Hip-Hop often is a genre discussed by music fans and rap pioneers who debate its origins or if the genre is dead. If you ask KRS-One, he’ll tell you the real ones are hidden gems overshadowed by the fake MCs’.
You haven’t heard true storytelling in this decade until you heard AllStarDaGreat spit his incomparable bars on a track.
The New Jersey king of storytelling spoke with BSO on his journey before his rap career took off. AllStarDaGreat played basketball in the Horizon League at Division 1 Wisconsin Green Bay.
“That just go hand in hand you know? Growing up in the hood it’s something you gone do regardless and if you kind of good at it, people gone push you towards that regardless.”
AllStarDaGreat resembles the young Black male in America who only is forced to believe a basketball or rapping is the way out. Sometimes when you come from the hood and areas with distorted opportunities, the lifestyle if forced by society and media.
The parallel between a student-athlete and artists are no different. Therefore, AllStarDaGreat believes the two co-exist when it comes to the mindset of the athlete turned rapper.
“See that’s the thing you got to grind. It’s like…you could look at the music as you’re a solo artist. You putting in work it’s like yo we in competition and seeing what everyone else is doing. Basketball the same thing you got to get in that gym. You gone ball, have practice and have good practices and be like I’m kicking n***as a***s in practice. It’s somebody who play my position who might be a year younger than me, two inches taller than me, can shoot the three and he’s in the gym an hour after practice,” AllStarDaGreat said.
“I was different coming to the team. You know we had white boys, Black dudes on the team but I’m from the hood. It was only like two dudes from the hood on the team you know what I’m saying? I was tatted and got dreads. You got to come here for toughness so now you always got to be tough. Now how do you want to position yourself on this team? Same thing with music how do you want to position yourself in the music? What do you stand for?”
Music is a passion for AllStarDaGreat and when he’s dropping wisdom and telling his stories like one of his favorite pioneers such as Slick Rick, the instrumental must be in tune with his ear.
“The beat talk to me. So the beat come on and if I’m going through beats…like from the rip I know if I want to rap on it. It’s like that first few seconds that’s what get me the vibe. It’s not like I listen to it then later on thing nah. The first two seconds, I’m like oh this s*** a bang out or I’m like this go hard. Now it’s like I have to match the level of the beat. Like if you hear “Naheim” beat…it was like soulful.”
The song “Naheim” is featured on all music streaming platforms and speaks volume to Black neighborhoods. The New Jersey rapper recently had a hit earlier this year entitled “Randy Foye” featuring Benny The Butcher. The song payed homage to Newark native and former NBA player Randy Foye who was the man people like AllStarDaGreat looked up to.
AllStarDaGreat has a unique word play in his lyrics. Often it’s measured at the expense of the reality he lives rather than riding the trend like many new artists who portray false images. If 2021 is the year consciousness is at the forefront of Hip-Hop, AllStarDaGreat will be in conversation as a top five lyricist of the year.
For full exclusive video of ADG’s interview & new hit song “Naheim”, click on the next page.
