Building blocks: “After high school, I performed at community centers and teenage nightclubs. Whenever there was a DJ, I’d be at the DJ booth trying to get on the microphone, or I’d be in the parking lot afterwards freestyling and battling. I got signed to a local record label in ‘99. I did a compilation album with them. It didn’t do what I expected but it motivated me and put me in a position where I was performing at skating rinks, banquet halls and the Fly City music festivals. It was all a stepping stone to get me to this point.”
Listen to “Ohio” from the new album, “Student of the Game,” from Dayton rapper OG Rodney Evans:
Setting a standard: “Outside of rap, I’m a leadership consultant. I talk with people, uplift them and remind them who they are, which trickled over to the music. I couldn’t put out a project without substance. I’m somebody’s father. I’m an adult male. I didn’t want to come out and murder people on songs and have sex. The language is very curbed. There are things I’m not talking about on purpose. I challenged myself with the verbiage on this project. I used words other than the common curse words. I’m the author, so I say what’s cool.”
Timely advice: “I just wanted to get the music out. I didn’t want it to sit in my phone and never materialize. I didn’t want to die with these ideas inside of me. The goal was actually to do one album and be done. I mentioned that to my engineer, Matt Gerace, during the recording process. He said, ‘No, dude, you can’t be done. This is fire. You’ve got a lot of talent. The feedback we’re getting, they want more and more.’ Matt was very instrumental on this particular project, and he also talked me into doing more. I have other songs recorded. OG means a lot of things but out of gas isn’t one.”
Artist info: www.instagram.com/o.g_rodney_evans.
Contact this contributing writer at 937-287-6139 or donthrasher100@gmail.com.
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