INTRO TO BOBBYZ GRIND

Aiight so I already know this guy is amazing so of course i have to introduce him to you so uhh here u go!!!

Who is @BobbyzGrind?

Born in Bronx, New York and raised between there and Brownsville, Brooklyn, Bobby Johnson's love for music and the arts would carry him to new heights and places.

Currently the Bronx native holds many hats. He is the Executive Creative Director for The Sequence Entertainment Group, and an executive in the Upstart Radio station RadioCityRadio. Not to mention Bobby is currently a consultant and business advisor to an MC he calls "The Big Ticket", the physically imposing yet lyrically skilled VarTower. The son of a female corrections officer, Bobby spent most of his youth alone.

"When I was 8, My mom worked two jobs and attended a Master's degree program at Lincoln University on the weekends. So I was a latch-key kid. I always loved to draw, create. I had a million Legos, so my imagination had no bounds." It wasn't until age 12 in Brooklyn that the artist would truly begin to show himself.

I knew I was going to rap when I snuck into my uncle's room and took his walkman to listen to music. There was a tape in it and I pressed play. The tape in the walkman was EPMD's strictly business.

Bobby would hone his lyrical skills in Battles at Union square, Washington Square Park, and anywhere he could battle a worthy opponent.

BOBBYZ GRIND

*WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WANT PEOPLE THAT AREN'T FANS OF YOU MUSIC TO KNOW ABOUT YOU?

I want folks to know that good music IS out there that isn't mainstream. My folks over at RadioCityRadio and Sequence Entertainment Group are dedicated to developing and breaking quality artists.

*WHAT ARE YOU TRYNA BRING TO THE GAME?

Originality. To serve as an inspiration to the artists I work with, and to set precedents for those after me who aspire to be fully in control of their artistic destiny.

*WHO ARE SUM OF MUSICAL INFLUENCES?

We can be here all day with that one, lol.

I’m inspired by various artists and genres.I listened to a lot of Curtis Mayfield, Earth Wind, and Fire, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Steven Tyler from Aerosmith, James Brown.

And that’s not even Hip-Hop. Hip hop influences include, Ghostface, Black Thought, Lord Finesse, Pharoah Monche, Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, Ghostface, and EPMD.

*WHO/WHAT INSPIRES YOU?

I’m inspired by my daughter, my family, and my life experiences. I'm also inspired by my team, they keep me frosty.

*WHO TAUGHT YOU ONE OF THE MOST VALUABLE LESSONS IN LIFE?

My Grandfather and me to fear nothing but the Almighty, and it has served me well. The only person who can hold you back in this world is You. I'll be damned if I let someones views or opinions silence me. That only feeds my hunger for more. Fear of success is 10 times worse than fear of failure. What can you really accomplish if you are afraid to live and express yourself?

*IF YOU HAD TO WORK A 9-5 WHAT WOULD YOU SEE YOURSELF DOING?

Teaching or counseling kids. With a lot of young people so eager to grow up fast, I feel it’s important that we mentor and nurture our young people.

*WHAT DO YOU WANT OUT OF LIFE WHAT WOULD TRULY MAKE YOU HAPPY?

I want my daughter’s future to be secure. Whatever she chooses to do, she'll be comfortable enough to have options. I think once I accomplish that, then I'll start to enjoy myself.

*WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SPORT AND TEAM?

Basketball. And my favorite team is the Knicks all day. Yes they have had a rough time for the last 10 years, but I won’t bail on them.I look forward to a time when the Knicks will be relevant again in the win column, hopefully soon

*WHAT YOUR OPINION ABOUT THE STATE OF MUSIC?

I feel that there is an abundance of talented artists, but the focus isn’t originality. I think that a lot of artists have become lazy in creating. One artist used to write a complete song, but now there are established MCs and singers that pay folks for hooks and bars. The digital age has definitely helped AND hurt music. A lot of folks take it more like a job, and this is something that they're supposed to love and have fun with it.. I like listening to new artists who offer a fresh contribution to music skill wise and don’t compromise their artistic value without getting caught up in the pressures of appealing to the mainstream.

*HOW LONG YOU BEEN IN THE GAME?

I’ve been writing and composing music for close to twenty years, but I became more active in development and management within the last six years.

*WHY DO YOU LOVE MUSIC?

Because you can immortalize a moment, an emotion, or an idea and affect change in the world thru music.

*WHO ARE YOU TOP 5 MC'S?

1-Tupac 2-Jay-Z 3-Ghostface 4-B.I.G. 5-Scarface

*WHAT ARE YOU TOP 5 MOVIES?

1- Gladiator 2- Heat 3-The Godfather 4-The Usual Suspects 5-Once upon a Time in America

*WHAT ARE 3 THINGS YOU CANT LIVE WITHOUT?

My music, my blackberry, and my daughter’s sense of humor, lol.

*IF YOU COULD PICK 3 ARTISTS PAST OR PRESENT TO WORK WITH WHO WOULD YOU PICK?

1-Curtis Mayfield 2-KRS-ONE 3- Isaac Hayes

*HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE?

COOL LAID BACK, IN YOUR FACE, CONSCIOUS

All of the above I'm a good natured brother, but I don't respond kindly to the nonsense. I'm about my grind and achieving what I set out to do with my business partners. Cats outside my circle can say what they wish, but if it isn't Sequence or RadioCityRadio cats talking, I take it with a grain of salt..

*WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOUR GOING TO SUCCEED?

My team and I have a great deal of momentum and EVERYONE is working toward the same goal, so it’s only a matter of time as to when we all succeed.

*WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO TO RELAX? (THAT YOU CAN TELL US ABOUT)

Spending time with my daughter, travelling. I’m a notorious X-box Liver, online laying the smackdown on challengers when I play online. I don't do clubs that much anymore.But if there's and open mic or live music venue somewhere, Y'all might catch me there.

*WHEN DID YOU REALIZE YOU LOVED MUSIC MORE THAN THE AVERAGE PERSON?

The first time I listened to EPMD’s “Strictly Business” , I knew I wanted to MC.

*IT NEVER CEASES TO AMAZE ME AT HOW RAPPERS CAN JUST GO OFF THE TOP WHEN FREESTYLIN... HOW DOES THAT WORK FOR YOU, DO YOU JUST SAY AIIGHT IMA GO ON THIS TOPIC OR DOES IT JUST COME TO YOU AS YOUR SPITTIN?

It’s depend on what the topic is. I’m a witted individual, so it’s never difficult. I do a lot of reading and writing, so it becomes routine to flip words and drop lines off the rip.

*HOW DOES THE BEAT COME TO YOU? I KNOW SOME PRODUCERS SAMPLE BUT LIKE YOUR OWN ORIGINAL BEAT HOW DOES IT COME TO YOU?

True confession, I'll usually come up with sounds while I'm in the shower or washing dishes, lol.

*HOW DID YOU GET INTO PHOTOGRAPHY?

I was asked by a friend to take some photos. I had already begun using photoshop, but after the 1st shoot, I knew it was something I wanted to dedicate more time to.

*WHAT PROJECT OF YOURS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

I am currently most proud of my business accomplishments. 2009 was a chaotic year for me with a lot of profound change, and to come into 2010 and forge alliances and business relationships with those who are just as hungry to succeed as I am was a breath of fresh air.

*WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BUT HAVEN'T GOTTEN A CHANCE TO DO YET?

I want to produce and direct at least one of the Three screenplays I'm working on.

*WHAT IS YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL IN LIFE? (WHATS THE ONE THING YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH AND YOU'LL JUST BE LIKE OK I'M DONE.)

I want to see all of my colleagues and business partners realize their dreams, and then some.