Ike Dirty: Struggle, Territory & Spinal Injuries

Throughout the streets of Bushwick, Brooklyn, the neighborhood kids pedal bicycles in search of adventure while industrious mothers attend to the household. Jingles from the ice cream truck sweeten the air with promises of sugar-sticky chins and elbows. Open fire hydrants spray relief to any and all who are willing to get a little wet while the occasional Yukon or Explorer rolls its twenty-inch rims over the dark asphalt. Men gather on the corner and guard their conversation with icy stares. The concrete is gray, the trees are green and the sky is blue.

"It's a borough. A regular borough with people doing regular things", Ike Dirty offers about his hometown from the basement recording studio of Rockboy Street Records where he, DJ Nu and the rest of the Teflon Entertainment team have been working on his forthcoming debut album, "Life Ain't FairPlay Dirty".

The Bed-Stuy native has been at it for years without label support, having left his mark on the underground scene. Now, with polished production from D/R Period who has worked with the likes of Rakim, M.O.P., Smooth Da Hustler and Foxy Brown, paired with mainstream distribution from Select Records, Ike is sitting right where he wants to be.

"I wanna relax. I been on my feet all my life," laughs the 26-year old emcee. "Runnin' for this, that or the other thing. Somewhere at the end of the struggle, there must be something for me."

Dirty's been in the game long enough to have seen his share and paid his dues. "It ain't about no cars, dog. We doin' that", he explains. "It ain't about no jewelry or dubs and all that. We doin' that." Ike begins to vent after a lifetime of struggle and an obligatory bid. "It ain't about no broads, dog. We be doin' that", he stresses. "Know what I'm sayin'? That's simple. That's regular. It's about security."

Security lends itself to many things for this man, who's braided hair springs from his head and almost touches the low ceiling of a studio impressively laid out with enough audio decks and boards to cross-up a NASA engineer. "The reason why I'm like this is because I went through that. I know now and gotta see something different."

"People ask me if I speak this straight, homicidal crazy shit. This negativity", Dirty tells in regards to the corner of rappers who may front harder than they need to. "I'm like, Yo, I represent reality.'"

Late this summer, when the album drops, reality is coming with heavy club vibe and a beat that is nothing but ugly. The single, "Bounce" is what Ike Dirty bills "Snap Yo Neck Music". "We got the club joints. Not club like, Dance. Take your shirt off on some techno shit'", he confirms. "We on some real hard shit. Some straight basement shit. Matter of fact, you gon' need a neckbrace."