Long before he started rapping, Rob49 had that DIY mentality instilled in him. Born in New Orleans in 1999, and growing up at the intersection of projects in the 4th and 9th Wards (that's where the •49• in his rap handle comes from), Rob had to adapt to the harsh realities of his environment on his own. His parents were in and ovt of his adolescence serving jail time, and in 2005, when Hurricane Katrina tore through the city, the whole family fled to Houston In Mom's broken-down Impala. "The windows didn't go up. We had no brakes in the ca.r,' Rob remembers vividly. "We was doing 60 on the interstate with the doors open." What kept Rob going was his charm and confidence. In school, lie was the popular kid, and in stars like Future, Meek Mill, and the Weeknd he saw models for sustained greatness. He also discovered a talent of his own. •1 knew I could rap 'cause I used to be listening to Future,' Rob says. "You know how at the end of the song they got a little beat left? I was punishing himl• SHOWCASE MAGAZINE
| PG.13
ITALL
_ FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS - JUNE S & 12 _ 70N7 TEAM CAMP - JUNE 6
f1ls!ff,ou Yit
aAR
0
BIG MAN CAMP - JUNE 6 SPECIALIST CAMP - JUNE 7
PROSPECT CAMPS - JUNE 7 & 13
\t
IG
otfT \\J
l'O IU fl SIAhDAllO/flAURA"lt ACCORD �GTONCAA ltUlES AND RIGIJl.ATl()f(S,�U C.A"1P'SAi'rtOCLNICSAR£OKN TO AftfYANDAt1 £NTRAlfTS (1..MREDONlV IV HIJ�BER,AGE. GRADE LEVEL AMO/ORG£•OCR>
2020M\IGHfq[[ZE FOOTU.. CAl<PS' REGISlER ATWWWHUGHfllllIDOOIBAu.CAHPS COM
[CC] oUlG•to ,. 1Y11t•eu•G. vAu.s.A.
•
uz
P OOT
■A L L
Fredo Bang is an American rapper known for his songs "Father". 'Thuggin", ·oouuh· and ·shootas on the Roof', all of which have garnered millions of streams across YouTube, Spotify and SoundCloud. Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. he was raised by his mother. a teacher. and stepfather. a cleaning company owner. His parents had divorced when he was a year old. following which his mother remarried. Bang graduated from high school but dropped out of college. He started began making music in 2015 and gained both fame and notoriety for his music. Around this time. he became involved in a violent lifestyle as well and got convicted of attempted second-degree murder. eventually spending two years and six months in prison. While in prison. he worked on honing his music skills and resumed his rapping career after being released. Today. Bang has emerged as a powerful composer and rapper in the contemporary scene. He has accumulated a huge fan base on various social media outlets that continues to grow with passing time. The talented rapper considers rapping a gateway to happiness and peace. SHOWCASE MAGAZINE | PG.45
Paris Texas is made up of Compton-based rappers Louie Pastel and Felix. Their first song, "Heavy Metal," appeared in February 2021, and took rap enthusiasts by surprise with its raw lyricism and an instrumental made up of abrasive guitars, nervous drum programming, and horror movie synths. The song's hybrid of aggressive energies was unlike many genre combinations that came before it, landing in a strange and brutal territory all its own. Two other following singles, "Situations," and "Force of Habit," were similarly abstract and genre-bending, and these three tracks and five others were collected for Paris Texas' debut mixtape, Boy Anonymous. The project was released in May 2021. Merging sounds of alternative rock, punk and Hip Hop Los Angeles rap duo Paris Texas exploded out of nowhere with a sound that could be as surreal and experimental as it was in1tense. The sinister and raging debut single "Heavy Metal" introduced listeners to the group's unconventional approach to production and performance, and that style carried over to their first mixtape, 202l's Boy Anonymous.
SHOWCASE MAGAZINE I PG. 46