DRAG - Baltimore Dreamin'
Hip hop artist DRAG, born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, is
shaking up the B-more scene with his critically praised and fan-approved
EPs and mix tapes, music videos and live performances at Baltimore’s
hottest spots for hip hop. With a new album/mixtape, City Fair 85,
coming out soon, this rapper and producer—who also writes R&B and
pop music and blogs on the side—has nowhere to go but up.
While DRAG’s urban hip hop style will appeal to fans of Kanye West and Jay-Z, DRAG infuses his music with the unique spirit of his hometown. His song “Heavy…Wait” makes use of a new report from southwest Baltimore, and his video for “Baltimore Dreamin,’” which Baltimore City Paper called “surprisingly slick looking,” includes a realistic portrait of the city, from downtown rowhouses to the waterfront. DRAG isn’t afraid to show his hometown’s grit, but at the same time, the city clearly inspires him, and his message is ultimately hopeful. As the rapper puts it, he wants “to give a voice to those that are not getting heard. And let them know that it is alright to feel all emotions of life, because everyone does, and it’s real.”
And DRAG’s voice is definitely getting out there, through his EP The Flood and mixtapes HomeRun King, I Got Hits 4 Cheap: Draggy Baby Edition, and Revenge of the Harm City King, as well as his performances at Sonar—Baltimore’s number-one spot for hip hop—Suite Ultralounge, and The 5 Seasons. His tunes are spun on 88.9 Strictly Hip Hop, Morgan State University’s Friday night dose of underground hip hop, and he’s gained a cult following as a result.
In addition to his fans, Baltimore area publications and music bloggers have started to take note of DRAG’s talent. The Baltimore City Paper named I Got Hits 4 Cheap one of their favorite mixtapes of the year, saying the mostly self-produced album “strikes an unlikely balance between a contemporary hip-hop sound befitting his Jay-Z-esque flow and more offbeat, humorous touches.” The City Paper added that DRAG’s video for Beat it Up is “more fun to watch than half the big-budget stuff clogging the internet,” while Limited Hype Magazine said “someone sign him, quick."
On Government Names, a blog about Baltimore hip hop, Al Shipley praised DRAG for always putting “that something extra in there,” such as the new synth and production elements the rapper added to a cover of DJ Class’s “I’m the Ish.” DRAG also receives frequent shout-outs on music blog Rock the Dub, which called the rapper a “lyrical juggernaut” worth watching out for.
A new release is coming soon, the album City Fair 85 - Episode One. DRAG’s website 1STCLASSDRAG.COM is always updated, he also keeps a blog at Dragwroteit.blogspot.com, where he posts videos and writes about music and whatever else grabs his interest. He’s on Twitter at Twitter.com/danielsunz1, you can check out youtube.com/danielsunz1 to watch his live performances, interviews and music videos.
While DRAG’s urban hip hop style will appeal to fans of Kanye West and Jay-Z, DRAG infuses his music with the unique spirit of his hometown. His song “Heavy…Wait” makes use of a new report from southwest Baltimore, and his video for “Baltimore Dreamin,’” which Baltimore City Paper called “surprisingly slick looking,” includes a realistic portrait of the city, from downtown rowhouses to the waterfront. DRAG isn’t afraid to show his hometown’s grit, but at the same time, the city clearly inspires him, and his message is ultimately hopeful. As the rapper puts it, he wants “to give a voice to those that are not getting heard. And let them know that it is alright to feel all emotions of life, because everyone does, and it’s real.”
And DRAG’s voice is definitely getting out there, through his EP The Flood and mixtapes HomeRun King, I Got Hits 4 Cheap: Draggy Baby Edition, and Revenge of the Harm City King, as well as his performances at Sonar—Baltimore’s number-one spot for hip hop—Suite Ultralounge, and The 5 Seasons. His tunes are spun on 88.9 Strictly Hip Hop, Morgan State University’s Friday night dose of underground hip hop, and he’s gained a cult following as a result.
In addition to his fans, Baltimore area publications and music bloggers have started to take note of DRAG’s talent. The Baltimore City Paper named I Got Hits 4 Cheap one of their favorite mixtapes of the year, saying the mostly self-produced album “strikes an unlikely balance between a contemporary hip-hop sound befitting his Jay-Z-esque flow and more offbeat, humorous touches.” The City Paper added that DRAG’s video for Beat it Up is “more fun to watch than half the big-budget stuff clogging the internet,” while Limited Hype Magazine said “someone sign him, quick."
On Government Names, a blog about Baltimore hip hop, Al Shipley praised DRAG for always putting “that something extra in there,” such as the new synth and production elements the rapper added to a cover of DJ Class’s “I’m the Ish.” DRAG also receives frequent shout-outs on music blog Rock the Dub, which called the rapper a “lyrical juggernaut” worth watching out for.
A new release is coming soon, the album City Fair 85 - Episode One. DRAG’s website 1STCLASSDRAG.COM is always updated, he also keeps a blog at Dragwroteit.blogspot.com, where he posts videos and writes about music and whatever else grabs his interest. He’s on Twitter at Twitter.com/danielsunz1, you can check out youtube.com/danielsunz1 to watch his live performances, interviews and music videos.
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