Occasionally there are circumstances that require you to take the road less traveled if things aren’t happening the way you’ve planned. For up and coming hip hop artists it seems like the obvious path to success starts by achieving street credibility in your own city before pursuing it elsewhere. But what works for one person may not work for the next. In which case you might want to get creative and have a plan B. Take Pill for example, who prior to being signed, was gaining momentum on his own with no management or label behind him. His hardcore raps paint a vivid picture about the tough streets of Atlanta, but similarly the crowd was also tough on him as an artist. It wasn’t until he made a name for himself outside of his city that he began to get noticed. He did this by using our good old friend the internet, and by doing shows in other cities like New York and L.A. Even if you don’t appreciate his music at least appreciate his hustle.
- Pill was born Tyrone Rivers in Atlanta, Georgia.
- He grew up in the Kimberly Court Projects and stayed on 4180 Cant street but moved to different neighborhoods as a child.
- Pill’s childhood was difficult as he watched his mother battle drug addiction, his older brothers facing prison sentences, and dealing with not having real home.
- In high school, his escapes from reality were playing sports and music.
- He passed up a football scholarship to pursue rapping.
- Although he’s been rapping since the 3rd grade he got his start with Killer Mike and the group Grind Time Rap Gang.
- Pill’s musical inspirations are Tupac, Biggie, Jay-Z, Outcast, and Scarface, just to name a few.
- He says for a long time he was ‘trapping’ and rapping at the same time until he realized where he wanted to go in life.
- His video for ‘Trap Goin’ Ham’ became an internet sensation because of its honest reality of Atlanta’s drug-dealing neighborhoods.
- Pill’s first mixtape 4180: The Prescription was released in 2009 and received a co-sign from André 3000.
- In 2009 he was featured in The Source magazine in the Unsigned Hype section and in XXL Magazine’s Show & Prove section.
- 4180: The Prescription was also recognized by Ozone Magazine as Mixtape of the Month.
- Later in 2009 he released his second mixtape 4075: The Refill.
- He uses the street numbers from addresses where he lived as names for his mixtapes.
- Pill’s internet following and street credibility launched a bidding war between many major labels such as Universal Motown, Def Jam, and Interscope.
- In January 2009, Pill signed with Asylum Records.
- In 2010 he released his third mixtape 1140: The Overdose hosted by DJ Drama.
- He was featured in XXL Freshmen 10 in 2010.
- Pill has been featured on several albums and mixtapes including Killer Mike’s Underground Atlanta Compilation, Freddie Gibb’s Str8 Killa No Filla, Mark Ronson’s Record Collection, and Tech N9ne’s All 6’s and 7’s album.
- He was signed to Rick Ross’ label Maybach Music Group in February 2011.
- In the summer of 2011 he released Self Made Vol. 1 with Maybach Music Group members.
- In 2011 he also released The Diagnosis mixtape.
- He is currently working on an untitled project with Big Boi and Killer Mike and 2 albums titled The Epidemic and The Medicine.
During an interview at the 2010 SXSW Digiwax showcase, here’s what Pill had to say to those trying to break into the music industry: “Stay down and get your hustle on. Gotta be a constant grind and understand that it don’t come overnight and put your all into it. Like… I bear my soul in rap. So I feel like they should do the same and really study the art of music in itself and really understand the origin of it. So they can actually be able to go forward with it and not be doing it because it’s something to do. Because if it’s something to do for you then you probably shouldn’t be doing it. If you don’t love it 100%, if it’s not a part of you, if it’s not like etched in your soul then you shouldn’t do it. So I just want to let them know that. Stay true to what you believe in and don’t take no for an answer and you’ll succeed.”
Post by: Rosie J – music marketer
@StudioDiva
