DEEZO

DEEzo

In an industry saturated with cookie cutter artists, acts that can separate themselves from the packwithout compromising their content have an instant advantage. Rappers like Kanye West, B.o.B.and Drake have used this unyielding formula on their way to gold, platinum, and multi-platinum success.

Rapidly emerging as the next superstar to take the industry by storm, while staying true to hismusical roots, is Golden State go-getter DEEzo (formerly known as K-DEEz). Padding his resume with a string of underground hits and performances across the nation, the rising rap star is currently prepping the upcoming release of his highly anticipated new project, Ten10Eighty7.

“I have a very unique sound. You can put me in a room with some of the biggest artists and I feel like I will stand out by just being me,” explains the 24-year-old pen pusher. “I’m trying to break stereotypes about people in Southern Cali. You might look at us a certain way, but we are way deeper than people think we are.”

DEEzo got his love for hip-hop honest. Born Derrick Reed in Fresno, California, D’s estranged father was a hip-hop producer who crafted beats for West Coast legends like, Spice 1 and C-Boin the early ‘90s. After moving to Los Angeles in grade school, Reed began rapping as an attempt to connect with the father he never knew.

“That was my way of trying to reach my dad,” he remembers. “I never met my dad or talked to him. I felt like if I was good enough to do music we would eventually meet and bond on that level.”

After perfecting his craft throughout his formative years, the aspiring spitter took his career to the next level after moving to San Diego to attend San Diego State University. In 2008, he crafted his first single, the bouncy dance cut, “Diamond 2 Step.” The song garnered a big enough buzz in So Cal to land the neophyte rapper a sit-down meeting with Def Jam A&R,Lenny S. A few months later he released his debut mixtape, Behind The Glory. In 2010, hecontinued his win streak with the hit single “Dip It” featuring, Audio Push. The accompanying mini movie for the track features actor, Kel Mitchell. The party-starting hit appears on the much talked about mixtape, Ready For My Close Up, which was released the same year.

His ever growing buzz has also landed him performances on BET’s 106&Park and the nationally renowned SXSW Festival, as well as gigs at The House of Blues and opening up forGame, J. Cole, Tyga and Slick Rick.

Just recently, he dropped the 15-track project 22 Summers which contains features from Kid Inkand Ahmad The Entertainer. The mixtape also captures the young wordsmith showing his vocal range, paying homage to the old school soul and blues artists who helped map the hip-hop landscape.

“I thought that [old school] music was hella real,” he says. “I feel like the best way you can express music is through melodies. I adopted that into my style and it works for me.”

Currently crafting his biggest and most personal project to date, Ten10Eighty7, due for a Fall2012 release, DEEzo is hoping for a chance to give the world a different side of Cali, one that’s not portrayed in the movies or in gangsta raps.

“My music sounds totally different. It’s off the beaten path of what’s going on out here,” says DEEzo. “I feel like I will definitely be next up. It’s all about timing. I just got to keep working.”

Go get it.