Surfacing

Turning the spotlight on musicians making a commercial breakthrough. -- CASEY DOLAN

“Bred 2 Die Born 2 Live”

Lil’ Scrappy

G’s Up/BME/Reprise

Artist info: If crunk is your junk, then Scrappy is your pappy. Atlanta native Darryl Kevin Richardson II (a.k.a. Lil’ Scrappy) was “born in the A/raised in the A,” and he takes on an aggressive, confident street style with a highly pumped stage show to deliver a potent form of gangsta rap. His music may not have the dexterous wordplay of a 2Pac or an Eminem, but he more than makes up for it with energy and emphasis.

Back story: Producer and performer Lil’ Jon discovered Lil’ Scrappy during a performance in a hometown Atlanta bar that resulted in a fight. Jon brought Scrappy on board to his label, BME Recordings, home to Trillville. Lil’ Scrappy gradually built credibility and a following through releasing mix tapes throughout the Southeast in 2003. In 2004, he and Trillville had 10 songs each on the album “The King of Crunk & BME Recordings Present Lil’ Scrappy and Trillville.” It provided Lil’ Scrappy’s most successful single to date, “No Problem,” which reached No. 10 on Billboard’s R&B; chart. The new album, executive produced by Lil’ Jon and 50 Cent, has a veritable who’s who of cameos, including Eminem, Yung Joc, Three 6 Mafia and the two executive producers themselves. The video for the second single from the album, “Gangsta, Gangsta,” is an adrenaline-charged car chase, much of which looks to have been shot in downtown L.A.

Influences: 2Pac, Notorious B.I.G., Jay Z, Ludacris, 2 Live Crew

Trivia: A 10-episode TV show, “G’s Up TV,” an online partial documentary providing an in-depth profile of Lil’ Scrappy and incorporating humorous skits with well-known guests, is being webcast over the next few weeks. Three episodes are already online and viewable at https://www.myspace.com/lilscrappy.