“Frankie is a legendary artist that we have been hoping to book for years. Our fans have requested this show ever since SunTrust Broadway at DPAC’s 2012 presentation of the smash-hit musical Jersey Boys. Frankie Valli is sure to electrify the stage with hits that span decades,” said Rachel Gragg, Senior Director of Marketing at DPAC.
Frankie Valli, who rose to fame in 1962 as the lead singer of the Four Seasons, is hotter than ever in the 21st century. Thanks to the volcanic success of the Tony®-winning musical Jersey Boys which chronicles the life and times of Frankie and his legendary group, classic songs as “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man,” “Rag Doll,” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” are popular all over again. With the musical in its seventh blockbuster year on Broadway, and five other casts performing Jersey Boys nightly from Las Vegas to London, the real Frankie Valli is also packing venues around the world.
Please don’t say that Frankie is back. The truth is, he never went away. Sure, the majority of the 71 chart hits of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons (including 40 in the Top 40, 19 in the Top 10 and eight Number 1s) came during the 1960s, but the music didn’t just disappear. He has toured almost continuously since 1962, sharing hits like “My Eyes Adored You,” which reached No. 1, “Swearin’ to God”, “Who Loves You” and “December 1963 (Oh, What a Night)”. His songs have been in such movies as The Deer Hunter, Dirty Dancing, Mrs. Doubtfire, Conspiracy Theory, Grease and The Wanderers. As many as 200 artists have done cover versions of Frankie’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” (written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio), from Nancy Wilson’s jazz treatment to Lauryn Hill’s Grammy-nominated hip-hop makeover.
Born Francis Castelluccio on May 3, 1934, he grew up in a public housing project—Stephen Crane Village—on the tough streets of Newark, New Jersey. As the character of Tommy DeVito, Frankie’s friend and fellow Four Season, says in Jersey Boys: “If you’re from my neighborhood, you got three ways out: You could join the army. You could get mobbed up. Or—you could become a star.” At an early age, Frankie chose Door No. 3. When he was seven, his mother took him to New York City’s Paramount Theater to see Frank Sinatra. “I saw Sinatra coming out on stage,” Frankie recalls, “and the way he was lit up, it was like he had an aura around him. I decided then and there that’s what I was going to do—be a successful singer.”
For as far into the future as anyone can see, Jersey Boys will introduce the music of Frankie Valli to new generations. For as long as he wants to sing, people will want to listen.
It’s now official. The one and only Cher herself revealed that she will kick off her “Dressed To Kill” 49-city North American Tour beginning in Phoenix on March 22 with stops around the country, including Raleigh, NC. Cher shared the news with her fans following her performance on the Today Show on September 23.
Cher’s previous tour “The Farewell Tour” later dubbed “The Never Can Say Goodbye Tour” was one of the most successful tours ever by a solo artist and played for a record-breaking 325 dates and seen by over 5.5 million people.
For all online tickets purchased (presale and general public), ticketholders will receive a free copy of Cher’s new album “Closer To The Truth,” out September 24 on Warner Bros Records.
for sequences of reckless street racing, disturbing crash scenes, nudity and crude language
In 1994 Electronic Arts unleashed on the world one of the most successful video-game franchises of all time. The Sony PlayStation, Sega Saturn and 3DO were the first platforms to take on the title that would eventually spawn 22 sequels. Need for Speed set the standard for what racing based video games were to be going forward. Over time the gameplay was modified, the graphics improved and the physics of cars included but always true to the core; go as hard and fast as you can to win the race in some of the most iconic exotic cars ever made by man.
There are few things as exciting or iconic in movies as the car chase. A good chase scene can elevate an okay movie to the good or great level pretty quickly. Good use of high-speed cars engaged in precision driving and performing, often impossible, stunts can make up for most any flaw an action movie has. The car chase is what Need for Speed used to get through to audiences and successfully adapt an iconic video-game into a feature film.
