Project Bug interview w/ EV:
Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?
“I grew up in the east of midtown in Detroit, Michigan from the projects. In Detroit, if you do not have a hustle or job you will not survive long and I knew that from a very young age. I only had my mother in my childhood because my father was to deep in these streets. So my mother tried her best to provide for me and keep me away from the streets but as the saying goes the Streets was calling for me. And so at the age of 8 I had jumped out the porch in street terms which means at 8 I was really doing things a 8 year old should not be doing. Such as bagging up drugs, playing with guns, setting houses on fire, stealing things from my mothers ex-boyfriend, having sex with the older girls and much more.
I used to be kind-hearted to the point that I would always smile and tried to be everybody’s friend. But when I realized that everyone didn’t care for everyone it changed my mind set. Other kids would take my kindness for weakness and tried to hurt me. I was just a lonely kid that did not grow up with brothers or sisters so I didn’t know what to expect for other kids plus I was friendly and shy at the same time so that didn’t help me out at all. I was like this until I reach the age 7 when I remembered I had my first fight it was with a older kid who liked bullying “kind kids” and making them do whatever he wanted. So, one day he decided to come mess with me and I thought he really wanted to be my friend until he asked for some candy and I said no so he took it from me and I took it back and when I did that he hit me and at that point I didn’t know how to fight so I kicked him in the balls. He fell, cried and made his friends jump me. From that point forward I was never the same.
Years later the kind and shy kid I used to be was completely gone and all that was left was pain & stressful memories. Also when I was 8 years old, a lot of bad things happened in my childhood like my godmother shooting herself in the head while I was at my grandmothers house mourning the lost of my great grandma. Then a month after all that my best friend hanged himself in the basement of his mothers house. Now I am at a mindset that I can’t love anyone because love hurt so much. From 8 to the age of 13; I was a heartless soul. If you would diss me or hurt me I would hurt you worst than you hurt me and I don’t give a fuck if you were my mother or an old person that’s how angry I was. But when I hit the age 13 that’s when I fell in love with music. I really didn’t trust people to talk about my problems so I would find a song that understood my anger or to just make me feel better… but at this time I wanted to become a DJ/music producer because I loved beats and parties and I didn’t want to get a job so I learned how to make beats for people in the streets and when I found out that it cost a lot of money to start a good career I had to get deeper in the streets by selling drugs, protection for those who needed it, extortion, robbing, finding homeless girls that wanted to trick for money, stealing cars and more.
I can’t say so when I turned 15 that’s when my whole life changed. I had a life or death situation to get surgery due to food poisoning, liver and kidneys stones and a bad gallbladder. They said if I didn’t get surgery that I was gonna die so I told myself that “I was ready to meet God” so I told the doctor “no, I don’t want the surgery.” But against my wishes my mother wasn’t going to let that happen so she signed a paper saying that they can perform the surgery by force so eight doctors had to hold me down and drug me so I couldn’t fight back, just sleep. when I woke up it was already over and I had a big whole in my stomach where my belly button was so it was weird not having a belly button but I was mad as hell and wanted to give up on life until I started to listen to Biggie Smalls’ music heavily and did some research on him and that was when I found my calling for music. I wanted to have a legacy of something great! Like Biggie; he may be gone but never forgotten and that’s how I wanna be. Plus, I wanted to be the one to take his torch he left behind as the music artist of my time cause he is still undefeated. I never liked school nor wanted a job because that’s just not me. I hate homework and having a boss so I wanted to do something I can enjoy and make an impact that the world can feeland music was the only choice I had left.
“I love weed and pills too much to take sports seriously. Then I met a group of guys that was on the same page. So we started 777Renagade and the founder of the group is Damoz aka Drugs Latin, but in time everyone in the group except me and El went their own way and started there own lane.”
“El and I are still keeping the set alive when Damoz (the founder) gave me power to take control. So from that day on I’ve been trying to grow our empire, but the main reason for me doing music is to express my life/lifestyle to people that feel my pain to let them know that they are not alone.”
Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?
“Yes, first things first; in this music business you have to have patience because if you don’t you won’t make it big in this business. Also, go to other artists events and ask who is hosting the event and who owns the venue in order to build relationships and hopefully get called for a set. Also, if your in this business for money and only money this is not a career for you, because starting from the bottom means getting the short end of the stick, which pretty much means “if you are not already a big name or have a big buzz you will not get paid a lot; you will have to learn how to bring a crowd and keep a crowd. Please take note that they’re are two different things. Lastly, stay humble to people in the work field because you’ll never know who can help you out in the long run.”
Exposed Vocals: Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?
“No, I really don’t mess up when it comes to performances but to assist myself from messing up; I rap all my songs the whole day before I go perform, because practice make perfect.”
Exposed Vocals: Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?
“I’ve never been on tour yet it is a big goal of mine.”
Exposed Vocals: Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?
“I am working on my new project called “Renegade Music” It explains the renegade lifestyle and what we do on the daily.”
Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?
“I’m always talking to new people so I ask other artists how they move their work and take that knowledge, build up on it more to use in my campaigns. The best way to promote, in my mind is social media. The internet can reach more people than you can in person.”
Exposed Vocals: If you could perform anywhere and with any artists (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why?
“I want to perform at the Fox Theater and I want to perform with E-40, Gucci Mane, Too Short, Eminem, Dr. Dre, Biggie Smalls, Bob Marley, & Werid Al.”
Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?
“I am also working on my very first album “Street Bible””
Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
“I would be selling drugs and robbing people, cause that’s the only thing that kept me fed all them hard nights with no food to eat or new clothes to wear.”
Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in the next year or so?
Exposed Vocals: Any Shout-outs?
“Thanks to my manager for helping me go to the next level and to everyone that hates on me because without your hate I wouldn’t have fuel to feed my passion.”
(Source: https://exposedvocals.com/features/new-upcoming-artist-raw-bars-777murder/)
