Patitin e n Wai tgly
W
hile most artists that aren’t from the South feel the need to migrate there to get attention in the music game these days, Milwaukee natives Streetz and Young Deuces are making noise in the South from their own backyard.
The two rappers and blood cousins started performing at an early age with other artists before they came together. They found that their styles were versatile, yet complimentary making them the perfect combination to keep their fans wanting more. They decided to join forces to create their own rap group and become co-CEOs of their own label EMP. “We make music that people can feel and our style is kind of hard to categorize, but that’s what makes it so good,” says Young Deuces. “Our style is so universal. We can rock over an East coast track or a down South type beat, and still keep our fans, without them feeling like we sold out.” Their 2009 nomination for a Southern Entertainment Award speaks volumes to the impact that they are having in outside markets. Since the nomination, they have been putting in work like politicians on the campaign trail, shaking hands and kissing babies, and heavily through their Myspace, Facebook, email, and text campaigns. While they hope to take home the award, the group feels the nomination is an honor within itself.
“It was a shocker because in the South there are so many independents and they’re doing their thing,” Deuces says. “For us to be nominated put us in a good place and made us feel like all of the hard work we’ve been doing is really paying off.” Streetz and Young Deuces take pride in their accomplishments and assure their fans that this is only the tip of the iceberg. They created their buzz with no major artist or DJ as their co-signor, just sheer grind. Showing their faces at every major conference or music summit they could find and performing at every given opportunity, networking has been the name of their game. Streetz credits the group’s management team for guiding them in making connections, leaving impressions and following up on conversations. The duo made such an impression on CRUNK!!! Energy Drink representatives that the company decided to sponsor them. This move added Streetz and Young Deuces to a southern dominated roster alongside the likes of Bohagon and OZONE Magazine. “We’re from the Midwest, which gets overlooked a lot in the [rap game], so we know we’ve got to go harder,” says Young Deuces. “We rep the Midwest everywhere we go and most of our fans are in the Midwest. We’re trying to bring attention to where we’re from. Our music is a movement.” Words by Le’Deana Brown Photo by Rick Porter
OZONE MAG // 93