ChoZen (Frum the Yay)

Not often do you come across an emcee who combines both true skill and realism, an emcee who when you hear him speak, you realize that rhyming is a calling rather than a career choice or means to a perceived end. Too many times we come across cats with real skills that seem too caught up in what they feel ears want to hear rather than what’s real to them. Or, we run into those who have a real message to deliver, yet don’t have the skill to put it into the music. Yes, they are real, but they simply lack the skills of a real emcee. An individual that can put it all together is slowly becoming an anomaly in the rap game. The opportunities to witness such talented artists are few and far between.

Enter Emakulate (ThaChoze). The “Choze” in ChoZen. Hailing from Pittsburg, CA, about 40 miles east of San Francisco, Emakulate is a product of the highly slept on but heavily copied “Yay Area” Cali. Choze, as he’s most often referred to, has been on and off his musical grind since his junior year in high school, with a serious focus applied around ‘99-‘00. You’ve all heard the inner city story before and Choze’s is not much different from that of others who have grown under similar circumstances. The struggle has gotten in the way more time’s than he’d care to mention, but that’s another story, one you’ll probably fined laced through out his complex, reality laced rhymes. That’s where he prefers to leave it.

Like most rap cats from the Bay, Emakulate did not come up on the battle circuit like his East Coast counterparts, but instead honed his skills in street corner ciphers where it was about showcasing skills rather than disrespectin’ the next dude to get a rep. If you’re from the Bay, you know what the repercussions of talkin’ down to the next man are! To this day, while he may come off top wit a hot one every now and again, Emakulate will tell you he is first and foremost a writer. “It’s a blessing God gave me,” says Choze, “and I’m not just talking about lyrics. I’m a writer, period.”

The boy has defined the hustle all his life. From legal to illegal, small to larger scale, from the age of 16, yo’ boy has been chasin’ it. As much as music is and always has been a blessing, Choze has still always maintained a focus on other “contingency plans,” if you will. The beauty of Choze is that Hip Hop will not make or break him, so he’s driven by the love first and the money has and always will be secondary. To quote the man, “I get a hunnit thousand plus, homie& That’s witout rappin” Still, though, Hip Hop will always be his first love and career of choice if he has anything to say about it.

In the early days, Choze fashioned himself as a solo-artist and though he has been part of several different crews and groups and his primary focus is building ChoZen Muzic from the ground up with his partner, Young Zen, his musical legacy will not be completed without al least one solo offering. As he puts it, “I’ve got too much to say and there are too many people that need to hear it.” For now, though, the sacrifice of his solo work is a small price to pay for the advancement of the entire entity.

To all the would be female suitors from the Bay and beyond, its with regret that I inform you that Emakulate is happily wed to his “Soul mate,” Jae, with whom he has a beautiful two year old baby girl, Mia Justine, who Choze calls, “The inspiration for everything I am.” He continues, “When I hit that wall or when I just feel like bein’ through wit all of it, they (his wife and daughter) are what keep me movin’.”

Back to the music, Emak, counts Hip Hop icons as Big Daddy Kane, Rakim & LL Cool J as the reasons he got involved with rap music. He names artists such as Nas, Jay-Z, Mac Mall, Outkast, E40 and of course Tupac & the Notorious B.I.G. as his influences. Perhaps lacking the resume of other more noticeable up and coming rappers from the Bay Area (Do in large part to actually living the struggle that many only talk about), there is no shortage of talent, skill, wordplay, realism or, most of all, confidence when it comes to Emakulate (ThaChoze). Let him tell it, “I’ll put my verses next to any one in the game, on any level, at any given time and I guarantee you I will come out well respected. It’s just within me. And I ain’t talking just CaliAnybody in the game!!”

As his name would suggest, the feeling is that Emakulate was “Choze” to follow the path that he is on right now. Its no secret that he feels as though communicating through words on one level or another is what he was put on this earth to do. “Not to get all spiritual on people or nothing, cuz I know how that scares people away; but, I feel like God is speaking through me. As Hypocritical as it may sound, even when I’m talking about the negative aspects of my life or the choices I’ve made & what I’ve been through, I feel like I’m just the messenger. It’s always about turning the negative into a positive.” When it comes to his focus, everything seems to go back to the philosophy of the group and the record label which is “Bridging the gap from street level to the next level,” which means to take everything you’ve learned from your street experiences and use them to help yourself and others who choose to embrace the message get to that elusive next level.

Stubbornness and Passion are two distinct signs of a Scorpio. Of all the astrological attributes of the sign, those are the two that most define Emakulate. His passion for the music he loves and for change, coupled with his stubbornness to conform or to be told he can’t, have and will continue to serve him well in his quest to reach his coveted destination, the top of the game.

Now that you’ve been given a glimpse, don’t take your eyes off the kid. You might miss a shooting star.

All over the Bay Area and California as well as select states in the Pacific Northwest, Las Vegas, etc. Every show is a special memory for one reason or another.

Our influences are so diverse, its really hard to narrow it down, but all'a the pioneers who paved the way for Hip Hop to be what it is and all'a the real Bay Reppaz. Also, that 70's real soul music that had meaning. A lotta todays muzic is really watered down and repetitive.

Protools w/Digi002. Mac G4 & G5. Korg Triton, Roland Phantom X6, Motif.