B.V. Bridges

There is something about B.V. Bridges you can’t quite put your finger on; there is something that makes him special. He has a certain presence on stage that exudes this aura. You can hear it in the delivery of his rhymes. It is an air that goes beyond confidence, but falls short of arrogance. It is almost like he knows something that nobody else knows, and every time he is before you, he is on the verge of spilling the secret; yet if he does, he knows he will lose his position of power. So he hints, and whispers, and tiptoes around it, and all the while, you are simply captivated. One critic turned fan opined “His flow/style/swagger are simply amazing and bleeds through every word. The passion that he rhymes with is simply worthy of being called...Explosive! Who else could rhyme laid back and chill... then blaze the track with so much emotion that even a whisper commands respect!”

While B.V. Bridges had already been creating music for several years leading into 2004, it was only during the production of his 2nd album, The Shallow End, where he began to develop a persona as awesome as the music itself. Bridges was frustrated after his first project, Still Waters Run Deep, didn’t really catch on because for him, it represented his inspiration for being a rap artist. The album was his position paper where he stated his goal to change people’s misconceptions and eliminate the stereotypes that are so consistently perpetuated in today’s Hip-Hop culture. To this day, he still contends, “the depth of content, power of delivery, and sincerity of message make that album one of the best albums I have ever heard, lyrically.” But being a college graduate, and marketing major to boot, even he understood that depth, power, and sincerity are not the easiest things to sell in entertainment.

Yet, Bridges was reluctant to even give the impression that he was abandoning his purpose until he came across a quote by Sojourner Truth which stated, “I sell the shadow to support the substance.” That quote would come to epitomize not only The Shallow End as an album concept, but B.V. Bridges as an artist; his music had transformed, and along the way, the musician transcended.

Bridge’s approach to music has since changed from, “what is the greatest thing I can say,” to “how great can I make something sound.” As he put it, “It’s not good enough to just put a diamond ring in a girl’s face and say ‘marry me.’ You have to put all the trimmings on it, and set the mood with a romantic dinner, and candlelight, with some Luther Vandross playing in the background; the whole 9. The packaging is just as important if not more so than the present itself.” So while B.V. continues to embed his music with carefully crafted jewels of wisdom and wordplay, his music is even more distinguished by the overall vibe of the track; from the delivery of his rhymes to the emotion of the beats, and the seamless interplay between the two. One listener described it saying, “I don’t know what’s better, the beats or the rhymes. But you guys are battling though, you guys are battling!”

Whether he is being praised for his lyricism by Modesto Poet Laureate Sam Pierstorff, or being called upon by club owners to set the mood for R&B stars such as Ginuwine, or Hip-Hop icons like Naughty by Nature, B.V. Bridges has clearly distinguished himself as the preeminent rap artist in his hometown of Modesto, CA. Hardly a week goes by where a producer, looking to add credibility and a certain flair to a project that only Bridges provides, doesn’t contact B.V. for a guest appearance, or sometimes, even just advice.

Such was the case in 2006 when Marcel Coston, founder of Zelsound Records, approached B.V. to be the focus of a compilation project, and ultimately, the flagship of his label’s artist roster because of what he describes on his website as Bridges’ “incredible wordplay and thought provoking lyrical content.” While flattered by the offer, and tempted by the monetary incentives, Bridges has always had an entrepreneurial spirit of his own and felt being under the direction of Zelsound, at that time, would dampen that spirit. Though the door would close on that opportunity, the offer did encourage B.V. and his family to invest in a professional recording studio where Bridges has been producing records for artists since the end of 2006.

Though B.V. loves the collaborative process and is pleased to have his talents acknowledged and requested by the artists who seek his aide, he has recently begun the production of his 3rd solo album, Invisible Man: the Legend of B.V. Bridges. While still conscious of the “shadow” that has given him a presence, he has decided to use that stature to speak to the opportunity his region, and Hip-Hop as a whole, has to leave a lasting imprint on American culture that will be for the better.

Two early standout songs from production are “Stingy,” and “Let ‘Em Know.” The former is an aggressive track proc