music.

My earliest memories of rap were from Jay Z's Black Album (acappella version of the album..why my mom bought this I could never figure out) and Eminem's Encore. Later on, due to my mothers position on the vulgarity of Eminem's style of rap and its impact on me and my siblings,I introduced myself to the concious side of rap; namely Talib Kweli's Eardrum and Common's Finding Forever. Then I learned of what seem to be my final frontier of rap for a while, Lupe Fiasco's Food and Liquor.

Mos Def's Black On Both Sides, Pharrell Williams' In My Mind and countless others have all molded my idea of what true hip hop was meant to sound and feel like. I was aware of their predecessors Biggie and Pac etc. but they didnt impact me directly as much. Even Big Pun found his way to my ears in my earlier youth. There are so many names that influenced me and now I have gathered my own flow from all of there unique styles.

My spectrum goes from Drake to Ms. Luaren Hill and all the way around to outside influences like Linkin Park. I even found myself going through Erykah Badu's discography even though she hadnt been considered a rapper. Also for a while my Holy Trinity of contemporary rap, Wale, J.Cole, and Kendrick Lamar, all played lasting roles in molding my idea of what the new school of rap was able to bring to the table.

All the energy of Hip Hop has been mixed and created the transparent and translucent sounds that I tend to imprint on every song I record. Earl Sweatshirt's I Dont Like Shit I Dont Go Outside and Tyler The Creator's Wolf also have had there say in my perspective of how rap can be used to express oneself. Even Will Smith's hit single Switch and other actors turned rappers (Childish Gambino's Band Camp) and vice versa have all been apart of my experience with rap.

I truly am grateful for this art. I turned to rap as a defense, consoler, a buddy, and sometimes a role model. I'd like to consider myself a rap purist but, I dont have a criteria for what one is. What I can say is I respect everyone that appreciates the music and overall skill of rapping. Thank you for taking your time to read this and I hope you can hear some of these influences in my music and above all that my music is enjoyable and inspirational.

P.S. I would be failing to mention one of my favorites coming up if I didnt mention Asher Roth's Pabst and Jazz. It is still one of my most enjoyed mixtapes of all time with the amazing song and beat produced by Chuck Inglish Useless.