MySpace a place for friends

NEM-IZ, BORN VON RYAN MANAGO IN JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY AT CHRIST HOSPITAL ON APRIL 6, 1983, IS THE BEST RAPPER OUT RIGHT NOW. HE IS THE YOUNGEST OF THREE. THIS SUCCESSFUL C.E.O. OF AGAINST THE GRAIN ENTERTAINMENT DIDN’T HAVE IT EASY GROWING UP. HE AND HIS MOTHER LIVED IN THE BASEMENT OF AN APARTMENT BUILDING WITH HIS FATHER, WHO WAS A STRUGGLING MUSICIAN. “I NEVER REALLY KNEW MY DAD BECAUSE HE PASSED AWAY WHEN I WAS YOUNG. FROM WHAT I’VE HEARD, HE WAS A GREAT SINGER/COMPOSER/PIANIST. AFTER THE PASSING OF HIS FATHER, NEM-IZ AND HIS MOTHER WERE FORCED TO LIVE IN HOMELESS SHELTERS FOR A LITTLE WHILE UNTIL HIS MOTHER COULD SAVE UP ENOUGH MONEY TO RENT OUT AN APARTMENT.

“MUSIC RUNS IN MY BLOOD.” ASIDE FROM HIS DAD, NEM-IZ WAS ALSO INFLUENCED BY HIS BROTHER NORRIS, WHO ALSO COMPOSED AND SANG R&B, BUT LATER PASSED BEFORE HE HAD A CHANCE TO BE DISCOVERED. NEM-IZ STARTED WRITING HIP-HOP AND R&B AT THE AGE OF 9. MUSIC RUNS HEAVILY IN HIS FAMILY, FROM HIS FATHER, BROTHER, AND DOWN TO HIS COUSIN WHO IS ONE OF HIP-HOPS FEMALE ICONS (CHERYL WRAY WHO IS SALT FROM THE GROUP SALT AND PEPPER).

NEM-IZ SETS FORTH A CAREER IN MUSIC. “MUSIC IS MY LIFE, AND MY BREAD AND BUTTER.” AT THE AGE OF 12, NEM-IZ MOVED TO A LITTLE SUBURBAN TOWN CALLED RIDGEFIELD PARK, NJ, WHERE HE ATTENDED SCHOOL. AT THE AGE OF 17 NEM-IZ MET A DJ FROM 107.5 (WBLS) BY THE NAME OF DASHING DON ALLEN (R.I.P) WHO HEARD ABOUT NEM-IZ AND LIKED WHAT HE HEARD. IMMEDIATELY, HE HAD NEM-IZ DO SOME RADIO DROPS FOR HIM, WHICH AIRED ON SATURDAY MORNINGS FROM 8-12.

IN 11TH GRADE, NEM-IZ WAS EAGER TO GET INTO THE GAME AND SIGNED WITH AN INDIE LABEL IN WHICH HE RELEASED HIS FIRST COMPILATION ALBUM. “THE CDs WENT FAST.” OVER 5,000 COPIES WERE SOLD WITH THE HELP OF HIS STREET TEAM G.H.O.S.T SQUAD IN NEW YORK AND JERSEY. DURING HIS EXPEDITION OF SELLING HIS MUSIC IN THE STREETS, HE RAN INTO A FEW INDUSTRY PEOPLE SUCH AS K-SOLO, SWISS BEATS, THE GAME, DARIAN DASH (DAME DASH'S BROTHER) A PRODUCER NAMED RED FROM POWER 105.1. HOWEVER, BEING OBLIGATED BY HIS CONTRACT WITH HIS FORMER LABEL, NEM-IZ'S MOVES WERE LIMITED UNTIL HE MET A PRODUCER BY THE NAME OF BOBBY REESE WHO WORKED WITH ARTISTS SUCH AS WHITNEY HOUSTON, CARL THOMAS, ALICIA KEYS AND MUCH MORE. BOBBY REESE HELPED NEM-IZ GET OUT OF HIS CONTRACT WITH THE LABEL HE WAS IN, THEN HELPED NEM-IZ GET BACK ON HIS FEET BY MAKING SOME TRACKS AND GIVING HIM STUDIO TIME SO HE COULD GET GOING AGAIN.

BEING INFLUENCED BY HIS BROTHER AND LEARNING THE FUNDAMENTALS ABOUT RAP FROM HIS BOY CEASAR, NEM-IZ DEVELOPED HIS OWN STYLE. HIS UNIQUE STYLE AND SOUND MADE HIM ONE OF THE FIRST SUBURBAN RAPPERS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE CAN RELATE TOO. HE'S ABLE TO TELL THE INS AND OUTS FROM WHICH A LOT OF PEOPLE FIND HARD TO GLORIFY— SO TO SPEAK. THE ENERGY IN HIS MUSIC, AS WELL AS THE “REAL TALK” IN HIS RHYME, SETS NEM-IZ APART FROM ANY OTHER RAPPER OUT THERE. NEM-IZ HAS THAT NICHE FOR RAPPING. HE IS AS REAL AS THEY COME.

CURRENTLY, THE SUN IS SHINNING ON NEM-IZ. FORMING AN INDIE LABEL, ENTITLED, AGAINST THE GRAIN ENTERTAINMENT, NEM-IZ HAS ALSO FORMED A STREET TEAM KNOWN AS G.H.O.S.T SQUAD WHICH MEANS "(G)O (H)ARD (O)R (S)TOP (T)RYIN". HE IS FINALLY AT A POINT WHERE HE IS ENJOYING THE GOOD LIFE. EVEN WITH THE PASSING OF HIS MOM ON NOVEMBER 19, 2006, AND DESPITE BEING HOMELESS AT SOME POINT, NEM-IZ STILL MANAGED TO FINISH UP HIS FIRST LP CALLED (NOTHIN' 2 LOSE). “MY MOTHER WAS A STRONG BLACK WOMAN. SHE WOULD HAVE WANTED ME TO CONTINUE MY MUSIC. SHE WAS SELFLESS AND VERY KIND.”

UP TO PRESENT, HIS STREET TEAM PLANS TO START A NEW MOVEMENT IN HIP-HOP, WHICH OTHERS HAVE NOT YET COVERED. THE TRUTH IS RISING FROM THE BURBS!

LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT.

THROUGH NEM-IZ’S STRUGGLE; THROUGH HIS PAIN AND SORROW: COMES GREAT SUCCESS. LIFE IS GOOD TO HIM NOW. NEM-IZ IS A PROUD FATHER, AND HE ENJOYS QUALITY TIME WITH HIS SON. “MY SON “LIL NEM-IZ” IS A MIRACLE CHILD. NEM-IZ WAS EXPECTING TWINS BUT UNFORTUNATELY HIS DAUGHTER PASSED AWAY. “MY TWINS WERE BORN PREMATURE. MY SON SURVIVED BUT MY DAUGHTER (R.I.P.) DIDN’T. IF SHE HAD SURVIVED, I’M SURE SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN THE NEXT WHITNEY, SADE OR ANITA BAKER.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT NEM-IZ, EMAIL NEM-IZ@GMAIL.COM