Hip Hop isn’t simple, but it surely’s the most effective musical style on the earth, in keeping with Montgomery artist Lyrical Poet VIP.
“There’s far more phrases you’ll be able to say,” mentioned Lyrical Poet, 24. “Folks can really really feel the place you’re coming from, and how one can make the group react whenever you’re doing it.”
They’re additionally reacting to the best way LP does it, with extra of a give attention to wordcraft and positivity, with an absence of profanity.
“One factor that I discovered rising up once I first began rapping was that I wasn’t allowed to curse,” Lyrical Poet mentioned. “As I grew older, it simply caught with me.”
It’s a creative selection that comes with some advantages. LP mentioned it’s simpler to get his message throughout like that.
“At all times hold it actual with your self and with the folks,” he mentioned. “Don’t ever let anybody make you are feeling like you must mix in simply in your music to be nice, or simply so that you can stand out. You stand out by being what you already are. All people’s acquired their very own star. You’ve simply acquired to shine with it.”
On Dec. 21, he’ll launch a brand new mission referred to as Poetic Bars 2021 Vol. 3: Legends By no means Die.
“It’s a part of a collection I created final yr,” LP mentioned. “The entire mission is telling a narrative. It’s principally a narrative of a younger man rising up within the metropolis making an attempt to turn into a legend. It additionally pays tribute to some legendary artists on the identical time… However there are a variety of obstacles in the best way. There are a variety of trials.”
His different tasks embody From the Backside to the Prime CH. 2: Really feel My Ache, Poetic Bars EP Quantity 1: The OutCry, Poetic Bars EP Quantity 2: Tears of the Insurgent, and 4 Piece Bar Package.
“I simply wished to deliver a unique mild to town,” LP mentioned. “I simply wished to take it to the following stage and do optimistic, to be completely different than all people else.”
However the want for positivity runs deeper for LP, who grew up on West Jeff Davis Avenue and leans closely into his Christian religion. Like his title implies, Lyrical Poet wrote poetry, and began rapping at 12. Again then, he simply referred to as himself VIP.
“I used to enter writing competitions and all the things,” he mentioned. “By the point I acquired into sixth grade, that’s once I really began writing songs.”
Round his junior yr in highschool, he added the Lyrical Poet half to his title to assist stand out in his artwork, and assist maintain himself to the sort of music he needs to create. LP’s uncle Josh West would inform him the hip hop world wanted his voice.
“Once they hear my music, they’ll see that I’m bringing actual poetry within my music,” LP mentioned.
One large help then was from Christian hip hop artist Vy Moon, a buddy and mentor LP’s identified since he was 17. The pair would work collectively on “Rise” from Moon’s 2019 album, PG-13. Moon additionally produced LP’s new single “Really feel It.”
“He gave me a number of beats again within the day to get me began,” LP mentioned. “He gave me a radio interview, too.”
LP’s godfather is one other Christian hip hop artist from Montgomery, Dr. Macc, with whom he’s additionally working and acting at space church buildings. “We speak each single day,” LP mentioned.
Lyrical Poet had an opportunity to go to high school for music at 18, however mentioned dangerous choices stored him from it. As a substitute, he taught himself how you can document, combine and grasp. Nonetheless he plans to return to school for music. He’s additionally establishing his personal LLC, Goals Come True Information. When he appears like he’s achieved sufficient in rap, the enterprise aspect is he’ll flip to for his profession.
“Proper now, I’m simply targeted on being unbiased within the underground hip hop scene,” LP mentioned. “I’m making an attempt to be the most effective artist that I will be.”
As a younger man, LP’s different heroes had been artists like Tupac, BMX, T.I., Nas, OutKast, and the Montgomery group Soiled Boyz. However he additionally had, and misplaced, different native native function fashions to violence.
Earlier than the late Montgomery rapper Doe B began taking off, LP mentioned he knew him as Huge Glenn. As a child, LP would see him out promoting his combine tapes on Fairview Avenue. In 2013, Doe B was a rising expertise who died after being shot in Montgomery.
“He was shut pals of my cousin, who was additionally one other artist, whose title was Lil Reggie,” LP mentioned. “I used to look as much as my cousin lots too, earlier than he was killed.”
Montgomery isn’t identified for being variety to rap artists. We’ve misplaced a number of to gun violence.
“To me, the violence that’s occurring, I actually do really feel prefer it could possibly be prevented,” LP mentioned. “I really feel like there’s a lot jealousy on this metropolis. It’s like crabs in a bucket. No one needs to see no person do good, and that’s very unhappy. We work extra towards one another than we do collectively. Till we learn to work collectively as a music, till we learn to work collectively as a folks, they’re going to proceed dying. There’s going to proceed being extra violence. Extra casualties that don’t have to be occurring.”
It’s an angle that LP says goes past artists and into the final inhabitants of Montgomery. He mentioned there’s an excessive amount of give attention to what aspect of city individuals are from.
“Till the folks learn to work collectively, we’re going to proceed to die,” LP mentioned. “That’s simply how I really feel about it.”
It’s additionally about making the world a greater place for his two little daughters and his fiancée. One the place they really feel secure simply going out in Montgomery as a household.
“I’m an enormous household particular person,” LP mentioned. “I do like to spend so much of household time. That’s one of many fundamental issues I do once I’m not making music.”
Comply with him on Fb @mrsouthermatic and on Instagram @mrsouthernmatic.
Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Shannon Heupel at sheupel@gannett.com.
