BILLY ROADZ

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Fresh out of Brick City, New Jersey, rises one of the hottest MC's to hit the streets. At the tender age of thirteen he got his first taste of love when he performed at an elementary school for WBLS own Dr. Bob Lee. From that moment on, this young MC has respect for every aspect of music, especially Hip-Hop. With creativity, charisma, stage presence, and skill, this young man wants to give the world a taste of his style; taking us all back to the way hip-hop should be. One asks, "What is the true style of MC-ing?"---and the answer is bringing that skill to rap, of the listener being completely engrossed by what the rapper has to say. Who is this talented young man? His government name is William Rhodes, a.k.a. Billy Roadz. Street name is Y.B., short for Youngblood. Be prepared to meet this extravagant individual who is ready to take you to another level of Hip-Hop.



His nickname, Y.B., comes from his nickname as a child, from his neighborhood's older residents. His attitude is best described by his motto and the tentative title of his new album "Mind of a City Slicker, Heart of a Country Nigga." This means he feels that he has the fearless heart of a person from the country, but, being from one of the largest cities on the East Coast, he will always have the mind of a city slicker. This phrase can also describe the city of Newark, which is located between the busy city of New York and the slow country state of Pennsylvania. Representing Chancellor, from Sly Street to Maple Ave., Y.B. is reppin' the streets of New Jersey.



He began in many groups from the Skilled Assassins to the STR , but his personality and skills were too strong to be locked into a group setting. With experience ranging from opening for former Universal artist Loose on a promotional college tour, working with Derrick Angelete a.k.a. D-Dot, R.O.C. (formerly of So-So-Def), Charlemagne, Kool and the Gang, D-12, Outsiders, Faith Evans, and Treach's Garden State Grape Project, this up-and-coming rap artist has some notches on his belt. His debut in an independent film titled "Rap War I" in a major role as the villain "Duke Don" shows other talents that remain to be discovered. Y.B. has appeared on Essex County's "Rook Castle," a talk show that showcases talent and skills from local New Jersey artists. PIFF DVDs and SMACK DVDs with Redman are examples of footage that Y.B. is active in.



One might wonder where his love of music comes from and what is the driving force behind his dream of being the hottest MC on the block. It all started as a young kid, watching his mother do housework. She would listen to classic R&B like Etta James, Al Green, Marvin Gaye, and the like. His appreciation of music began then with R&B and, of course, continued during the 80s and 90s with classic Hip-Hop.



Y.B. had a tough upbringing. He sold drugs as a teenager and stopped selling at the age of 20 when he witnessed his father, who was his hero, buying drugs from an associate. This transaction leads to disagreements with his family so he moved out to pursue a better life for himself and his family while residing in a friends basement. He struggled with his next moves: leaving the streets and pursuing a career. Once Y.B. heard Nas' "Represent" off of the "Illmatic" record, he decided he wanted to seriously pursue his rap career to help his family escape the living situation they were in.



This is just an introduction of the artist we bring to you who will be the next biggest