Whether Wiz Khalifa or Pittsburgh Slim, the Steel City got a foothold in the game in the Double-O-Seven. With that current attention comes a new class of talent that's ready and waiting for the check-writers, tour stops and visionary A&Rs.
Twenty-two year-old Boaz just might be that dude. As part of The Govament, a longstanding Pittsburgh rap outfit, remembered by some for a misunderstanding with Jim Jones a few years back, Boaz seems to have a unique swagger. He can rhyme alongside Black Rob in one verse, and Sean Price in the next. From a city still deciding on whether it meets the midwest thump, the down south club or the east coast grit, Boaz carves a lane more aligned with the esteemed rappers of the '90s than the later trend-watchers.
With his The Phenomenal mixtape making much noise, and a critical cosign from Urb magazine, Boaz, whose name means strength, might be well-armored for the fight to fit into a crowded marketplace. DXnext shows you why. Play Single
Repping: Pittsburgh, PA.
Sentence: Twelve years, having picked up his pen when he was only 10 to write his first rhyme.
Most Influential Person in Hip-Hop: Jay-Z,“he has stood up for Hip Hop the best.”
Credentials: Two solo mixtapes, Intent to Deliver and Phenomenal. Four projects with the Govament of which he is still an active member. Appeared on Hot 97 with The Govament, and has collaborated with Black Rob, Wiz Khalifa, Cadillac Tah, Peedi Crakk, Sean Price, and Trife da God.
Leader of the New School: Boaz cites his passion as an obvious difference between him and his peers. Yet it is his hustle and ambition that have warranted him a spot on Urb’s Next 100 List.
On his city: “Pittsburgh has an emerging music scene. It’s growing; it is a collage of music and artists doing different things and not just Hip Hop. It’s brand new and there’s a lot of good things going on and its good to be a part of an emerging scene as people look to areas that are coming up to see what is making it emerge. I consider myself one of the pioneers of Pittsburgh.”
Is he a product of his environment: “This is where I am from, but I am a chameleon. I am a product of my environment but I wouldn’t have any problems adapting to yours. It’s not about where you are from to me; it is about where you are at and what you become. You can’t just base things on where you are when you have to be able to cater to more. If you stay grounded to your environment that is all you are going to relate too and I think you should broaden your horizons. Nowadays, I would say a lot of rappers fail to broaden theirs and it’s hard to be original today with what’s ‘hip’ being so lucrative.”
Rappers As Role Models: “I would like to be seen as a role model. Entertainers are what kids look to as role models nowadays as that is what kids see on TV. Entertainers have the most influence in the world so we should be trying to make some sort of positive impact. That’s why people try to down on Hip Hop so much as it doesn’t have the positive influence that it should have. It should be making a difference to a lot of lives.”
DX Breaks It Down: Your name is your identity when all is said and done. Boaz in the biblical sense means 'strength,' and obviously this young emcee hailing from a city known more for its Fortune 500 companies that its Hip Hop, hopes to carry Pittsburgh’s Hip Hop scene on his shoulders. The attention Boaz has garnered is coming from a mass of influential mediums who have supported and encouraged Hip Hop's finest when they were emerging. Could they all be wrong? Highly unlikely.
DXnext likes to close out the year with a bang, and Boaz has the appeal, the capabilities and the delivery to allow us to do just that. People need to stop living in the past and embrace the future, as Boaz is a critical part of it.
Twenty-two year-old Boaz just might be that dude. As part of The Govament, a longstanding Pittsburgh rap outfit, remembered by some for a misunderstanding with Jim Jones a few years back, Boaz seems to have a unique swagger. He can rhyme alongside Black Rob in one verse, and Sean Price in the next. From a city still deciding on whether it meets the midwest thump, the down south club or the east coast grit, Boaz carves a lane more aligned with the esteemed rappers of the '90s than the later trend-watchers.
With his The Phenomenal mixtape making much noise, and a critical cosign from Urb magazine, Boaz, whose name means strength, might be well-armored for the fight to fit into a crowded marketplace. DXnext shows you why. Play Single
Repping: Pittsburgh, PA.
Sentence: Twelve years, having picked up his pen when he was only 10 to write his first rhyme.
Most Influential Person in Hip-Hop: Jay-Z,“he has stood up for Hip Hop the best.”
Credentials: Two solo mixtapes, Intent to Deliver and Phenomenal. Four projects with the Govament of which he is still an active member. Appeared on Hot 97 with The Govament, and has collaborated with Black Rob, Wiz Khalifa, Cadillac Tah, Peedi Crakk, Sean Price, and Trife da God.
Leader of the New School: Boaz cites his passion as an obvious difference between him and his peers. Yet it is his hustle and ambition that have warranted him a spot on Urb’s Next 100 List.
On his city: “Pittsburgh has an emerging music scene. It’s growing; it is a collage of music and artists doing different things and not just Hip Hop. It’s brand new and there’s a lot of good things going on and its good to be a part of an emerging scene as people look to areas that are coming up to see what is making it emerge. I consider myself one of the pioneers of Pittsburgh.”
Is he a product of his environment: “This is where I am from, but I am a chameleon. I am a product of my environment but I wouldn’t have any problems adapting to yours. It’s not about where you are from to me; it is about where you are at and what you become. You can’t just base things on where you are when you have to be able to cater to more. If you stay grounded to your environment that is all you are going to relate too and I think you should broaden your horizons. Nowadays, I would say a lot of rappers fail to broaden theirs and it’s hard to be original today with what’s ‘hip’ being so lucrative.”
Rappers As Role Models: “I would like to be seen as a role model. Entertainers are what kids look to as role models nowadays as that is what kids see on TV. Entertainers have the most influence in the world so we should be trying to make some sort of positive impact. That’s why people try to down on Hip Hop so much as it doesn’t have the positive influence that it should have. It should be making a difference to a lot of lives.”
DX Breaks It Down: Your name is your identity when all is said and done. Boaz in the biblical sense means 'strength,' and obviously this young emcee hailing from a city known more for its Fortune 500 companies that its Hip Hop, hopes to carry Pittsburgh’s Hip Hop scene on his shoulders. The attention Boaz has garnered is coming from a mass of influential mediums who have supported and encouraged Hip Hop's finest when they were emerging. Could they all be wrong? Highly unlikely.
DXnext likes to close out the year with a bang, and Boaz has the appeal, the capabilities and the delivery to allow us to do just that. People need to stop living in the past and embrace the future, as Boaz is a critical part of it.