The movie is about a street racer, Tobey Marshall (Aaron Paul), who lives in upstate New York. Marshall is betrayed by a former rival turned business partner, Dino Brewster (Dominic Cooper), and left to go to prison for the consequences of a street race that went horribly wrong. When Marshall is paroled, upon completing his sentence, he sets out on a mission to get revenge by taking out Brewster on the biggest stage in street racing, The DeLeon.
The stars of this movie are billed as; Aaron Paul, Dominic Cooper and Scott Mescudi (Kid Kudi) but I would dare to say that the real stars are listed here under the heading “Stunts.” The 40+ men and women that made up the stunt and precision driving teams are what made this movie as thrilling as it is. In an effort to be as real as possible, most of the racing scenes in the movie are done on closed courses with real cars being driven to their limits by these amazing professionals.
If the stuntmen and women are the stars, then the best supporting nod has to go to the menu of amazing vehicles used in the story. In one scene the head of the DeLeon race, The Monarch (Michael Keaton), states that the combined value of the cars in his race is around $6 million and average 200mph. Yeah right! Maybe if you are getting some major discounts from the manufacturers and ride the brakes!
Bugatti Veyron Super Sport – $2.5 million and a verified top speed of 265mph
Koenigsegg Agera R – $1.7 million and an estimated top speed of over 270mph
Lamborghini Sesto Elemento – $2.9 million and a verified top speed of 205mph
McLaren P1 – $1.3 million and its top speed is electronically capped at 220mph (It’s also a hybrid!)
Saleen S7 – $500,000 and a verified top speed of 248mph
GTA Spano – $725,000 and an estimated top speed of 220mph
Add all those up and you get… (Drumroll please) a whopping $9.65 million dollars in cars with an average top speed of around 240mph! Thank God the ones that were abused and wrecked were all replicas.
As impressive as that list of cars is, they are not all that appears. A modified 2014 Ford Mustang GT 500, that is rated at 900hp with a top end of 236mph, is the central car figure for most of the movie. There is also a bevy of classic muscle cars from the 60s and 70s that make appearances.
With the sheer volume of cars that are featured in this movie it is easy to jump to the conclusion that this is just another Fast and Furious style movie; ”show a bunch of cars driving fast and add some special effects and hope it works.” The makers of Need for Speed went in a different direction with the way they portrayed the street racing scene and driving in general. The developers took the time to make sure this movie honors the great car chases of the past by focusing on realism as much as possible. Aside from two scenes where I shook my head and thought, “was that really necessary,” the movie uses driving skills and stunts that are very believable and realistic.
As a part of the respect to car chases from the past, you see Bullitt playing at a drive in an early scene, the Pontiac Trans-Am from Smokey and the Bandit makes an appearance, there is even a nod to the Blue Brothers movie. One of the more obscure references is a scene where the Mustang being driven by Marshall is being chased around and around a traffic circle a la The Dukes of Hazzard. Homages to Thelma and Louise and The Great Gatsby are also cool if you catch them and appreciate them. There are countless other subtle references to car chase movies from the past that appear in the dialogue as well.
One of the most important aspects of this movie that I found the most refreshing is in the way the story does not insult you intelligence or seem to be “on the take” from a car manufacturer. An example of what I mean is in the car chase in last year’s The Last Stand, there is no way on this round earth that a bone stock Camaro is going to run down an 1100hp Corvette Blue Demon. Need for Speed, delightfully, chooses to respect the knowledge of the fan base that this movie will appeal to most and not slap them in the face by having a Mustang torch the Veyron SS or anything absurd like that.
I would be remiss if I wrapped this up without really mentioning the various actors and acting. They all played their various roles well with no one really standing out as a positive or negative. I get the impression that they all accepted the fact that they were in a video game movie that was all about the driving and not about them. Aaron Paul as the hero, the brooding Tobey Marshall was a good fit. Dominic Cooper as the manipulative Dino Brewster was also easy to accept. Michael Keaton as The Monarch was fun. I specifically enjoyed the character Julie Maddon played by Imogen Poots, maybe it is just a screen crush or infatuation with the accent.
