Today we’d like to introduce you to Pudge.
Hi Pudge, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I learned how to produce beats and record rap songs by myself at a very early age. Me and my childhood friends had a collective called “Fab Deuce” in High school…we saw a decent amount of underground success as teenagers. We would sell out local shows and perform at hip hop events all around the country. I was the lead producer and manager for our group from 2005 to 2020. During this time, I was a big facilitator for hip hop here in Denton and Dallas. I always made beats for other artists, recorded them, shot and edited videos etc…I spent the better part of a decade working with other people to cultivate a rap scene here in my home town.
After the pandemic in 2020 the momentum of my group had faded down as people had to shift their focus elsewhere. I have since redirected all my creative energy into my own music and become a solo artist. In 2022 i gained some national notoriety by releasing a song every week for an entire year, and I have released 4 albums since then.
I have developed a high energy live set that blends hip hop with elements of stand up comedy that has taken me on 3 nationwide tours and have been able to continue to thrive in the DFW Hip Hop community.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I always tell people that being successful in music is the most difficult thing I have ever attempted. For most of us, we have other careers and have to spend just as much time with music as we do our personal jobs. The natural chaos of the music industry makes it tougher to navigate than a majority of career paths.
At times it gets tough trying to balance being a functional member of society in the daylight, and being an entertainer at night.
Not everyone understands why someone would want to be a hip hop artist so you receive a lot of doubt and judgement from people in your everyday life from people that just don’t get it..
This has been a very strange journey with extreme highs and lows…but I feel blessed to have such a unique life experience.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a producer and rapper.
I provide a complete DIY experience…I produce my own music, write it, record it, design the art, shoot and edit the videos…Other than a few collaborative projects my art is all self made from beginning to end of the process.
My live performance often sets me a part from others. I take my craft as a lyricist very seriously, but I incorporate a lot of humor and antics in my set…I do a lot of live skits and have different characters from my universe appear in my set dressed as hot dogs, cigarettes, bananas etc… It’s kind of hard to explain but you should check it out haha
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Outside of studying hip hop..I watch a lot of stand up comedy.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pudgybstyles/#
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@pudgehiphop
Image Credits:
Pudge
