nominees PATIENTLY WAITING: CAROLINAS Big Cas (Fayetteville, NC)
Cas has effectively captured the internet, the streets, and mainstream media with his music, buildling up his fanbase equally in each area.
Fat Boy (Charleston, SC)
The diplomat of the Carolinas, Fat Boy has the respect of his peers and good relationships with record stores, other artists, radio personalities, producers, and ‘hood dudes.
J-Khrist (Fayetteville, NC)
J-Khrist got his swagger back and is ready to carry the flag for the Carolinas.
Mac-A-Don (Columbia, SC)
Over the past year, Mac-A-Don has grown lyrically and developed his own style, creating a buzz from the ground up.
Marly Mar (Charleston, SC)
Charleston’s most consistent artist has dropped over ten albums over the past three years and maintained a steady radio presence.
Piazo (Columbia, SC)
Piazo’s steady mixtape grind has helped him lock down the streets of South Carolina and create a fanbase.
T
he Carolinas aren’t known for being a hotbed of talent. For years, we’ve sat back and watched Southern hip-hop evolve, moreso as fans and not active participants. We’ve seen artists from Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and other smaller areas receive major deals and nationwide exposure, while we sat on the sidelines patiently waiting for our turn to shine. For years we screamed that the game is coming to us. But it seemed like success and recognition in the hip-hop industry went to every Southern state surrounding us and then took a wild turn and headed to Texas and skipped right over us here in the Carolinas. We thought we’d get the look we needed when Petey Pablo went platinum and Little Brother finally signed with Atlantic, but neither one of those artists created enough buzz to catch the attention of A&Rs. Through all our misfortune, we’ve come to realize that we can’t depend on the industry to come to us. We have to create our own industry. Just like the blues and jazz performers of the 40s and 50s created the Chitlin Circuit to gain exposure, Carolina artists have ben forced to do the same. Marly Mar, from Charleston, SC, was the first artist in the city to have a song in regular rotation on the radio. His hit single “Act A Donkey” is over four years old and still continues to get heavy spins on the radio and in the clubs. He’s also one of the most consistent artists in the state, having released 3 albums per year for the last 3 years. Big Cas, from Fayetteville, NC (also know as Fayettenam) has taken the mixtape game by storm. He’s appeared on over 60 mixtapes in the last 2 years and has shared songs with Jae Millz, Freeway, Grafh, Remy Ma, Geolani, Corey Gunz, and other prominent East coast hip hop artists. Also causing a ruckus on the streets is Meccadon, from Columbia, SC, and J-Khrist from Fayetteville, NC. These two artists are relatively new to the Carolina hip-hop scene but both have taken the game by storm. They’re constantly doing shows all throughout the state and have singles blazing the radio airwaves and tearing up the clubs. Meccadon’s last single “No” was a huge hit and his new song “We Ball’n” is following in the same pattern. J-Khrist’s single “Swagger Back” is a club banger that can go toe to toe with any other song on the Billboard charts. It’s a guaranteed hit once it touches mainstream radio. As far as longevity and street credibility are concerned, Fat Boy and Piazo both have that aspect of the game sewed up. Fatboy, representing Charleston, SC, not only had one of the best selling albums of 2005 but has also been a key figure in easing the tension between hip-hop artists from Downtown Charleston and North Charleston. His new album, Laughing Hyenas, drops this fall and features artists from both areas on the same tracks and is set to be one of 2006s most highly anticipated album. Columbia, SC’s Piazo is one of the Cackalack’s most sought after artists and has a slew of albums and mixtapes on the streets that date back to 1995. He’s been pounding the streets longer than any other artist from the Carolinas and has maintained a consistent a buzz both on the streets and on the radio throughout his career. His music has caught the attention of many label A&Rs, most recently G-Unit Record’s Sha Money XL, and he has had had offers on the table from many major record labels. now! - DJ Chuck T
ozone 25 awards