C-EZ was giving to me by a friend. Let's break it down. My name is Ciandress. But people call me C cuz' they cant pronounce my name. And EZ describes my laid back style. So you put it together, and you get C...EZ...C....EZ. Say it with me. C-EZ. It has a nice flow to it dont it. Well get used to it, cuz' you'll hear it again.

Well see. Im an extremely shy person, so I get VERY nervous in front of crowds. But, its part of the business...so like any challenge, you just have to conquer it. Im nervous all the way up until the minute that I take the stage, then I just let the energy take control. So far my highlight was rockin in front of a crowd of over 300 folks at a recent Mahogany show at UVA.

I think its going to level the playing field as far as distribution. I think its going to change how cats discover musicians, which can be a good thing because it wont allow record companies to discover music for us. Often times that just creates a box, and if you dont fit inside the box, you can't be heard. The internet changes that. I like it.

I would if I felt it was beneficial. I dont think major labels are the only way to get out there. I look at them as more a marketing service, and right now, they are the best of their type out there. So, basically it gives me access to all of the clear channel stations, MTV, BET..whatever. If that's going to help me, Im down. But record labels can also hurt you. If people can hear and buy my music without the label. Then what do I need the label for? I just end up oweing them money. It's different for each artist, and when the time comes, Ill make the best decision for me.

BIO:
Like many other kids born in the hip hop generation she’s never seen her real father. Unlike other kids born in the hip hop generation she uses the pain that she feels from this virtual epidemic that threatens the hip hop community as motivation to succeed, according to her own definition. Through out her life she’s stood out from the hip hop generation mass, and has often been labeled unique, even weird at times, but quietly and confidently she defies convention.
C-EZ has been able to shed the typical image of what it means to be a Jersey girl equipped with aggressive attitude, thick accent, and the latest hair trend fresh out of an Irvington Ave Salon, and manages to inspire and retain a style that can only be described as her own. Born in Newark in 1982, Ciandress Jackson’s life was much like the typical existence for a kid growing up in the “Bricks”. She was the child of a young single college mother on and off welfare, no father to be found, and the overwhelming pressures of the hood all around. Now however with the support and encouragement of her mother EZ attends the University of Virginia where she continues to occupy her own metaphorical space. Plagued by shyness
C-EZ spent her childhood and most of her teenage years writing poems, and composing songs of which only a privileged few were able to hear. As a closet hip hop fiend, C-EZ assumed her cookie cutter position as a student athlete and rarely exposed or displayed her love or long time involvement with the hip hop.
Jean Paul Sarte described the characteristic of shyness as constantly being aware of the fact that others form and develop opinions of you. EZ’s shyness was often her downfall, and was primarily responsible for her inability to share her music and art with others, and through most of her life C-EZ was content with that. During her first two years of college she was somewhat reclusive, rarely going out, never participating in any organizations or events, and hardly ever going out on a limb to make connections with other people. After the summer of her 2nd year, C-EZ had a life changing experience. An unknown individual began a viscous campaign to ruin C-EZ by any means necessary. She was the victim of many unfounded yet nasty rumors, fallacious accusations, and unwarranted hate. Suddenly, people at school who never even knew her name begin sending threatening messages via phone, email, AIM and any other way that they could possibly contact her. C-EZ refers to this time as being “at that time, probably the worst stage of my life. I couldn’t trust anyone, because even my best friends had betrayed me as a result of what people had been saying”. C-EZ’s initial reaction was to withdraw from UVa, and start fresh at another school. Once again her mother encouraged her to go back to UVa and face her problems rather than running from them. EZ responded by creating and instituting an organization called Young Black Entrepreneurs which she used as a witness to her inner strength and drive to succeed and conquer adversity. Through the YBE platform, EZ was able to meet individuals around campus, network with other community leaders, and in some cases reverse and even negate opinions that had been formed about her as a result of the rumor campaign. Currently EZ is the face of YBE, and continues to use the organizations existence to accomplish her own dreams, while helping others see theirs as well.
Now on any given day, you can catch C-EZ in the bedroom of her apartment, ( which also doubles as a recording studio) with a room full of artists/friends doing what she has always had a passion and a natural endowment to do…making music. And while on the surface, the laid back ambiance of EZ WAY RECORDING STUDIO, may seem more like a social gathering than a place of business, the finished products are certainly a testament to the talent that has always lived within C-EZ since she was a little girl in Newark, New Jersey running around with her Grandma’s high heels on singing Prince and Michael Jackson songs.
C-EZ is still relatively shy, but she’s slowly coming out of her shell. Anybody that meets her, knows her, and even knows of her, knows that this girl is about the business of music. And if you ask those same people what they believe the future holds for EZ, the overwhelming response is that “she is going to blow up”. When you ask C-EZ what she thinks her future holds she humbly responds “I’ve always felt that I could make it, I just had to own it. I’m type regular. Regular circumstances, regular life, regular college kid. That’s me. And I just want to highlight regularity for a minute. Yeah, I’ve dealt with tragedy, but nothing too crazy. Just the normal stuff that tends to hold people back and keep them from succeeding. And my hope is to show the normal people, how to keep stepping, and be proud of who they are in the process….and I intend to have some fun, and make a little dividends in the process.”
Ask anybody and they will tell you, C-EZ is anything but normal. She’s more like a walking paradox, and the hip hop generation will soon come to know her. She has begun to embrace her uniqueness rather than be ashamed of it. And the more she realizes this, the more her talent is evident to an ever expanding base of normal folk’ .But for those who know her the most, she will always remain, the shy MC.

Of course I gotta shout out the big three. I like the complexity of Pac, the charisma of J, and the the confidence of Biggie. I like to think of the C in my name as symbolic, representing those three characteristics. I also take my influences from R&B as far as what I'd like to be as an artist. I love that "raw", "real" feeling you get from Alicia's music. Like it's just you and her alone in a room. Only a few musicians are capable of doing that. Beyonce is one of my all time favorites. She's sooo talented, and truthful in her music. And I feel like I get to know her through her music. Ultimately, I want my music to be a way for people to get to know me. To me, thats the truth of art. As far as an MC, I love me some Common. And of course I have to give much props to Prince and Michael for their unmatched creativity. So...you can expect a little bit of all that when you listen to my music.

London is pretty dope. I dig London. New York City is pretty tight too. I can appreciate VA though. The country can be a beautiful thing on a warm Spring Day, and you just cant have that experience in the city. But forreal, my favorite spot on earth at the moment is my bed. School just wears you out man.

If I tell you, I might have to kill you.

I do it all man. If your looking to hear an artist....that's me. I make my own beats, write my own lyrics, produce my own tracks. So your getting all of me in the entire process, from start to finish. I rap. But my production is a whole nother' level, and there arent too many female producers in the game, so I'd luv to be known for that as well. Peep the audio links, and if you are intriuged, I have a whooooole catalogue of music, most of which cant be put on soundclick cuz' it contains samples. But there's this little thing called email...so um...yeah..holla. AND TAKE IT EZ!!!!!