Moufy

A line of students stretched down the Alexander Twilight Theatre lobby, past the commuter lounge and all the way down to the Gravity Well, waiting to see Boston rapper Moufy perform.
“I’m so excited, I can’t wait!” sophomore business major Michael Cartularo yelled.
The doors opened at 6:40 p.m., but students began lining up an hour prior, hoping to get front row seats.
Brooke Parciak, music business industry major, was in charge of counting the number of students who walked through the door.
“Dude, I’m aiming for 400 right now,” Parciak said enthusiastically. “Actually, I’d be happy with 260.”
With an attendance that hit over 400 students, Parciak and the rest of the event planning class were very happy.
Jose Fortunato, former Lyndon State College student and Moufy’s brother and merchandise manager, said it was strange to be back.
“It’s kind of weird seeing a lot of familiar faces and not being able to say ‘hi’ to everyone,” Fortunato explained. ‘That’s just really the funny part about it. But I’m excited about the show, I’ m more excited than a little bit weirded out.”
Sophomore electronic journalism majors John Kazar and Alex Farnsworth were also excited to see Moufy.
“Should be a great show,” said Kazar.
Farnsworth’s favorite element of a concert is “the atmosphere. When you see he’s having fun, you have fun with him.”
One student was more excited to see the opening act than the headliner.
“I’m here for Freddie,” said senior television studies major Paul Shaw. “[The concert’s] cool though, go LSC!”
The show opened at 7 p.m. with Lyndon State College senior Freddie Losamba, followed by Dunn, an up and coming rapper from Brooklyn, NY.
Once the opening acts finished, there was a 15-minute intermission while the sound crew set the stage.
The crowd erupted when Moufy and the rest of the Star Gang affiliates ran on stage.
“People were coming backstage and telling me ‘Yo, it’s live out there,’ so I was like word, I want to get out there, I want to get out there!” Moufy said. “And when we went out there it was just crazy.”
During the show, Moufy gave a heartfelt speech about how important it was to be at LSC.
“One of the most important people in my life went here,” he said to cheering fans. “I can see why he loved it so much. There are a lot of beautiful people here tonight.”
Moufy said the highlight of the show came when he performed his popular songs.
“When ‘Boston Lights’ came on that was crazy,” Moufy said after the show. “’Twist it and Light it’ and ‘Throw my Threes’ were crazy. So those three songs were really crazy and fun.
“The show went really well, so I’m feeling great,” said Moufy.
He left the rest of the night up to his brother.
“Well you know my brother used to go here, so I’m at my brother’s mercy, wherever he says the party’s at is what I’m going to do.”
Christina Cadorette, senior MBI major and integral part of organizing the event, was extremely happy with how smoothly the show went.
“There really weren’t any big issues,” Cadorette said. “The show was a success.” - The Critic

A line of students stretched down the Alexander Twilight Theatre lobby, past the commuter lounge and all the way down to the Gravity Well, waiting to see Boston rapper Moufy perform.
“I’m so excited, I can’t wait!” sophomore business major Michael Cartularo yelled.
The doors opened at 6:40 p.m., but students began lining up an hour prior, hoping to get front row seats.
Brooke Parciak, music business industry major, was in charge of counting the number of students who walked through the door.
“Dude, I’m aiming for 400 right now,” Parciak said enthusiastically. “Actually, I’d be happy with 260.”
With an attendance that hit over 400 students, Parciak and the rest of the event planning class were very happy.
Jose Fortunato, former Lyndon State College student and Moufy’s brother and merchandise manager, said it was strange to be back.
“It’s kind of weird seeing a lot of familiar faces and not being able to say ‘hi’ to everyone,” Fortunato explained. ‘That’s just really the funny part about it. But I’m excited about the show, I’ m more excited than a little bit weirded out.”
Sophomore electronic journalism majors John Kazar and Alex Farnsworth were also excited to see Moufy.
“Should be a great show,” said Kazar.
Farnsworth’s favorite element of a concert is “the atmosphere. When you see he’s having fun, you have fun with him.”
One student was more excited to see the opening act than the headliner.
“I’m here for Freddie,” said senior television studies major Paul Shaw. “[The concert’s] cool though, go LSC!”
The show opened at 7 p.m. with Lyndon State College senior Freddie Losamba, followed by Dunn, an up and coming rapper from Brooklyn, NY.
Once the opening acts finished, there was a 15-minute intermission while the sound crew set the stage.
The crowd erupted when Moufy and the rest of the Star Gang affiliates ran on stage.
“People were coming backstage and telling me ‘Yo, it’s live out there,’ so I was like word, I want to get out there, I want to get out there!” Moufy said. “And when we went out there it was just crazy.”
During the show, Moufy gave a heartfelt speech about how important it was to be at LSC.
“One of the most important people in my life went here,” he said to cheering fans. “I can see why he loved it so much. There are a lot of beautiful people here tonight.”
Moufy said the highlight of the show came when he performed his popular songs.
“When ‘Boston Lights’ came on that was crazy,” Moufy said after the show. “’Twist it and Light it’ and ‘Throw my Threes’ were crazy. So those three songs were really crazy and fun.
“The show went really well, so I’m feeling great,” said Moufy.
He left the rest of the night up to his brother.
“Well you know my brother used to go here, so I’m at my brother’s mercy, wherever he says the party’s at is what I’m going to do.”
Christina Cadorette, senior MBI major and integral part of organizing the event, was extremely happy with how smoothly the show went.
“There really weren’t any big issues,” Cadorette said. “The show was a success.” - The Critic

