buttaz

New York rapper Buttaz doesn’t pretend to be something that he’s not. Growing up in the suburbs, he’s chosen to stay absolutely true to himself and draw upon his own life to inspire his art. This sets Buttaz apart from most of his contemporaries and the legions of emcees today. He won’t rap about jewelry, cash, or guns that he doesn’t have. His lyrics are universally relatable which allows him to move a crowd at a house party or rock a packed house at your favorite local venue. Backed by banging production that mixes pop and club music influences, Buttaz is putting together an arsenal of hits that reflect both his persona and range of influences. Growing up in New Rochelle, New York, just outside of the big city, the allure of the bright lights and the fast life turned a young Buttaz’ imagination from sports to music. Enamored in the late-90s and early 2000s with the music of Jay-Z, Royce Da 5’9”, D-Block, and Fabolous, Buttaz began to study his trade. Shortly after picking up the pad and the mic, he was ripping MCs in battles around his home city and managed to impress the up-and-coming production crew known as CPR Productions, headed by Phoenix, who is now signed to Scram Jones’ Beast Music imprint and working with G-Unit as well as New York up-and-comer AC. Buttaz ended up lending his vocal talents to the skits and intro on Phoenix’s 2006 mixtape, Second Impressions, for New York’s Tapemasters, Inc. The lead single, “What’s That Noise?!,” boasting an infectiously catchy hook and set to a hard yet danceable beat from Phoenix, has been gaining momentum on college campuses for months. And that’s only a small sample of the heat fans can expect from Buttaz’ debut album, due in the summer of 2009.