For the first time in 2014 I am going to put my seal of approval on a movie with no restrictions or caveats. Need for Speed is fun and worth the trip to the theatres, no questions asked.
MAS – With your show Legit coming back for a second season, how has your life changed? I’m sure you are quite a bit busier, but in general what is going on in Jim Jefferies’ life right now?
JJ – It’s the same as when the first seasoned launched. This time, more people know about the show and it has a bit of a fan base. The first season, people were trying to figure out what the show is and now we are trying to live up to the first season. I think this new season is substantially better than season one.
Other than that, doing all the press and stuff, I enjoy that. I’m doing Kimmell soon and hopefully I can do all the other ones. I enjoy that aspect, getting on the couch and talking with people.
MAS – With the show moving from FX to the new network FXX, are you expecting any type of impact from that?
JJ – There will be a small drop-off in the ratings because FXX is available in less homes, it is just simple math. The thing about FXX is, it’s a start-up network. It’s good to be on the ground floor and to be a flagship show of the network. I get to be the face of the station, if you will. It’s us, The League, and Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and they also just bought The Simpsons for that channel. They are also working on 4-5 new shows. I think this time next year this station will be said in the same breath as FX. It will be its own identity, obviously, with more comedy on it than FX.
MAS – That’s one of the things I am enjoying about seeing the show on FX, or in the FX family. In watching the show, I tried to think of where else you would fit. There aren’t a lot of networks that would give you the freedom that you have now.
JJ – I don’t know if we have gone too far to ever be syndicated or to be put on TBS or anything like that. It’s probably, in a business point of view, a bad idea to do that. There is something about making a show that is genuinely unique. I don’t think anyone has seen anything on TV similar to it. People can argue, that Louie is a comic playing himself or Seinfeld is a comic playing himself. But the storylines that we are doing, I don’t think you are seeing anything like it. Especially considering one of our main characters has muscular dystrophy in a comedy.
MAS – Are you still shooting now, or are you all completely done?
JJ – No we finished shooting in December. There are only three of us that write the show. I try to write all the storylines and the other guys direct while I act in them. We don’t have several different directors so we can edit while we are making them, we have to edit after. We have to finish up with enough time to get the first episode out. So we finished filming a couple of months ago.
MAS – You mentioned having a character such as the one DJ Qualls plays. What kind of feedback did you receive after, or during, season one with his depiction of an individual with a physical limitation?
JJ – Everything we have received has been very positive after it aired. Before it aired, we were getting a lot of mail that said we were being insensitive and they hadn’t even seen it yet. I think that they thought that since it was a comedy that we were going to be doing disabled gags the whole time. I mean we did do a couple of them, but the point of the whole show is that his character is treated the same as everyone else’s character. We worked very hard at that. Obviously his character has limitations when you are writing for him, but we involve him in every scene. When you get the other disabled actors on… I know from just working with them, they enjoy working on my show more than do working on a Hallmark movie where they may be a depressed, sad kid at school. Or they may be in a PSA after it. Once you see the show, you don’t feel sorry for anybody on it. I don’t think there is any hate or malice in it.
MAS – With the premise of the show being you playing a comedian, you pull things from your day-to-day life. With the upcoming season, are we looking at more of the same or are you going in some different directions with the characters?
JJ – Each episode is more serialized in this season compared to the first one. Season one was more vaguely serialized, not saying you can’t watch individual episodes out of season two and still get enough out of it to enjoy it. My character has a full arc, Steve has a full arc where he goes into alcoholism… I think we learned a lot from writing the first season which was largely based on my stand-up.
The entire first season was written before we cast anybody. So we didn’t know what the actors were going to be good or bad at. We didn’t know we’d get DJ Qualls or John Ratzenberger. So now, we start writing it based around the strength of the actor and where they are going to be able to take the character. Where you never thought the character could go before.