It's been brought to my attention that a young Boston MC named Moufy - who, let me make this clear, I've never heard of before - sold out the Middle East Upstairs last night.

So first of all, major props to Moufy and his whole Star Gang team. The MEU is more than a respectable-size venue, and, as any longtime Boston hip-hop head will tell you, it's rare that local acts draw that kind of crowd this soon into their career.
Which brings us to the inevitable question: Who the fuck is Moufy? Well, according to his Facebook page, he's an artist whose "vast experiences growing up in Roxbury and going to private high schools have shaped him into who he is now."

Sounds good to me. That's always kind of been my tagline, but Moufy seems like he can fit the bill (plus we have the same birthday). From what I've heard so far, he definitely fucks with both sides of the tracks - one song even finds him lamenting for a white secret cutter chick from Newton.

It won't be long before rap cats of all stripes start to hate on Moufy. That's what happens when you climb to the middle around here, and when you claim to "possess the most downloaded mixtape ever by an usigned [sic] artist from the city of Boston."

And of course, Moufy will suffer the wrath of black and white anti-frat rap forces, which will predictably band together to call bullshit on his Roxbury-meets-Abercrombie steeze, Sam Adams-like poses, and critical backing from the putz parade at Barstool Sports.

But despite all that, I'm pulling for Moufy. The more sold out hip-hop shows around here, the better. In the least, he's the first so-called frat rapper who I can tell apart from the bunch. That's got to count for something. - The Boston Pheonix

It's been brought to my attention that a young Boston MC named Moufy - who, let me make this clear, I've never heard of before - sold out the Middle East Upstairs last night.

So first of all, major props to Moufy and his whole Star Gang team. The MEU is more than a respectable-size venue, and, as any longtime Boston hip-hop head will tell you, it's rare that local acts draw that kind of crowd this soon into their career.
Which brings us to the inevitable question: Who the fuck is Moufy? Well, according to his Facebook page, he's an artist whose "vast experiences growing up in Roxbury and going to private high schools have shaped him into who he is now."

Sounds good to me. That's always kind of been my tagline, but Moufy seems like he can fit the bill (plus we have the same birthday). From what I've heard so far, he definitely fucks with both sides of the tracks - one song even finds him lamenting for a white secret cutter chick from Newton.

It won't be long before rap cats of all stripes start to hate on Moufy. That's what happens when you climb to the middle around here, and when you claim to "possess the most downloaded mixtape ever by an usigned [sic] artist from the city of Boston."

And of course, Moufy will suffer the wrath of black and white anti-frat rap forces, which will predictably band together to call bullshit on his Roxbury-meets-Abercrombie steeze, Sam Adams-like poses, and critical backing from the putz parade at Barstool Sports.

