Artist Spotlight

Always known as the home of Hip-Hop, New York City has never seen a shortage of MC’s. Brooklyn, to be more exact, lays claim to their own respective robust number of talented artists including Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Smif-N-Wessun, Joell Ortiz, Big Daddy Kane, Jay-Z and, of course, The Notorious B.I.G.

Troy Ave – which dons the same name as the Brownsville neighborhood which raised him – looks to place his microphone in the rafters beside this list of illustrious names. After signing to Voicez/Universial Def Jam, his prideful Brooklyn anthem “Rep It With My Heart” was debuted on BET’s “Rap City” in 2006. Since then, Ave has been hard at work hitting the pavement through mixtapes, freestyles guest appearances and shows with the result of increasing the buzz surrounding his name.

Earlier this fall, Troy released his newest tape Bricks In My Backpack: The Harry Powder Story featuring notables names like DJ Clue, Ski Beatz and The Olympicks all make their presence felt on the production side. Fellow Brooklyn native Fabolous serves as the only guest appearance.

And aside from his day job, Troy is also a life coach – evident in his “Ask Troy Ave” series at NerdAtTheCoolTable.com. Above all, however, be sure to introduce yourself to Troy Ave, his music and his background. Looking at the lineage of those before him, it shouldn’t be a bad investment.

YouTube: www.youtube.com/troyave
Twitter: @TroyAve