In season one Steve Nugent was so one-dimensional, then Dan Bakkedahl came along. He is such a good “improver.” I realized that he made such a good drunk that this year I made him an alcoholic.
MAS – The tour you are on now is obviously new material. Is it something that you are using towards a new comedy special or are you just focused on Legit?
JJ – Some bits and pieces I did on the last tour, but for the most part it is all new material. There is nothing that you have ever see me do on one of my specials. If you only have ever watched me on TV, you have never seen any of these jokes.
I will be recording a new special in Boston in couple months. It will probably be 6 months later when we release it. I am fine with the network who will release it, I can’t say who it is yet. I could do that special tomorrow. I am ready to retire some of this material and start fresh again.
There will be a lot of stuff that I will be doing in the show at the theatre that won’t make it into the special or even the next special after that one. I try to keep an hour ahead of myself.
MAS – As far as the future, most talents tend to pick one or the other; stand-up tours or TV. Are you the type that is going to try and do both or do you see a time when show like the one in Durham will be less frequent?
JJ – I think I will always be a little better at stand-up comedy than I will be at acting. Maybe I will get good at acting or something. I always feel like that when I am acting that I am having an affair from comedy. Comedy is my wife and acting is this mistress that I see occasionally. Comedy is my main gig and I think it always will be.
MAS – I recently spoke with Gary Owen from Think Like a Man and Ride Along and he said he has to keep doing stand-up to stay sharp because acting makes him soft. Is that true for you too?
JJ – Once I finish a TV show it takes me another month to get back into the swing of things. I have to push myself and go out every night until I get good at it. I am back in the swing at the moment, everything is good. When I get to Durham it will be great.
MAS – If you could get anything across to the folks attending the show coming up, what would it be?
JJ – In my mind I would say something like, “There is no God” or something else like that. I just don’t give a shit anymore.
The main thing I want to get across is that I want them to have a good time. I’m not going to try and change anyone’s opinion. I’m going to give my opinions and you can do with them what you want. If you don’t agree, keep yours and just wait for the next joke.
The New York Times hailed his latest album, Mountains Of Sorrow, Rivers Of Song (Blue Note Records), as a “serenely sure-footed effort from Amos Lee, a singer-songwriter who rarely delivers anything else” and Elmore observed, “‘Mountains of Sorrow’ may be Lee’s finest yet.” Entertainment Weekly praised his “strikingly soulful voice” while Paste noted, “Lee makes sorrow shimmer…Like Jackson Browne for another generation, Lee understands the staining traces of love.” The album, which is the follow-up to 2011’s chart-topping Mission Bell,was produced by Jay Joyce (Emmylou Harris, Eric Church, Cage the Elephant) and features guest vocals by Alison Krauss and Patty Griffin.
Pat Benatar is acknowledged as the leading female rock vocalist of the ‘80s – a feat marked by her unprecedented winning of four consecutive Grammy Awards between 1980 and 1983, as well as three American Music Awards – but Benatar and Giraldo remain a rock ‘n’ roll powerhouse today, selling out concerts and still wowing audiences after over three decades in music together. Theirs is a chemistry that will, undoubtedly, be thrilling music-lovers forever.
Rick Springfield is an iconic rock star that has been touring for more than 30 years. His shows are legendary for their rock heavy, high energy, full band sets. Although Rick has known Pat & Neil for more than 30 years he has never had the chance to tour with them, until now. Springfield says, “Although I first met Pat and Neil when Neil played on the original recording of Jessie’s Girl in 1980 it took 35 years before we got together to tour. It should be one for the books.”
The classic story on stage is an unprecedented live experience, exploding with heart-pounding music, passionate romance and sensational dancing. Seen by millions across the globe, this worldwide smash hit tells the classic story of Baby and Johnny, two fiercely independent young spirits from different worlds who come together in what will be the most challenging and triumphant summer of their lives. Featuring the hit songs, “Hungry Eyes,” “Hey Baby,” “Do You Love Me?” and the heart-stopping “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.” London’s Sunday Express says “This crowd-pleasing stage adaptation hits the jackpot!” Don’t miss your chance to see this record-breaking live theatre sensation. You’ll have the time of your life!