But despite all that, I'm pulling for Moufy. The more sold out hip-hop shows around here, the better. In the least, he's the first so-called frat rapper who I can tell apart from the bunch. That's got to count for something. - The Boston Pheonix

For all you wannabe rappers, singers who constantly send me shit this is how you do it. Simple Viva La Stool shout out followed be an awesome song. Like can I listen to it once and instantly be hooked? That’s the test for me. Moufy passed it with flying colors. Now I’m interested. Now the Mogul wants to play ball. What do the Stoolies think? Should I try to Stoolify this motherfucker and help make him huge? I promise he’ll be at an upcoming show soon. - Barstool Sports

For all you wannabe rappers, singers who constantly send me shit this is how you do it. Simple Viva La Stool shout out followed be an awesome song. Like can I listen to it once and instantly be hooked? That’s the test for me. Moufy passed it with flying colors. Now I’m interested. Now the Mogul wants to play ball. What do the Stoolies think? Should I try to Stoolify this motherfucker and help make him huge? I promise he’ll be at an upcoming show soon. - Barstool Sports

Name: Moufy

Age: 20

Reppin’ : Star Gang Crew/Boston, MA

My Style and/or skills have been compared to: Biggie and Kanye West

My standout records and/or moments have been: Being the main Boston artist at the Boston Urban Music Festival in front of 50k people, getting my song “Boston Lights” played at a Patriots game, doing a song with David Ortiz and selling out a 600 person venue in Boston.

I’m gonna change the game by: Breaking down the barrier between Urban and Suburban America through hip-hop.

I’d Like to Work With: Jay-Z, Eminem, Fabolous, Jadakiss, 50 Cent, Kanye West

My goal in hip-hop is: To Become the Greatest

I’m gonna be the next: To break the 100 million mark in hip-hop - XXL Magazine

Name: Moufy

Age: 20

Reppin’ : Star Gang Crew/Boston, MA

My Style and/or skills have been compared to: Biggie and Kanye West

My standout records and/or moments have been: Being the main Boston artist at the Boston Urban Music Festival in front of 50k people, getting my song “Boston Lights” played at a Patriots game, doing a song with David Ortiz and selling out a 600 person venue in Boston.

I’m gonna change the game by: Breaking down the barrier between Urban and Suburban America through hip-hop.

I’d Like to Work With: Jay-Z, Eminem, Fabolous, Jadakiss, 50 Cent, Kanye West

My goal in hip-hop is: To Become the Greatest

I’m gonna be the next: To break the 100 million mark in hip-hop - XXL Magazine

Boston isn’t known for its rap scene. While Marky Mark and Sam Adams are examples of rappers who have made it out of Beantown, such success stories are few and far between. Despite having a larger urban community, Boston rap has taken a backseat to enclaves in similarly sized cities such as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Moufy, a twenty-year old rapper from Roxbury, is trying to invigorate Boston rap. Moufy recently won the “Best New Artist” at the Boston Music Awards and will perform at Tommy Doyle’s Pub for the Alpha Epsilon Pi Fall Charity Party on December 6.



Moufy is not shy about wearing his city on his sleeve. “My city is the greatest / From Fenway back to Mattapan / I swear I wouldn’t change it,” he raps on a recent single, “Boston Lights.” But despite all of his Boston pride, Moufy acknowledges that his childhood wasn’t easy: “I saw things that people shouldn’t see.” The hardship he dealt with from an early age gave him motivation to rise above the negative influences all around him. Moufy turned to hip hop as a way of channeling his emotions. He was particularly inspired by rappers Jay-Z, 50 Cent, and Eminem, who all had similar urban struggles and were able to articulate their feelings into songs and stories.

Although rap played an important role in his childhood, Moufy’s decision to pursue it as a career was largely spontaneous. When he was eighteen, Moufy left school in a state of turmoil. “I said, ‘I gotta get these emotions out,’ so I threw on a beat and started writing,” Moufy said. When his friends heard his lyrics, they encouraged him to get in the studio. Only a couple years later, he is performing for thousands in major Boston venues. He opened for J. Cole and Mac Miller this year, and “Boston Lights” has been played at New England Patriots games.

However, Moufy hasn’t been enveloped by his newfound successes. “We keep everything in perspective,” he said. “It’s great that we won [the New Artist Award], but the truth is we’re not where we set our goal out to be.” He still places great pride on his Boston crew, called the Star Gang. The Star Gang is both a concrete set of individuals and a conceptual community for “ordinary people from any background to reach for the stars.”

