Word of mouth has taken Jive Records’ newest hip-hop artist Petey Pablo many places -- literally. Within the course of two years, the Greensville, North Carolina, native moved to New York and gained the respect of music industry veterans and copped a record deal with Jive Records. Having already appeared on Mystikal’s double-platinum album and on Black Rob’s “Whoa!” remix, it was time for the world to meet the rapper that hip hop diva Missy Elliot hailed as the illest MC Down South.

“I go everywhere on the album. I talk about everything. You ain’t gonna hear no bling, blingin’, that I killed 15,000 people, or how much my car cost or how many cars I got – cause that ain’t rap. I only write what I feel, what I believe, what I have done, or what I want to do. Everything is real. As wild as some stuff may sound in my rhymes, either I’ve done it, thought about doing it, is gon’ do it or I been through it in some shape, form, or fashion.”

Petey’s interest in music was sparked at a young age via the church and the school where he learned to sing and acted in plays. Although he originally dreamed of being a singer, the North Carolina native quickly became fascinated with hip-hop in junior high school where he began rapping with a local crew. Long after his crew disbanded, Pablo kept rapping until he finally decided to make a move into the world.

With nothing but determination and “a hole in a doughnut,” Petey picked up and headed North. In New York, Petey’s resilience, easy going ways, and rhyming ability helped him land a few celebrity friends like Busta Rhymes, Mystikal and Black Rob.

It was the one night while Petey was chillin’ with Black Rob at a club in New York that would change his life forever. “We was in the bathroom rhymin’ and Jive’s head A&R walked in the bathroom while we were in there. It was like me, Rob, Doug E. Fresh, and a whole lotta kids. So the A&R walked into the bathroom and asked me if I was signed, and I was like ‘nah.’ He was like come over to Jive and we’ll give you anything you want.”

Word of mouth contributed to creating a serious industry buzz on this Southern MC. That’s why, by the time legendary super-producer Timbaland met him, he was already a fan. “Timbaland had been looking for me cause he heard me on the Black Rob 'Whoa! Remix,'” says Petey. "When we went to Miami, I seen Missy and she was like ‘this is Petey Pablo,’ and he was like ‘I’ve been looking for you.’ And it’s been on and poppin’ ever since.”

With music from such producers as Timbaland, Prophecy, Abnormal and Petey Pablo himself, Diary Of A Sinner: Firsts Entry, Petey’s first album, was one of the most welcome debuts of last year. His single,“Raise Up,” was immediately embraced down South as an anthem, to eventually become was of the best selling rap records of the year, according to Billboard magazine.

Petey is currently working on his sophomore project titled Still Writing In My Diary: II Entry . The album will hit the shelves early next year. In the meantime, the new single Freek-A-Leek can be heard on radio stations nationwide.

Source WUSL-Power99 - Fuente WUSL-Power99