Rak Batum(Rock Bottom) Since the age of seven, Rak Batum has strived to perfect his craft of becoming a hip-hop artist. Born in South Jersey, he followed the careers of Eric B. and Rakim, Jay Z, Nas, KRS One, Masta Ace, Melly Mel, Craig G, and the list goes on. As the son of a dead hustler and surviving widow, Rak Batum channeled most of his energy to the art of lyricism. His creativity is an outlet and was therapeutic in his upbringing and transition into manhood. In 1996, Rak Batum took part in a showcase called the Philadelphia Music Convention and showcased his talent to major record labels. Despite his chances of being discovered, he stayed determined to achieve a dream deferred. In October 1996, he graduated high school and left to NYC with only 365.00 to his name and landed an interim position as a refugee camp soldier for the Fugees at the MTV Music Awards in Radio City Music Hall. It wasn’t what he had hoped for because the industry did not take the works of Hispanics seriously and made it really difficult to display his God-given talents. Disappointingly, Rak Batum became homeless and was forced to return to Atlantic City where he stayed at a homeless shelter to incorporate his next move. In January 2, 1998, Rak Batum enlisted to the US Army and was assigned to a combat arms unit in Korea. His dream still was alive then as it is now and he recorded with independent labels in his spare time while completing his obligations to the military. For eight years, he perfected his craft as a lyricist only relying on a paper and pencil and the beats he formulated in his mind. He was determined to use his talents to the utmost of his ability and eventually became a force to be reckoned with. After serving his country, Rak Batum became a civilian again and wrote and memorized over 40 songs with careful precision. He believes then like he does now that in order to become successful, it takes preparation. After leaving a rough engagement in Colorado Springs, he found himself homeless again. And with a hope and prayer, he applied to Morgan State University and traveled 3000 miles (through 9 states) in a car with no tags in less than 32 hours in hopes to rebuild his determination to a higher plateau. On January 28, 2007, Rak Batum auditioned for a showcase competition and became the top twelve amongst hundreds of artists. Out of the top twelve, Rak Batum was the only hip hop artist amongst singers and musicians. He made it to the finals where he placed third overall. His name became known throughout campus as an elite MC with a positive message and a style of his own. Rak Batum has achieved more than one would expect not only as an artist but as a husband, homeowner, producer, screenwriter, and entertainer. His higher education at Morgan State University has completely evolved his style as a MC and his hard knock life experiences taught him not to take anything lightly. The philosophy of Rak Batum derives from his ancestry when his great-great grandmother gave birth to twins in a wheat field. She cut the umbilical cord with a rock and lived to be 118. This gave him the philosophy that if she can make it through all of her troubles in life, so can he. It’s in his blood. The rock symbolizes the strength and his determination as an artist and the cut umbilical cord symbolizes his growth as a man trying to make a difference in people’s lives. He strongly believes that in order to become a man, you have to hit rock bottom first and his lyrics that are based on real life events are a testament to that. Since the age of seven, Rak Batum has perfected his craft for the past 24 years to prove that he can contend with the artists who are making Luke warm music and plans to put power behind his words to prove it. As he continues to graduate in 2008, Rak Batum has become a beacon of hope in the hip hop community who has lost faith in over confident artists. His intentions are to bring hip hop back to its roots so that it can be planted on a solid foundation of true lyricism with a never ending compassion for the art that is hip hop. As an artist and screenwriter, Rak Batum hopes to use his skills artistically to paint a picture of what hip hop is in its truest form.
*PLEASE NOTE- I am open to any collabs in any genre and willing to work with any producer on any track. This is about the music, not just the votes and ranking. Networking is cool too because if your trying to get into the mixtape world...then all SYM artists should make an effort to work together. Lets make this site different from the rest minus the haters. Much love and respect!
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[HipHop, Soul, R&B]
