User:Iamgrandz/sandbox

Look closely at the rap game long enough and you will notice a thin line between real and fake, authentic and fraudulent. For rapper Grandz out of the planet Brooklyn, hardcore reality interspersed amidst lyrical skill is all he knows.

Growing up in the boom bap era of Hip-Hop between Bushwick and Bedford-Stuyvesant, lyrically deft rappers like Big Daddy Kane, Das Efx, Biggie Smalls and Jay-Z are a handful of MCs that influenced Grandz to start putting together his own words that fit. At first it was just a hobby, until about 2005 when he realized he had the talent to make rapping a career. Now his plans are dedicated to making a strong impression in the Hop-Hop world. “All artists we all contribute to the game, I don’t think nobody really changes the game,” says Grandz. “Everybody contributes to making the game better. Me, I just bring the energy back and I bring the lyrics back. Right now there’s a lot of feel good music, it makes you dance and jump around, at the end of the day I’m bring the stories back. If you listen, I have something to tell you.”

While the audio, and an energetic stage show, makes sure every word Grandz is kicking is digested and heard, he is also a visual specimen thanks to his tattoos. He got his first tat when he was only 17, but you have to be especially courageous to have a LOL tattoo across you right cheek. It’s not a laughing matter, it stands for “Loyalty Over Love” and is a symbol of his dedication to the people around him. One of his earliest tattoos was the word POME (Product Of My Environment) on the now thoroughly inked up MC.

While his looks are provocative and the tattoos all tell a story, the music is what will grant Grandz the longer lasting impact. His debut single "Gets It In," a party rocker where Grandz effortlessly celebrates his music and accomplishments in life. The second single, "In The Streets," calls out wannabe tough guys and fake thugs with it’s chorus asking “I wanna know are industry, or in the streets?” “Listen a lot of Pinocchios in the game, in the booth they change like they saving Lois Lane,” spits Grandz over the drum-laden track. All the aforementioned songs appear on his latest mixtape Changin’ Lanes.

While Grandz is an indie artist, he also linked up with B-Way of Bloc University (there is strength in numbers after all). But Grandz is still a soloist and maintains his own Block Related label that’s been up since 2008. Doubling as a recording artist and CEO was essential because chasing record labels is not how he plans on utilizing his time. “I was tired of chasing majors,” says Grandz. “I have a lot to say, I have a lot to accomplish. I’m a well-rounded artist. I can music all around the board for different genres, areas and zones. My music is popular music. I’m not going to label it Pop but it’s popular music because I can hit everybody.”

Surrounded by violence and drugs is what Grandz saw as a youth and ask around BK enough and you’ll know that his street pedigree is certified. But now Grandz is looking to elevate beyond those times courtesy of his rhyme talent. "If you’re not a killer or a hustler then you gotta be yourself,” say Grandz. Grandz is a unique blend of East meets West, firmly rooted with Brooklyn swag. It’s a vibe he is more than willing to share with the world. “At the end of the day I don’t make music for myself,” says the BK spitter. “I make music for the people.”