The Star Gang will continue to reach higher. Moufy and his team plan to release a constant flow of mixtapes and music videos to increase exposure, and a tour is also in the works. “We’ve proved it a little bit to New England, and now we’ve gotta prove it to the world,” he said. Through his busy schedule, he plans to devote a good amount of time to charity. He recently performed charity work with Boston Red Sox David Ortiz, and Moufy’s upcoming concert at Harvard will benefit the Save A Child’s Heart foundation.

Growing up, Moufy looked up to Harvard with admiration, and he is now very excited to greet the Harvard crowds. “Thank you guys for just always being a shining light for the whole region,” he said. Moufy, too, may become another bright light for Boston in the near future.
- The Harvard Crimson

Boston isn’t known for its rap scene. While Marky Mark and Sam Adams are examples of rappers who have made it out of Beantown, such success stories are few and far between. Despite having a larger urban community, Boston rap has taken a backseat to enclaves in similarly sized cities such as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Moufy, a twenty-year old rapper from Roxbury, is trying to invigorate Boston rap. Moufy recently won the “Best New Artist” at the Boston Music Awards and will perform at Tommy Doyle’s Pub for the Alpha Epsilon Pi Fall Charity Party on December 6.



Moufy is not shy about wearing his city on his sleeve. “My city is the greatest / From Fenway back to Mattapan / I swear I wouldn’t change it,” he raps on a recent single, “Boston Lights.” But despite all of his Boston pride, Moufy acknowledges that his childhood wasn’t easy: “I saw things that people shouldn’t see.” The hardship he dealt with from an early age gave him motivation to rise above the negative influences all around him. Moufy turned to hip hop as a way of channeling his emotions. He was particularly inspired by rappers Jay-Z, 50 Cent, and Eminem, who all had similar urban struggles and were able to articulate their feelings into songs and stories.

Although rap played an important role in his childhood, Moufy’s decision to pursue it as a career was largely spontaneous. When he was eighteen, Moufy left school in a state of turmoil. “I said, ‘I gotta get these emotions out,’ so I threw on a beat and started writing,” Moufy said. When his friends heard his lyrics, they encouraged him to get in the studio. Only a couple years later, he is performing for thousands in major Boston venues. He opened for J. Cole and Mac Miller this year, and “Boston Lights” has been played at New England Patriots games.

However, Moufy hasn’t been enveloped by his newfound successes. “We keep everything in perspective,” he said. “It’s great that we won [the New Artist Award], but the truth is we’re not where we set our goal out to be.” He still places great pride on his Boston crew, called the Star Gang. The Star Gang is both a concrete set of individuals and a conceptual community for “ordinary people from any background to reach for the stars.”

The Star Gang will continue to reach higher. Moufy and his team plan to release a constant flow of mixtapes and music videos to increase exposure, and a tour is also in the works. “We’ve proved it a little bit to New England, and now we’ve gotta prove it to the world,” he said. Through his busy schedule, he plans to devote a good amount of time to charity. He recently performed charity work with Boston Red Sox David Ortiz, and Moufy’s upcoming concert at Harvard will benefit the Save A Child’s Heart foundation.

Growing up, Moufy looked up to Harvard with admiration, and he is now very excited to greet the Harvard crowds. “Thank you guys for just always being a shining light for the whole region,” he said. Moufy, too, may become another bright light for Boston in the near future.
- The Harvard Crimson

A Roxbury rapper has created quite the buzz with a video depicting one of Massachusetts’ wealthiest cities as a boozy, suicidal teen epicenter.

Local hip-hop artist Moufy says he hasn’t had any backlash from his video “Miss Newton,” a song about a rich suburban girl who parties too much and makes bad choices that lead to her suicide.

The video has more than 30,000 views.

The student-turned-rapper said the subject is one that “a lot of towns in the country can relate to” because underage drinking, sexual promiscuity and suicide are prevalent in today’s teen culture.

“As an artist, I was conveying the truth about some things that do happen in high school and college,” said Moufy. “Kids can relate to that.”

Moufy, 19, said he was kicked out of high school for being disorderly and transferred to a boarding school in New Hampshire. He will attend Merrimack College in the fall.

In the meantime, he has been selling out shows locally, and is slated to appear with some big college-aged rap names emerging in the scene such as Mac Miller and Chris Webby.

