Biography

“Ain’t Nothin’ Like…“ Big Six

He has lived a lifetime in a day. Opportunity was not a familiar “face” in his neighborhood. The mantra for survival was “Do what I gotta do…” and so he did.

Big Six might have seen or even owned a couple of silver spoons in his life, but it wasn’t because he was born with one in his mouth. For this Asbury Park New Jersey native, the daily struggle for shelter, food and clothes was a challenge that he faced head on. Six did not have the advantage of a stable home or supportive family structure. Like many young men in Urban America, he had to make difficult decisions which often resulted in uncomfortable consequences. His story is not sensationalized, pretentious lyrical foreplay. Six is a survivor-- a visionary who knew that he owned the power to attain his goals. His story is a raw, unadulterated portrait of an authentic life in the hood. Hip-Hop is the sword he yields and his lyrics speak an honesty which is at times frightening. His story might be exactly what America wants to ignore, but his music is a piece of what is missing from commercial Hip-Hop: Truth.

Six’s journey began when he was 14 years old. With no real place to call home and very few people that he felt he could trust, Six became intimate friends with a notebook and pen. Writing was a way for him to create a mental haven. From a young age he learned that the gift of observation was a strength which could inevitably alter his life forever. He documented what he saw in bars of sixteen spat over whatever tracks he could find. Even when life was ugly, the beauty was that Six was honest in his writing. It was his commitment to authenticity and a determination to succeed against all odds that prompted Six to take a trip to the 2003 Source Awards in Miami. Armed with a duffle bag of CDs and a suitcase full of dreams, Six left the entourage at home and hit the Sunshine State to “…do what he had to do…”

Music industry events always draw thousands of aspiring artists, all vying for the attention of industry executives. Unsigned artists often take to overly aggressive tactics in an attempt to get noticed. When Big Six arrived in Miami, he simply took his CDs to the main hub for the event and proceeded to sell his wares. It was his confident swagger and business-like demeanor that prompted an associate of Kasem Coleman [Jive Records and Nervous Records (Hip-Hop)] to take note of Six. The associate facilitated a meeting between Six and Kasem. After their meeting and successive follow ups, the two decided to work together. Reflecting on their initial meeting, Kasem said “I saw potential--bottom line. The voice was right, he had swag and a good demeanor…” Six became a willing student/partner in his relationship with Kasem. Kasem helped him develop S*E Records and was able to secure a joint venture with Nervous Records. As an independent artist running his own label, Six has the advantage of an established brand such as Nervous Records cosigning for him. The additional visibility and credibility propelled him above the multitude of independent rappers in the industry.

Six went full throttle with the joint venture with Nervous and financed everything-- the entire recording and video process and released the single “Get Rich”/“In My Hood” on S*E Records/Nervous Records. He took one small but crucial opportunity and worked it from every possible angle. The national independent success of the single on college radio chart networks such as Rap Attack Lives and Rap Network, in addition to the regional nationwide support he received for the video of “Get Rich/In My Hood”, had an overwhelmingly positive affect on his development as an artist and a businessman.

He did a national promo tour with PMD of EPMD/Hit Squad fame as an artist, participating fully in the In Store appearances, as well as radio (the College stations, the Hot stations, the Power stations, XM radio in DC, and Sirius in NYC) and club performance dates. Big Six also toured as support for the A-Alikes on the Ghostface Killah “Fishscale” tour. Yet another opportunity came when he toured as support with an opening act for Tyrese’s “Alter Ego” tour. “Alter Ego” was a nationwide House of Blues venue tour. That experience shed light on the challenges one can encounter when doing a higher level venue chain tour as opposed to a more grassroots tour like he did with PMD. As an artist and support, Six learned invaluable lessons on artistry and the business of music from a major label and an Indie label perspective. In essence, Six has been developed as a “360” artist. He gained a more thorough understanding of how to position himself for longevity in the industry.

With the release of his new street single “Living Proof”, upcoming single “Wherever We At”, and upcoming mixtape “Your Next Favorite Rapper”, Big Six is poised to venture into more mainstream awareness and branding while retaining his independent spirit. A peer market favorite from coast to coast, Big Six’s smooth, laid back style almost contradicts the hardcore content he spits. There is an engaging quality to his tone that makes you want to listen to what he’s saying. Six’s style is a subtle verbal ambush that teases your mind to expect one thing, yet in actuality delivers something completely unexpected. He is an artist who does not pretend to be a bleeding heart in order to gain mass appeal. His appeal is that he speaks on what he has lived. That truth will radiate to everyone who hears his music.