The Phantom of the Opera
“Extraordinarily opulent. This Phantom’s storytelling and relationships have an electrifying tension!” – Chicago Sun-Times
October 8-19, 2014
Following an acclaimed sold-out tour of the United Kingdom, Cameron Mackintosh’s spectacular new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s phenomenal musical success, The Phantom of the Opera, will come to DPAC as part of a brand new North American Tour. Hailed by critics as “bigger and better than ever before,” this production boasts many exciting special effects including the show’s legendary chandelier, new scenic and lighting designs, new staging and choreography. The beloved story and thrilling score will be performed by a cast and orchestra of 52, making this Phantom one of the largest productions now on tour.
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella
“A dazzling delight for all ages! Cinderella casts a new spell on Broadway!” – USA Today
November 18-23, 2014
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella is the Tony Award®- winning Broadway musical from the creators of The Sound of Music and South Pacific that’s delighting audiences with its contemporary take on the classic tale. This lush production features an incredible orchestra, jaw-dropping transformations and all the moments you love—the pumpkin, the glass slipper, the masked ball and more—plus some surprising new twists! Be transported back to your childhood as you rediscover some of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s most beloved songs, including “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible/It’s Possible” and “Ten Minutes Ago,” in this hilarious and romantic Broadway experience for anyone who’s ever had a wish, a dream… or a really great pair of shoes.
Annie
“Spectacular on every count.” – Newsweek
December 9-14, 2014
Leapin’ Lizards!
The world’s best-loved musical returns in a time-honored form. Directed by original lyricist and director Martin Charnin, this production of Annie will be a brand new incarnation of the iconic original. Featuring the beloved book and score by Tony Award®-winners Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin, Annie includes such unforgettable songs as “It’s the Hard Knock Life,” “Easy Street,” “I Don’t Need Anything But You,” plus the eternal anthem of optimism, “Tomorrow.”
Motown
“More than a Broadway show. A celebration of music that transformed America!” – CBS Sunday Morning
February 17-22, 2015
It began as one man’s story… became everyone’s music… and is now Broadway’s musical. Motown The Musical is the true American dream story of Motown founder Berry Gordy’s journey from featherweight boxer to the heavyweight music mogul who launched the careers of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson and many more. Motown shattered barriers, shaped our lives and made us all move to the same beat. Featuring classic songs such as “My Girl” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” experience the story behind the music in the record-breaking smash hit Motown The Musical!Kinky Boots “Dazzling and joyful!” – Daily NewsMarch 10-15, 2015Kinky Boots is the exhilarating Broadway musical that will lift your spirits to new high-heeled heights! Winner of six Tony Awards® including Best Musical, this inspirational story follows a struggling shoe factory owner who works to turn his business around with help from Lola, a fabulous entertainer in need of some sturdy stilettos. Together, this unlikely pair finds that they have more in common than they ever dreamed possible… proving that when you change your mind about someone, you can change your whole world.Inspired by a true story, Kinky Boots features a joyous, Tony-winning score by Cyndi Lauper, direction and Tony-winning choreography by Jerry Mitchell and a hilarious, uplifting book by four-time Tony winner Harvey Fierstein. Come join the sold-out audiences who’ve discovered why – sometimes – the best way to fit in is to stand out!
Pippin
“Astonishing. A PIPPIN for the 21st century…dazzling and awe-inspiring!” – Entertainment Weekly
May 12-17, 2015
Pippin is back on Broadway for the first time since it thrilled audiences 40 years ago… the show the New York Times declared “Astonishing. A Pippin for the 21st century.” It won the Tony Award for Best Musical Revival! With a beloved score by Tony nominee Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Wicked), Pippin tells the story of a young prince on a death-defying journey to find meaning in his existence. Will he choose a happy but simple life? Or will he risk everything for a singular flash of glory. This captivating new production is directed by Tony winner Diane Paulus (Hair and The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess). It features sizzling choreography in the style of Bob Fosse and breathtaking acrobatics by Les 7 Doigts de la Main, the creative force behind the nationwide sensation Traces.