With a mix-tape dropping in August, Moufy is sticking to topics his demographic knows about.
“Kids go through tragedy and kids also party,” he said. “Some people have different opinions on it, some people don’t respect it, but others say it's real life. Suicide is a tough topic, but it is something that does happen.” - The Boston Metro

A Roxbury rapper has created quite the buzz with a video depicting one of Massachusetts’ wealthiest cities as a boozy, suicidal teen epicenter.

Local hip-hop artist Moufy says he hasn’t had any backlash from his video “Miss Newton,” a song about a rich suburban girl who parties too much and makes bad choices that lead to her suicide.

The video has more than 30,000 views.

The student-turned-rapper said the subject is one that “a lot of towns in the country can relate to” because underage drinking, sexual promiscuity and suicide are prevalent in today’s teen culture.

“As an artist, I was conveying the truth about some things that do happen in high school and college,” said Moufy. “Kids can relate to that.”

Moufy, 19, said he was kicked out of high school for being disorderly and transferred to a boarding school in New Hampshire. He will attend Merrimack College in the fall.

In the meantime, he has been selling out shows locally, and is slated to appear with some big college-aged rap names emerging in the scene such as Mac Miller and Chris Webby.

With a mix-tape dropping in August, Moufy is sticking to topics his demographic knows about.
“Kids go through tragedy and kids also party,” he said. “Some people have different opinions on it, some people don’t respect it, but others say it's real life. Suicide is a tough topic, but it is something that does happen.” - The Boston Metro

It’s late on a recent Friday afternoon when Jeffrey Fortunato, who performs as Moufy (pronounced Mao-Fee), arrives at the Christian Science Center in Back Bay. The sun is quickly fading behind the buildings and security staff are patrolling, meaning he and his two-person photography crew have to work quickly to record some footage for “Boston Lights,’’ the first video from his mixtape of the same name. Moving over to the reflecting pool, the cameraman points at Moufy as he switches on to perform.

“I do it for my city!’’ he raps with the brash confidence of a 19-year-old, staring into the camera from behind sunglasses, wearing a crisp Red Sox hat and fresh white T-shirt while his entourage stands behind him.

The concept for the song - a chest-thumping city anthem that references everything from Blue Hill Avenue to Aaron Boone’s infamous home run against the Red Sox in the 2003 playoffs - is nothing that countless other Boston rappers haven’t explored before. What hasn’t been seen in years is this level of Internet-based, youth-driven hometown buzz for an unsigned local rapper, even if many of his fans don’t live anywhere near the Roxbury neighborhood Moufy calls home.

“People will rock with whoever they relate to the most,’’ says Moufy, relaxing on a bench after shooting has wrapped. “The reason that we have a lot of the inner-city kids from the ’hood but also suburban fans is because we can bridge the gap. I know everything about the streets. I never sold coke, but I could tell you the prices. And I’ve been going to these schools, so I know what those kids listen to.’’

Moufy, who will celebrate the release of “Boston Lights’’ at a sold-out show at the Middle East Downstairs on Monday, has reason to be confident. Since “Boston Lights,’’ which was sponsored by influential local blog Barstool Sports, was released for free online nearly two weeks ago, it has already amassed more than 11,000 downloads. And Moufy’s bio claims his 17,000-plus Facebook fans are the most of any Boston rapper.

His rapid ascent culminated at the Boston Urban Music Festival earlier this month, where he was one of a handful of Boston artists picked to open for Mac Miller in front of several thousand people at City Hall Plaza, many of whom came in from the suburbs. Miller nurtured his young fan base via free music releases and relentless online promotion, a strategy Moufy hopes to replicate.

“There aren’t too many artists, aside from some of the superstars, that are bridging the gap between the urban and suburban markets,’’ says Cam Woodsum, Moufy’s high school friend who now serves as his manager. “Because we targeted such a broad audience, it was tough to get off the ground, but now that we have momentum it’s moving fast because so many different types of people are supporting what we’re doing.’’

Aside from targeting social-media outlets, over the summer Woodsum and his team did “school raids,’’ in which they traveled to high schools in Quincy, Wakefield, Woburn, and other towns to do face-to-face promo with students. Their encounters were recorded and posted to YouTube. At the City Hall show, kids in the audience could be seen wearing T-shirts emblazoned with “Star Gang,’’ the name of Moufy’s informal group of supporters, similar to Wiz Khalifa’s “Taylor Gang.’’


