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While the people of the Carolina's appreciate the shirt-swangin' movement Petey Pablo and Timberland introduced the game to, the Hip-hop waters are ready for a new southern splash and GDA head honcho, Derty Den, plans to go in cannonball style.

Towering at an enormous 6' 3'' and 320lbs, Derty Den a.k.a. Big Gates was born and proud to be raised in a small town in North Carolina built on rampant drugs, alcohol, and violence. However, after studying other artists to be a great Master of Ceremonies, and wanting to reflect on the "good" in the hood instead of the constant negatives, Den aims to create a sound that needs to be heard at loud volumes only. "I want to show [that] the South is more than [just] screaming, yelling, and stereotypes."

With today's globally lukewarm music climate, the task does seem like bit of a stretch but if anybody is capable of grabbing the people's attention, it would have to be Derty Den. At times, his swagger, energy, and flow can be reminiscent of the late, great Biggie Smalls, as he too is comfortable with size and confident in his abilities. His true-to-life, story-telling style of rap has earned him Best Southern Artist credentials at the Underground Music Awards and continuous coverage in major music publications such as The Source, Ozone, and the largest Hip-hop magazine in France, Rap U.S. His latest street-single "Poppin," is steadily gaining momentum on the Southern home-front, as that track coupled with the instant smash, "Heatwave," was all Don Cannon (Apphiliates) needed to hear before agreeing to do his mixtape. "To have a DJ as strong as Cannon support me is tremendous to say the least," he happily explains with a hint of gratitude.

Although he vows to "do for the Carolina's and Virginia" what Eminem did for the market in Detroit or what NWA did for the West Coast, he knows the road to success may be a bumpy ride all the way through. Musically he is ready for the journey however and plans to put the Carolina's back on the map even if he has to take the drive alone.