Rapzilla.com’s 15 Freshmen of 2015


nobigdyl.

nobigdyl., a Tennessee-based hip-hop artist, will drop his debut EP this month.

Like Lawren, he’s been able to create a buzz with only a few singles, like “beauty.” featuring Chad Jones.

Rapzilla: When did you decide that you wanted to pursue music?

nobigdyl.: I’ve been writing, recording and performing music since I was 11. I’ve always loved the art of writing and vocal expression, but didn’t consider it a career until 2014. Once Derek Minor fired me as his road manager and told me to pursue music, that’s when it all changed. He told me that I had too much talent to be road managing. That’s when I started to see it as a viable career.

RZ: What has been the most memorable moment of your career thus far?

N: I played a show in my hometown of Murfreesboro, Tennessee a few months ago, and we packed out a local venue called Bonhoeffer’s. We had a drummer, guitarist and a DJ — all friends of mine — and the energy in the crowd was awesome. It was amazing to see people that I know and care about motivated and encouraged by my music. Middle Tennessee has really gotten behind me, and I can’t express how grateful I am for that.

RZ: What should fans be on the lookout for musically from you in 2015?

N: Smoke Signal will be released on January 19 and is my introduction to a lot of listeners. I poured my heart and soul into that project and I’m excited to see how God uses it. We’ll be dropping a bunch of videos throughout the year and more music towards the end of the year also.

Oscar Urbina

Miami-based hip-hop artist Oscar Urbina, formerly with CTF Records, released his debut project, Finally last January.

This July at Legacy Conference in Chicago, Urbina won the Rapzilla 16 Bar Challenge.

Rapzilla: When did you decide that you wanted to pursue music?

Oscar Urbina: I decided to start pursuing music at age 15.

RZ: What has been the most memorable moment of your career thus far?

OU: The most memorable moment of my career thus far was the day that I officially came out with my first project Finally in early 2014.

RZ: What should fans be on the lookout for musically from you in 2015?

OU: In 2015, fans should be on the lookout for my second project coming out soon with the title to be announced.

Sam Ock

Sam Ock, a Korean rapper and singer from Maryland, has churned out music over the past year.

Last week, he released a solo album under the record label Good Fruit Co., Grey. He dropped a collaborative album with John Rhee called Laus Deo in October and another solo album, Stages, last March.

Rapzilla: When did you decide that you wanted to pursue music?

Sam Ock: I began to see that music was a calling in my life at the end of high school. I was involved in eight music ensembles (wind ensemble, marching band, choir, jazz band, etc.) and was heavily involved in the musicals at my high school. I was also heavily involved in the praise band at church and began to lead praise for my high school group as a senior. It was around this time where many people in my life confirmed that this internal feeling of being called to music was something that they also saw in me. I then decided to pursue studying music in college, and from there, God kept opening doors to new places and opportunities. I’ve been trying to be faithful to him since that time.

RZ: What has been the most memorable moment of your career thus far?

SO: A particularly impressionable moment in my career was last year at the Grand Mint Festival in Korea, where I had the opportunity to perform in front of thousands of Korean people. I reflected on how God has taken the music that I made in my basement and taken me to places I never thought I would go for music, like Japan, a place particularly unreached by the gospel, and Korea, my ethnic motherland.

RZ: What should fans be on the lookout for musically from you in 2015?

SO: You can expect a new album from my group AMP, as well as an album from J. Han from AMP, which I will be doing a lot of production for.

David Daniels
David Daniels
David Daniels is a columnist at Rapzilla.com and the managing editor of LegacyDisciple.org. He has been published at Desiring God, The Gospel Coalition, Christianity Today, CCM Magazine, Bleacher Report, The Washington Times and HipHopDX.
RELATED ARTICLES

Most Popular