Some people have asked me who influences me, or who has influenced me musical?
Well I’m starting off by saying what it do aGents? Then I’ll answer with this: So many artists to choose from but I have to start off with the man! The artist that got to me first Michael Jackson. I can remember in 89 moon walking talking about: “I’m bad; I’m bad you know it you know!” or screaming “YOU KNOCK ME OFF MY FEET NOW BAY BAY! SHA-WOOO!” Ha ha memories. I still hadn’t had the thought of being an artist I just loved the idea of knowing every MJ song and dancing around. I remember singing “Sussudio” over and over again by Phil Collins and just having so much fun listening to Marvin Gaye and the tricked out synthesizer riff from “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. I was happy when Cube and Diddy sampled that sound and made their songs. Enter N.W.A and Wu-Tang nuff said. Slick Rick and Humpty lol.
My next major influences would have to be TuPac Shakar, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg and Bone Thugs and Harmony. I would listen to their cassette tapes for hours in my room rapping every line. I would have to say TuPac and Snoop had the most affect on me as a very angry child. I embraced Tupac’s rage vs. Biggie, I was pretty much on the whole West Coast over east crip walking on you fools lol. Then, came the Fugees, the Outlaws, and TLC. I was so in love with T-Boz in the beginning then changed members as the years went on lol love them so much! Busta Rhymes and Twista amazed me but I was still reppin’ Bone when it came to that fast rap. Enter No Limit, Msytikal instantly became my favorite rapper when No Limit launched. All I needed was a Mystikal and or Fiend CD and a cigarillo and it was on. BLUNTed! Mystikal had so much passion in his words screaming “HERE I GO! YOU LOOKING FA’ ME! Or THE MAN RIGHT CHERE!” By this time I was rapping myself and was experimenting with various styles from fast to slow, south swag. I noticed at a very young age I could imitate various rapping styles and sound just like any artist out. I used this advantage and still do to move crowds. It’s like every rapper alive I’m him.
My next influence and the artist that affected my life the most would be Eminem. Here is someone that felt exactly how I felt, neglected by his father and was enraged and expressed it in a lovely way. I was hooked. I then dabbled with Blink 182, KoRn, and Limp Bizkit. But when I got introduced to Linkin Park I then knew I wanted to be an artist on tour, they amazed me and made me want to be on stage. Mike Shinoda became my biggest idol, mixed in with Eminem I was the next star on the rise. I would write and freestyle for hours, their guitar riffs and uses of different sounds made me feel free as a bird flying and I would be in a daze.
Ludacris’s and Joe Budden’s world play and expression made me pay attention to word play the most.
Then I went through a phase where I only listened to my music, I threw all my CD’s away and would only listen to myself. A few years later I became a born again Christian and was introduced to Christian Rap or Holy hip hop, which I thought was a joke. But Flame and Da T.R.U.T.H quickly changed my mind; I was so impressed by how they mixed their beliefs, passions, frustrations, and views in their music. It encouraged me to rap as a Christian, to take everything I’ve learned from MJ to Flame and just go!
Braille and Lecrae quickly became major influences in my now smooth and confident music career. They stand alone in their own right. Eminem resurfaced and taught me more as well as Busta Rhymes.
Now days I really don’t consider myself in a specific genre I just make music. Christian point of view, but I often reflect on when I wasn’t a Christian to grab that mind set and emotion. I’m about to wrap this up I know I missed a lot of influences Lauryn Hill, B.O.B, Outkast, and others but I left them out to make sure I got the meat of the meal to you. Hope you enjoyed my little rant on music history. I think I should make this a series and break it down by decade or even every five years so I can get more into what music created L(O+S) what you think?
Until next time aGents!
Sincerely The DuDe,
L(O+S)
