RG: When did you first develop the love for music?
ChiWezt: I first developed the love for music when I was six years old. I would listen to my grandmother play music from artists such as Otis Redding, Tyrone Davis, Johnny Taylor and Bobby Womack all the time, and the music moved me.
RG: Which rap artists inspired you as you were growing up?
ChiWezt: The whole Dipset crew with Cam'Ron, Juelz Santana, Jim Jones, etc. Also cats like Jadakiss, Cassidy and Chicago rap legends Twista and Bump J. They all inspired me and spoke the truth.
RG: You also had a love for the game of basketball as a young kid as well. Who were the players that you looked up to?
ChiWezt: Michael Jordan (of course), Scottie Pippen, and Chicago natives Dee Brown, Tim Hardaway, Doc Rivers and Michael Finley.
RG: Favorite athletes presently playing pro sports in Chicago?
ChiWezt: Derrick Rose, Luol Deng and Joakim Noah of the NBA Chicago Bulls....Jay Cutler, Lance Briggs, Brian Urlacher and Matt Forte of the NFL Chicago Bears.
RG: How was your talent discovered initially?
ChiWezt: I started rapping when I was 11 years old, and I would 'battle rap' against my cousins by using wordplay that no one else was using. I would also be on the block and rap against my friends, and they would have me battling older guys for $50-$100 a pop. My friends told me that I had the talent to take it to the next level, and the rest is history!
RG: C.O.M.E. C.L.E.A.N. Entertainment is a great company based out in Wisconsin, headed by its CEO William Rinehart. How much is it a blessing to be affiliated with such a nice roster of up-and-coming musical talent?
ChiWezt: It's a blessing to have a group of individuals that believe in not only in what you believe in, but strive for more goals than you have already set. Like the motto says - Come Clean, or don't come at all!
RG: So many talented, legendary individuals have come out of the Windy City of Chicago such as Don Cornelius, Chaka Khan, Common, Kanye West, R.Kelly, Lupe Fiasco and Jennifer Hudson, just to name a few. Do you feel any pressure all in trying to maintain that long, proud tradition with the musical lane you're creating for yourself?
ChiWezt: These historical legends have definitely set a standard for the up-and-coming artists hailing from Chicago, and so I have a lot of pressure on my back. But this comes naturally for our kind in the Midwest. We tend to excel through all obstacles, and with the musical lane that I'm creating for myself, it should be a cinch! (Laughs)
RG: What projects do you currently have going on?
ChiWezt: I curently have a mixtape out right now titled 'FOAM NATION' with the artist CUPID of 'Cupid Shuffle' fame. It's hosted by DJ Fusion out of Madison, Wisconsin. The mixtape has done really well and I'll be releasing more material via mixtapes during the course of 2K12 with Fusion and other DJs as well.
RG: What's the best advice you've ever received from either of your parents while growing up?
ChiWezt: My dad told me that there will be a lot of 'trial and error' dealing with people that don't understand you, and that 'only you can show and prove to your own self.' My dad also shared with me that 'you are your own worst enemy.'
RG: What's the best piece of advice you can give to a talented young man who aspires to get into the music business and succeed as a Hip-Hop artist?
ChiWezt: My best piece of advice to up-and-coming aspiring artists is to chase your dream, for there are snakes with rattles at the end of their tail, waiting to strike you and bring you down. It's up to you to avoid falling into that trap. When you're not working, someone else is!
www.ComeCleanEnt.com
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