There is something alluring about a debut artist, who, on the brink of super-stardom, approaches his craft as confidently as an established rhyme vet. Add a handsome face, a body sketched with tattoos reading "Zone 3" and "My Life," and a demeanor that makes it difficult for anyone to deny, and you have BME Recording's Lil Scrappy, aka the #1 Head-Bussa. "A head-bussa is someone like me who is so fresh, so clean," explains Scrappy while tilting his red, white and canary yellow Atlanta Hawks ball cap. "If you dress better than anybody, you bussin' headz. If you rhyme better than anybody else, like I do," he smiles, "you bussin' headz."
Lil Scrappy, born Darryl Richards, II, is a homegrown Atlantan "discovered" by BME Recordings' (home of Lil Jon and The East Side Boyz) power-team: entertainment attorney Vincent P. Phillips; super-producers Jonathon "Lil Jon" Smith and Rob McDowell; and Hot 107.9's Emperor Searcy. During a high school concert featuring Lil Scrappy performing his hit single "Head-Bussa," over 2000 students chanted, "We some head bussas! We some head bussas! We'll knock a hater out! We some head bussas," while simultaneously punching their right fists in the palms of their left. The virtual hypnosis between Lil Scrappy and the crowd was so amazing it encouraged BME Recordings to ask for a meeting the next day regarding signing opportunities.
It wasn't too long after when "Head-Bussa" was in constant radio rotation in Atlanta, Columbus, and Macon, Georgia as well as Columbia, SC. Only a short time after that, Lil Scrappy was performing throughout the southern region of the United States, becoming a household name throughout the South amongst the youth and the over-25ers." Early notoriety afforded Lil Scrappy opportunities to record with southern superstars such as David Banner and Bone Crusher, both featured on "Come On."
Scrappy, who is currently touring with BME Recording artists Trillville promoting their upcoming release The King of Crunk & BME Recordings Present Lil Scrappy & Trillville, has also appeared onstage with Lil Jon and Joe Budden during MTV's Sucker Free Concert Series in Louisville, Kentucky. Scrappy has also appeared with Lil Jon on BET's "How I'm Livin"; MTV "Live at the Power Summit" in Puerto Rico as well as The Source Awards this year in Miami. He has performed in front of more than 20,000 in Atlanta at Radio One's Birthday Bash and has been a featured artist on the Dirty South Tour with headliner's Lil Jon, Chingy and David Banner. "My first encounter with Scrappy was in a hole-in-the-wall club," explains Lil Jon. "He is the kind of person that's very charismatic and extremely focused on what he wants. Onstage, he's extremely animated and energetic."
Scrappy attended a military academy that taught him to never second-guess his ability to make it as an MC. His influences range from The Gap Band to 8Ball & MJG to Tupac then back to James Brown. And like any rapper worth his rhythm and skills, Scrappy comes hard and he comes crunk. So much so he calls himself the Prince of Crunk, the heir to the King of Crunk. "On my songs you're going to hear some real crunk," brags Lil Scrappy. "You gon' hear some pimpin' and some storytellin' about my life. You gon' hear some off the wall .," he pauses. "You jus gon hear me. It's hard for me to just talk to people," Scrappy exclaims conclusively. "It just comes out in my lyrics." Songs such as "What The Fuck" and "Come On" are clear examples of how Scrappy concocts rhymes that capture his West Atlanta swagger and southern-bred attitude. Armed with an inviting smile and a street-smart personality, Scrappy is no stranger to the honies, nor is the Prince of Crunk shy about expressing himself on the subject. "I'm Just a P-I-M-P," puts it mildly on how Scrappy feels about relationships. Scrappy also appears with Trillville on "Stay Low," the Lil Jon-produced follow-up to the smash single "Get Low."
One meeting and immediately you know that there's something special about Lil Scrappy. Two meetings and it's apparent he is a star. On the third time - and there will be a third time if Scrappy has his way - is the charm. But then again, he is the #1 Head-Bussa! |