Moufy’s roots in Boston lie in Roxbury’s Orchard Park neighborhood, where his mother raised him and his two siblings by herself in trying conditions. For a mischievous kid like Jeffrey, who earned his nickname for his tendency to mouth off to the older kids, the street life held a dangerous fascination during his adolescence.

“When I saw some of the older guys with huge chains, I thought that street stuff was cool. To us, these people were the gods of the neighborhood,’’ Moufy says. “But when you reach 13 or 14… the levels change now. Kids aren’t fighting anymore; they are carrying guns and stuff, and that’s jail time. I just started thinking. I knew kids my age who I - Boston Globe

It’s late on a recent Friday afternoon when Jeffrey Fortunato, who performs as Moufy (pronounced Mao-Fee), arrives at the Christian Science Center in Back Bay. The sun is quickly fading behind the buildings and security staff are patrolling, meaning he and his two-person photography crew have to work quickly to record some footage for “Boston Lights,’’ the first video from his mixtape of the same name. Moving over to the reflecting pool, the cameraman points at Moufy as he switches on to perform.

“I do it for my city!’’ he raps with the brash confidence of a 19-year-old, staring into the camera from behind sunglasses, wearing a crisp Red Sox hat and fresh white T-shirt while his entourage stands behind him.

The concept for the song - a chest-thumping city anthem that references everything from Blue Hill Avenue to Aaron Boone’s infamous home run against the Red Sox in the 2003 playoffs - is nothing that countless other Boston rappers haven’t explored before. What hasn’t been seen in years is this level of Internet-based, youth-driven hometown buzz for an unsigned local rapper, even if many of his fans don’t live anywhere near the Roxbury neighborhood Moufy calls home.

“People will rock with whoever they relate to the most,’’ says Moufy, relaxing on a bench after shooting has wrapped. “The reason that we have a lot of the inner-city kids from the ’hood but also suburban fans is because we can bridge the gap. I know everything about the streets. I never sold coke, but I could tell you the prices. And I’ve been going to these schools, so I know what those kids listen to.’’

Moufy, who will celebrate the release of “Boston Lights’’ at a sold-out show at the Middle East Downstairs on Monday, has reason to be confident. Since “Boston Lights,’’ which was sponsored by influential local blog Barstool Sports, was released for free online nearly two weeks ago, it has already amassed more than 11,000 downloads. And Moufy’s bio claims his 17,000-plus Facebook fans are the most of any Boston rapper.

His rapid ascent culminated at the Boston Urban Music Festival earlier this month, where he was one of a handful of Boston artists picked to open for Mac Miller in front of several thousand people at City Hall Plaza, many of whom came in from the suburbs. Miller nurtured his young fan base via free music releases and relentless online promotion, a strategy Moufy hopes to replicate.

“There aren’t too many artists, aside from some of the superstars, that are bridging the gap between the urban and suburban markets,’’ says Cam Woodsum, Moufy’s high school friend who now serves as his manager. “Because we targeted such a broad audience, it was tough to get off the ground, but now that we have momentum it’s moving fast because so many different types of people are supporting what we’re doing.’’

Aside from targeting social-media outlets, over the summer Woodsum and his team did “school raids,’’ in which they traveled to high schools in Quincy, Wakefield, Woburn, and other towns to do face-to-face promo with students. Their encounters were recorded and posted to YouTube. At the City Hall show, kids in the audience could be seen wearing T-shirts emblazoned with “Star Gang,’’ the name of Moufy’s informal group of supporters, similar to Wiz Khalifa’s “Taylor Gang.’’


Moufy’s roots in Boston lie in Roxbury’s Orchard Park neighborhood, where his mother raised him and his two siblings by herself in trying conditions. For a mischievous kid like Jeffrey, who earned his nickname for his tendency to mouth off to the older kids, the street life held a dangerous fascination during his adolescence.

“When I saw some of the older guys with huge chains, I thought that street stuff was cool. To us, these people were the gods of the neighborhood,’’ Moufy says. “But when you reach 13 or 14… the levels change now. Kids aren’t fighting anymore; they are carrying guns and stuff, and that’s jail time. I just started thinking. I knew kids my age who I - Boston Globe