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Hops

Hops Radio

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FEATURED SONG
Cigarettes
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Cigarettes
Released: Feb 29, 2008
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General Info

  • Genre: Experimental / Hip Hop / Rap

    Location Astoria, Queens, New York, US

    Profile Views: 19024

    Last Login: 9/14/2010

    Member Since 11/29/2004

    Type of Label Unsigned

  • Bio

    Hops loves hip-hop. Hops loves electronic music. Hops loves rock and roll. Hops loves new wave music. Hops loves words. Hops loves loud beats and heavy bass. Hops is a rapper. .. There has been an evolution in Hops' story. Just a kid from Houston, TX, Hops was drawn to the phenomenon of rap music while attending the underdeveloped educational institute that is Hogg Middle School. He wanted to be a thug, a hard knock, a mother fucker packing rhymes so hot you bow your head in respect. He dropped his name (Digifunk at the time) everywhere in the mediums of fat marker or spray paint. But Hops was not hard, nor a thug, nor a mother fucker. He was a confused junior high student, from a middle class home, in need of a purpose. His rhymes were empty, craving substance. .. High school was a stepping stone for Hops. The physical growth of his brain led to depression, confusion, tearful wondering, and fear. His rhymes were starting to work for themselves, jumping off the page and into the microphone almost effortlessly. CDs were recorded and sold straight from the 16 year old's messy backpack. Homework was ignored, and creativity was not only embraced, but nearly squeezed to death for every possible drop of substance. Puberty, the world around him struggling with drug abuse, love, Sonic the Hedgehog, 80s movies: these were things that Hops knew about. Through his lyrics, he now had a container to store these beloved and bittersweet collectibles. .. College was another story. Sex, drugs, women, hangovers, cigarettes, weight gain; a strange introduction to manhood for our hero. A five o'clock shadow lived on Hops' face, and reminded him every day of how far from home he was. Who was this man? Who was this animal? This was no longer Digifunk. This was someone else. This was Hops. Although he produced less content in college, his songs were more potent, more poignant, more angry, more everything. .. Now Hops lives on his own in the neighborhood of Astoria in west Queens. He can see Manhattan from the park, only a couple houses down his block. He can see the sun kiss Harlem everyday. He can feel the Hellgate Bridge and the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge leaning in, looking through his windows at him while he is alone writing lyrics, listening to music, smoking cigarettes, making love, getting dressed, laughing and drinking with friends. Hip-hop music is no longer enough for Hops. He possesses the skill of lyricism, the ear for rhythm, but the structure of traditional rap music fails to contain his sound. He refuses to be limited to genre and requires a broader canvas. What we are seeing is the transformation of a young rapper to an experienced musician. He is a man with much to say and the urge to say it in as many ways as musically possible: a man struggling with economic fall, a world gone mad, the loss of loved ones and an evolving consciousness. .. Ladies and gentlemen, this is Hops. .. .. ...... Photo by Kasey Smith ......

  • Members

    Hops - Writer / Lyricist / Producer.

  • Influences

    KRS-One, Buck 65, Jurassic 5, The Beastie Boys, New Order, Mos Def, Rakim, Ice T, Dilated Peoples, Del The Funky Homosapien, The Happy Mondays, The Avalanches, K-Otix, A Tribe Called Quest, Ice Cube, Eminem, Public Enemy, House of Pain, Nine Inch Nails, Cypress Hill, Moby, Morcheeba, Tricky, Portishead, Arctectonics, Lower Life Form, Interpol, The Crystal Method, Massive Attack, The Stereo MCs, Outkast, Kool Keith, People Under The Stairs, The Medicine Show, The Chief - and all the fans. Peace.

  • Sounds Like

    Your girl's pulse.

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