Newsies
“Stop the presses! Newsies an irresistible high energy winner” – Entertainment Weekly
June 2-7, 2015
They delivered the papers, until they made the headlines…Direct from Broadway comes Newsies, the smash-hit, crowd-pleasing new musical from Disney. Winner of the 2012 Tony Awards® for Best Score and Best Choreography, Newsies has audiences and critics alike calling it “A musical worth singing about!” (The New York Times) Filled with one heart-pounding number after another, it’s a high-energy explosion of song and dance you just don’t want to miss.
Based on true events, Newsies tells the captivating story of a band of underdogs who become unlikely heroes when they stand up to the most powerful men in New York. It’s a rousing tale about fighting for what’s right…and staying true to who you are.
“If artists like Machine Gun Kelly, Eminem, and Missy Elliott had a pale love child she would be just like Whitney Peyton.” www.whitneypeyton.com
MAS – In my research for this interview I went onto SoundCloud and DatPiff to find some of your stuff to get familiar with you. As I was listening I found myself bobbing my head and really getting into it. I then went your website and saw your picture and I was like, “What the hell?” The picture I saw was not at all what I expected.
WP – Wait? So you heard my music before you saw me? That is usually not the case. I kinda like that! Usually people look and then they get some kind of idea of what it is going to sound like before they listen. It is kinda cool that you were able to listen before you looked.
MAS – I was showing one of my office friends one of your videos and they were like, “When did Avril Lavigne learn to rap?”
WP – Yeah, I’ve been called that before. It’s kind of funny, that is the second time this week someone has said that I look like Avril Lavigne. That’s cool, I’m just doing by stuff, being Whitney Peyton from the suburbs of Philly. I’m just rapping mad, it’s the easiest way. I’m just being me, so people can either take it or leave it.
MAS – Who is Whitney Peyton? Introduce yourself to North Carolina.
WP – I’m what would happen if Machine Gun Kelly, Missy Elliott and Eminem had a love child. I am excited to play North Carolina, I think I did once before but it was so long ago. I don’t really count it, because back in 2008, when I was real fresh, just started, I played this car show. The DJ that they hooked up with was wasted, he was playing by backing tracks and he was scratching during my songs. It was really messing me up. He was putting me at different places in the song, jumping me around as I am trying to rap. It was all kinds of crazy. It was in front of a lot of people. It was like, “Whoa this guy has too many drinks, and he doesn’t need to be playing my backing tracks right now.” So, I am ready to come back to North Carolina for the re-do. Let’s get it crackin!
MAS – How did you get in to Hip hop? Philly is a bit of a hotbed for Hip Hop so I can see that part.
WP – I’m from the outskirts of Philly so I had to go into the city when I started record or perform or anything. There is not really a venue out in the suburbs near me.
I was doing spoken word, just rapping a Capella. I didn’t know any producers and I didn’t know how to get any beats at that time. I was just writing. I was like, I am really into poetry but I also really love hip hop. So, I kind of want to transform this into not just spoken word but I want to rap too. They can sound the same but they are totally different. When you are rapping on beat it is way more rhythmic, a capella doesn’t have as many rules, you can be all over the place. On beat, you have got to be more in the pocket. It took a while to get the hang of it; I was so used to spitting a capella.
I started going into Philly and knocking on everyone’s door, like any producer. I was like, “I really want to record” and a lot of them just laughed. It took a while for someone to say yes they would record me. It started picking up from there.
At that time, there were definitely girls in the industry but it was still really scarce. Now there is more and more of us popping up which is a cool thing, but when I started recording there wasn’t really that many of us. It was hard to get people to take it seriously.
