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The best kept secret in music
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SOS: What's your real name?
Gifted: Marquis Hall
SOS: At what age did you start rapping?
Gifted: Around 13, 14... i was a younging
SOS: Tell us about growing up in Jersey?
Gifted: At that time when I was tryin to break out into the industry Jersey was kinda on the scene but really wasnt. You know you had Redman, Naughty By Nature, Queen Latifah, Joe Budden and many more. Growing up in Jersey was cool. Many famous people often move to Jersey once they get some money. But me on the other hand I lived in the hood and my main focus was tryin to stay alive to see another day. Point blank period!
SOS: How did it feel being the only boy growing up around a group of girls?
Gifted: (lol) It was cool.. at times it got lonely because I would want to do boy things like basketball and racing but my older sisters wanted to play with dolls and stuff.. (lol) but it was cool because my older sisters schooled me on what a girl wants so I had an advantage over most dudes.. (laughs)
SOS: "The Paper Chase" was your first mixtape did you decide you wanted to it by yourself or you wanted to show the world you can do it yourself
Gifted: Basically around that time I had got fed up with dealing with people who was bulls****ing! I was working with a team from around my way and after a while they didnt want to work anymore so I said forget it imma go on my own. Bought me a 7 dollar microphone from walmart, got fruity loops then acid and it was a wrap from there.. The quality was terrible but it was a raw mixtape and it really help put me out there.
SOS: Are there any new mixtapes or albums in the works?
Gifted: Im currently working on my second solo mixtape entitled "I.AM.GIFTED The Introduction" but since I did the whole major deal I might withhold that mixtape to focus on the album. Soo yes the album is coming I dont have an exact date yet but its coming. During this process I'll be doing some music and I will allow my fans to download it for free.
SOS: What was your reaction when you got the call about being signed to a major label?
Gifted: Wow.. (laughs) it was crazy because when Clif called me (shoutout to him) I was like this cant be true.. I was like nahh this is a dream. People always tell me what they can do for me and things like that but once I met up with Clif in New York then I recieved the contract I was like damn this is real. I didnt understand the whole process at first but afterwhile it was clear to me that it is finally my time and Clif was ready and serious to sign me!
SOS: Who are you signed with?
Gifted: Futch Entertainment/Universal Records
SOS: Being from Jersey what makes you different from any other artist out of Jersey?
Gifted: What makes me different is my grind. I dont think anyone grinds as hard as me. I have done shows in and out of my state, been on mixtapes in and out of my state, cover of this magazine and got signed and during that time I never had a stable manager. There was never really a "Team" behind me. I had people that helped every now and then but basically at the end of the day it was just me there promoting, emailing and recording myself. Dont get me wrong I get help.. and on top of it all im lyrically iller than most dudes and my style is so versitile. I can make a club song and then turn around and go way left with a song that makes you really think. All the while im still producing and song writing so I have a better chance of being in the industry longer than most dudes from Jersey.
SOS: We hear your a producer as well, so how can a artist get in touch with you about production?
Gifted: Im very much on MySpace so you can hit me up on there. or email me personally at Nextlevelmg@gmail.com but I only take serious offers and NO I DO NOT GIVE AWAY FREE BEATS! (laughs)
SOS: What can we expect from Gifted next year?
Gifted: Hopefully next year I will the number one single out! Thats basically it im taking everything one step at a time because this industry will try to spread you thin. But im prayin that this time next year the album will be done and everyone will enjoy it.
SOS: What is one of the biggest obstacles you've had to overcome being in the music industry?
Gifted: The biggest obstacle I faced was doing everything I can to stand out. Because everybody raps now so being an artist you have to be just that.. an ARTIST.. which means creative and different. So I had prided myself on being just that different.
SOS: When did you hear your first track on radio and what was the name of the song?
Gifted: The first joint I had on the radio was "Around Me" on Sirus Satellite radio. That was the first and last time. So I think I need to change that.. (laughs)
SOS: Who are your influences?
Gifted: What influences me the most is me. This life I live. I speak on it a lot because I have seen so much. I have lived through soo much. And to be able to be alive and healthy means a lot.
SOS: Do you feel like you get overlooked som - Streets on Smash Magazine
SOS: What's your real name?
Gifted: Marquis Hall
SOS: At what age did you start rapping?
Gifted: Around 13, 14... i was a younging
SOS: Tell us about growing up in Jersey?
Gifted: At that time when I was tryin to break out into the industry Jersey was kinda on the scene but really wasnt. You know you had Redman, Naughty By Nature, Queen Latifah, Joe Budden and many more. Growing up in Jersey was cool. Many famous people often move to Jersey once they get some money. But me on the other hand I lived in the hood and my main focus was tryin to stay alive to see another day. Point blank period!
SOS: How did it feel being the only boy growing up around a group of girls?
