What do you think of when you think about struggling? The kids in the street, no food stomach bubblin' or n****s in the E-Class, heavy drug smugglin'?" – Xzibit
All hip hop bio clichés aside, Eyezon knows struggle all too well. Born in South Africa, he learned firsthand the trials associated with segregation, racism, and poverty. Growing up in difficult times without a father and a mother exiled to Germany for her involvement in the struggle against apartheid, Eyezon found himself moving from relative to relative, children's home,boarding schools, then later in the care of a Young Christian Woman who would create the opportunity for Him and three cousins to move to the U.S. in search of better life.
Having heard hip hop music at school through mixtapes and pirate radio shows etc, Eyezon found something intriguing in the music, and formed his very first group called Ghos'quad' along side Tumi. Eyezon started writting songs dissecting his struggles and confronting the apartheid and racism that ran rampant in South Africa as well as common issues that We as People Face everyday. Though Not his first Language, Eyezon's command for the English has developed over the years along with his unique progressive profound sound in hip hop today .
"imagine listenenning to "It takes a nation Getting lost in translation"
7 Miles From Earth on iTunes
7miles from earth lp. introduces us to Eyezon as he removes himself from his own community and provides an insightful, critical analysis of life in the 21st century. Whether it was struggling through apartheid, being displaced to the United States, or the experiences that Eyezon has had since, something has triggered a breadth of emotion and vibrancy that is rarely matched on record. Don't believe it? Listen for yourself.
Eyezon and Sean Lane are:A People Like Us
A People Like Us was produced entirely by Charlotte, North Carolina-based producer Sean Lane. Initiated through online communities OkayPlayer.com and Soundclick.com, the bi-coastal duo shared a love of music, and decided to digitally craft A People Like Us through file sharing. Eyezon, who has been writing verses since 1994, admits, "I've never worked like this before. All I got was the drum loops, with maybe a sample in the back. Sean Lane went on and added different things to the beats to make them what they are now. We met online and have watched each other grow as men which has been dope. Sean Lane is more of a mainstream producer but-uh, He and I had decided to do a so called solid underground album/project that People could hold on to while paying homage to hip hop without having to dumb it down (swagger with substance)"
The fruit of his years of labor, A People Like Us stands as a testament to the messages of inspiration and perseverance he delivers in his rhymes.
The Single to APLU is "Lord Hold Me" Eyezon and the accompanying video explores the problem of homelessness in the United States by juxtaposing images of Eyezon with startling facts about our nation's poor.
Shot by Ethan Lader, the same director who created J*DaVeY's "Mr. Mister" , T. Pain / 2 Pistols "She Got It"video, the video challenges our complacency and sheds light on an issue that is often overlooked. A mini-doc is also in the works in hopes to aid the people in the video. Their stories and reasons for why they were at that point in their lives is told by them.
"When shooting the video we went out in search of That reality with a small crew and a little bit of cash in search of any homeless folk wanting to answer a few questions and be involved in a music video that would maybe be helpful in the process. lol and for some reason it took us a while to find people for some reason but, the ones We found were genuine People.
I have to say that San Francisco by far has a Lot of resources for the homeless. We There's a men in the video who's selling news papers on a corner if you seent it. on the mini-doc he talks of how He's been workin to save money and had was working to save an x amount more then He was goning to start life. He had a getout of homelessness plan and refused to take our cash without us really purchasing the paper. This we collaborators: Eyezon, Dom, and Ethan(Bless-up)
Paying homage to Common on "I Still Love Her (Hip Hop)" Eyezon reveals the beginning of his infatuation with hip-hop as a child in South Africa. Hailing from a culture that so far as banned rap music for its political connection to the nation's oppressed, Eyezon could only hear hip-hop on the mix tapes and recorded radio shows that his uncle brought back from the U.S. Although Eyezon did not yet know English, he found something intriguing in the music and began to learn the rhythms of the delivery.
One Good Thing 'bout Music!
When It Hits You Feel No Pain!
"Police the Beats and Rap to Guns With Free Speech I'll Unleash The Wrath Of tongues"
(((((((((((((((Hustle ToCatch A Dream))))))))))))