MAS – How long have you been in this game?
WP – I have been writing for a long time, so it is really hard to say. They didn’t let me in the clubs to perform until I was 18. So do you count when I was actually allowed to perform or do you count all of the stuff I have been writing in my notebook in math class. It’s kind of hard to gauge that, I have been writing since middle school. I think my first mixtape or EP came out in like 2008. I have got way better since then.
Artists go back and are like, “I hate my old stuff” because they feel like they have progressed so much. It’s been a few years that I have been heavily involved.
MAS – If you think you old stuff is something you hate or are ashamed of, we are in trouble with any new stuff.
WP – <Laughing> I’m not ashamed of it. You listen back and you compare it. Any artist, probably, listens to their newer stuff and compares it to their old stuff and is like, “wow, it’s a massive change.” Even people who are not artists, if they look at their style of anything, dress or how they acted, years ago they are like, “what was I thinking?”
My first song that I ever released as a single, Crazy, remains one of my most popular songs. For me, I’m like wow that was my first real track so I feel like I can rap way better since then, but it remains a fan favorite. I can’t really say that I regret any of it, it has all made me better. But, I for sure rap way better now.
MAS – Your flow is one of your biggest assets, but also the way you rap. Your roots in spoken word are very evident. As you are spitting those rapid fire lyrics, you can still clearly hear every syllable.
WP – Cool. That is something I think about when I listen to other rappers, I want to hear what they are saying. That’s the biggest part. As a rapper, obviously you are a lyricist first and foremost. That’s the whole point.
MAS – Where do you draw from for your lyrics?
WP – Because I am not a normal rapper, I don’t rap about the normal things. I don’t have that hood life that a lot of rappers are able to talk about. I just talk about things that I have been through; struggles with anxiety, struggles with relationships, stuff like that. I think that is relatable to the average person no matter where they are from. I feel like that is why I have been able to be versatile and have a wide demographic. No matter where you are from; the suburbs, the hood, the middle of the country somewhere it’s a relatable thing.
MAS – You are very motivated by what goes on your community.
WP – There is such a negative reputation that goes with rap music. We always think of rappers with violence, drugs, living the lifestyle where they are showing off the material items. That is what it always seems to be about. I just want to show that there is positivity to it as well. With my career I can also help charities and donate my time to those things on the side so that I feel like I did accomplish something positive. It’s not all about negative things.
MAS – How did you get hooked up with this tour? The artists don’t seem to have a lot in common.
WP – I was on tour with RA The Rugged Man and before that I was on tour with Twiztid. People are always like, you are mismatched all the time. If you think about it, it’s hard to find a demographic that is for me because I am so different from a lot of other artists. It’s like, who can you pair me up with? I like the fact that we are different because it makes for a more interesting show. If you are going to a show and there are four artists and they are all similar to each other, I think that would get old after a while. The fact that each of us, on the tour, has our own style makes it interesting when you go. I won’t be monotonous.
But to answer the question, I got hooked up with it while I was on the RA The Rugged Man tour. There was someone in the audience that was a booking agent. He was putting together this tour with Da Mafia 6 and he saw my performance and he approached me about it. He was like, “hey you put on an energetic performance and I think you’d be good on this tour.” I didn’t think… People tell you things and you take it with a grain of salt. In the music industry, of all things that you are approached a very low percentage actually gets followed through on and actually happens. So I took like, “yeah that would be cool” but I didn’t put all my eggs in one basket. But its real and I leave Friday to go meet up with Three 6 in Tennessee. We have about 60 tour dates or so that are back to back, it’s going to be wild.
“My career is a biscuit because I am bred with the best and I guess I’m delicious”
“You bet I rap with an image so un-ghetto. I’m not a puppet, no strings, no Geppetto”
ecsguestwriter
MichaelSmithNC
Melissa Anne Cain
Eastern Carolina Style 