Gifted: (lol) It was cool.. at times it got lonely because I would want to do boy things like basketball and racing but my older sisters wanted to play with dolls and stuff.. (lol) but it was cool because my older sisters schooled me on what a girl wants so I had an advantage over most dudes.. (laughs)
SOS: "The Paper Chase" was your first mixtape did you decide you wanted to it by yourself or you wanted to show the world you can do it yourself
Gifted: Basically around that time I had got fed up with dealing with people who was bulls****ing! I was working with a team from around my way and after a while they didnt want to work anymore so I said forget it imma go on my own. Bought me a 7 dollar microphone from walmart, got fruity loops then acid and it was a wrap from there.. The quality was terrible but it was a raw mixtape and it really help put me out there.
SOS: Are there any new mixtapes or albums in the works?
Gifted: Im currently working on my second solo mixtape entitled "I.AM.GIFTED The Introduction" but since I did the whole major deal I might withhold that mixtape to focus on the album. Soo yes the album is coming I dont have an exact date yet but its coming. During this process I'll be doing some music and I will allow my fans to download it for free.
SOS: What was your reaction when you got the call about being signed to a major label?
Gifted: Wow.. (laughs) it was crazy because when Clif called me (shoutout to him) I was like this cant be true.. I was like nahh this is a dream. People always tell me what they can do for me and things like that but once I met up with Clif in New York then I recieved the contract I was like damn this is real. I didnt understand the whole process at first but afterwhile it was clear to me that it is finally my time and Clif was ready and serious to sign me!
SOS: Who are you signed with?
Gifted: Futch Entertainment/Universal Records
SOS: Being from Jersey what makes you different from any other artist out of Jersey?
Gifted: What makes me different is my grind. I dont think anyone grinds as hard as me. I have done shows in and out of my state, been on mixtapes in and out of my state, cover of this magazine and got signed and during that time I never had a stable manager. There was never really a "Team" behind me. I had people that helped every now and then but basically at the end of the day it was just me there promoting, emailing and recording myself. Dont get me wrong I get help.. and on top of it all im lyrically iller than most dudes and my style is so versitile. I can make a club song and then turn around and go way left with a song that makes you really think. All the while im still producing and song writing so I have a better chance of being in the industry longer than most dudes from Jersey.
SOS: We hear your a producer as well, so how can a artist get in touch with you about production?
Gifted: Im very much on MySpace so you can hit me up on there. or email me personally at Nextlevelmg@gmail.com but I only take serious offers and NO I DO NOT GIVE AWAY FREE BEATS! (laughs)
SOS: What can we expect from Gifted next year?
Gifted: Hopefully next year I will the number one single out! Thats basically it im taking everything one step at a time because this industry will try to spread you thin. But im prayin that this time next year the album will be done and everyone will enjoy it.
SOS: What is one of the biggest obstacles you've had to overcome being in the music industry?
Gifted: The biggest obstacle I faced was doing everything I can to stand out. Because everybody raps now so being an artist you have to be just that.. an ARTIST.. which means creative and different. So I had prided myself on being just that different.
SOS: When did you hear your first track on radio and what was the name of the song?
Gifted: The first joint I had on the radio was "Around Me" on Sirus Satellite radio. That was the first and last time. So I think I need to change that.. (laughs)
SOS: Who are your influences?
Gifted: What influences me the most is me. This life I live. I speak on it a lot because I have seen so much. I have lived through soo much. And to be able to be alive and healthy means a lot.
SOS: Do you feel like you get overlooked som - Streets on Smash Magazine
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
Gifted, born Marquis Hall to the parents of David and Novella is the only boy amongst a host of sisters. He was born May 8, 1989 in Newark, New Jersey and ever since birth he was destined to be great. Bought up in a broken household Gifted never let the minor obstacles lead him down the wrong path. At the age of 6 he began playing the drums following the footsteps of his father, at the age of 7 he began playing the piano also. As he grew older he became more and more serious about music. He performed at various fuctions and also played the piano and drums at church. Around the age of 11 he would beat on the desk at school and make various combination's of rhythm and watch his fellow classmates rhyme to them. Watching his classmates rap to his beats made him want to try it also. Not being very good at it when he first started but he kept trying and come up with different rhymes. Still continuing to rap he had gotten better and better. A few years down the line he hooked up with some of his friends who were recording in the basement. Thats when he began making beats only using a computer and Fruity Loops 4 Demo version. While in the process of making beats he also would rap on them.
Now at the age of 19, Gifted has evolved into a lyrical genius. Not only rapping he also still in-touch with his producer side. Gaining more recognition he did a lot of featuring on under ground artist and DJ mixtapes and also did some producing. Moving up in the music world he developed a serious fan base inside and outside of his hometown state New Jersey and that is due to the recent growth of a popular website "MySpace.com" Where Gifted has well over 250,000 plays of his music, over 1,000 free dowloads and have been ranked in the Top 10 New Jersey MySpace Artist countless amount of times. Following his first solo mixtape "The Paper Chase" [which he released at the age of 18] he is now working on his second mixtape which he entitled "I.AM.GIFTED" which he says is his introduction to the world.
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