

When Brooklyn produces an artist of any discipline, the proud lineage of the borough itself speaks long before the lone performer, be they painter, writer, or rapper. Great ghosts of all genres surround the city; and they permeate the growth of all who will come after. The power of rap, to a young son of Brooklyn, was instantly recognizable, and when Biggie Smalls died in 1997, Derick Bowers began to craft his technique in the shadow of the legends. Writing and battling with friends, his talent soon became obvious; an uncanny cool in his voice, his mind attuned towards analyzing and reproducing whatever trends in rap had advanced the game of late, and doing so with sharpness and clarity of flow and tone which pointed towards a maturity grown through years of practice. With years of practice under his belt since then, his cadence today is unparalleled. Known as Blaze, his reputation grew instantly, suddenly he was the rapper that everyone was checking for in school and on the block. When he used his stylistic study to give voice to the struggles within his own life, his work gained relevance. It was hard, you know, tryin to make choices back then the gangs got real big and it became really a question of what direction I would point my life in, and then building with those same questions in my rhymes, thats what makes it personal to me and relevant to you. Choices were made, and Blaze left Brooklyn for Washington DC to attend Howard University. Away from home, his perspective on his past allowed him to expand the breadth of his subject matter, and also grow in his approach towards the music he was making. The greatest artists dont make music to cater to a consumer base, they transform the consumer base by themselves; they show the listener what they need to hear. I feel now that Im making music thats hot to the point where, I dont gotta sound like anything else, when you hear me, you gon need to hear me."
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