Thug Life Army

On the beautiful Bahama island Nassau, it's 5:45 a.m and rap artist SosaMan, real name Brandon Major is still awake from the night before glued to Russel Simmons'' biography, "Life and Def" - Sex, Drugs, Money and God. This Caribbean hip hop artist continues to explore all the dimensions of hip hop, its movement and its history. Who better to explain it than Hip Hop's first black executive, Russell Simmons. Def Jam's founder describes in his biography this form of music, "Hip Hop is modern mainstream young urban American culture. Hip Hop is expansive in ways it manifest itself, an as a result, its impact is wider." Who knew when Run DMC began touring city to city the history would reach possibly hip hop's newest surprise, SosaMan. "Funny thing is, when Hip Hop in America was going through the major East Coast - West Coast feud, the culture leaked as far as the Bahamas and we were having our own little west coast-east coast war in my small country because of Big and Tupac (2Pac), that's modern mainstream, that’s impact" says SosaMan about Hip Hop's effect on the rest of the world.

The voice we know as rap artist SosaMan continues to lyrically compel listeners to believe a view unseen before, EST presents EarAirMuzik, the album. SosaMan, a name derived from a Caribbean background resembling the names of BeenieMan and Elephant Man but the self - proclaimed "Godson's Godson" is no reggae DJ, a new replica of the new era's voice of article, he is sizing up to become Hip Hop's next "great surprise". EST's SosaMan is preparing hip hop and non-hip hop listeners alike, for the future is in color, "EarAirMuzik." the debut album from SosaMan.

Certainly this is not the first time that the Caribbean culture has touched the masses of the Hip Hop community. Hip Hop's most prominent alumni, hip-hop legend rapper Christopher ''BIG'' Wallace is of Caribbean descent and this list also includes hip-hop and rap celebrity names such as Busta Rhymes and Wyclef Jean of the platinum selling Fugees group. "Face it, Hip Hop has reached, survived and recreated itself in more places than any other genre" says SosaMan.

The Godson's godson holds no punches with his introduction to the music industry, releasing his lead single "Go Girrrl"and his follow up single "Forever Ridin" off of his much anticipated debut, EarAirMuzik (pronounced earmusic). Byron "Young B" Ferguson, producer of SosaMan's single "Go Girrrl" says of SosaMan "He rocks a beat from start to finish, no breaks." In His first single SosaMan spits, "Shake contest, who the winner, who the looser/ Shake it real fast Sos''Man gon choose ya/Army fit, Tuck sick, touch it/ Busted man with no strap and some mustard".

SosaMan, the self -proclaimed ''next thing'' rises above what you would expect from a debut artist and spews bars like a veteran MC, "I grew up in the tit job, face lift era/Playboy, steroids, HIV era/Era of Dave Chapelle, DJ Jelly, Hustle flow pimp era, B.I.G era". Blessed with superior writing skills, this former ametuer poet of the year finalist finds that healthy medium between catchy hooks and complex wordplay. SosaMan, a 24 year old artist, is able to describe his views through historical and present context, blending the two as if he himself lived during the past four decades. Still SosaMan refuses to take himself too seriously, admitting he is a certified party animal as shown in his club instructional "Feet Tickle" (Bend Back, now do it again/ me, you, her, I''m chilling with you and ya friends/ Pretty Hot Diddy Bop/ Ya sister and ya friend hot/ Follow me, Follow you, I could make ya feet Tickle)

Hip Hop artist continue to sell out stadiums around the world, proving that Hip Hop is a staple in many foreign countries'' culture. SosaMan describes the movement by comparing the hip hop industry to that of the NBA. "The international players continue to get better, so the NBA continues to recruit and bring in more international players, only Hip Hop as a culture works like this. Hip Hop like the NBA has seen international talent jump from local success to multi million selling artist. SosaMan dedicates is upcoming album to the ''Air'', refusing to allow his art to be put in a box. In one of SosaMan's more expressive tracks, he shows the world his views, spitting "Take me to a place/ where they don''t know race/ and in my face/ I pack just incase/Incase a nigga forget we both men/ we both niggas in the same fight/ I tell CY/ I better calm down/ Everytime I come around/ Day turns to night/ cause in my head/ I''m already dead/ I''m already F@#% up/ What's ya next move." It may be safe to say, SosaMan may be the ''next thing''.

For more information and to hear music by SosaMan visit www.SosaManmusic.com & www.myspace.com/sosaman