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6/11/2008 Your new single “Jersey Swagger” is getting out there. What made you want to record a song like that?  I just feel like Jersey as a whole, we’ve always been in the shadows. We’ve always been underrated and people never looked at us as being a power in the music game. I felt that it was only right for me to make a Jersey anthem and try to put us on the map in a major way. Besides Joe Budden, we haven’t made any major moves in the music industry. I just felt like that was the perfect time for me to come out with a song like that.   Why do you think Jersey gets overlooked?  I don’t know. We don’t really have any radio stations like that. There’s a lack of outlets out here and that’s a major reason why a lot of artists aren’t really getting heard like that.  What separates Jersey from other areas?  It’s a lot different, man. When I go down South and when I say “Jersey,” they say “New York.” Everything is different, from the way we dress to everything. There’s definitely more of an edge in our music.  Is there unity amongst Jersey artists?  I think there is, but I think there should be more unity. Everybody’s fighting for that one spot and that’s why I felt that “Jersey Swagger” would be a good track to get everybody on the same page.  What inspired your other single “Drop It Down”?  That song is crazy! That’s like the club banger! That’s the strip club banger. That’s the summer anthem right there. When the girls hear it, that’s what they’re going to want to do, drop it down. The hook is infectious and the lyrics are crazy and the beat is hot. That’s going to be the anthem for this summer.  How do you balance the type of songs that you make?  That’s the main thing about me being an artist. That’s what I try to do in my music. I try to be as versatile as possible and I don’t really want to be put in a box. I’m from Jersey but my music is universal. I don’t want people to put me in any kind of category. That’s why I can do “Jersey Swagger” and then do “Drop It Down.” I can do any kind of music and that’s what separates me from everybody else.   You’re also working with the legendary 4th Disciple. What are you learning from him?   I grew up on his music. He’s a legend. 4th just brings the best out of me. I was a baby when Killarmy was doing their thing. I look up to him and he’s always pushing me to the limit.  How do you want to grow as an artist?  Just by working hard. With me, I take it seriously. I’m an artist, but I also feel like more young artists need to take their careers seriously. A lot of people don’t take it seriously and I think that’s a problem. There’s a lot of talent out there, but as far as promoting online and really putting yourself out there, that’s what a lot of artists need to start doing and that’s what I do. As much as I record and make music, I’m also online promoting and I’m in the mall passing out flyers and CDs so it’s 24/7 with me.  From what you told me it sounds like you have a busy schedule right now.  Definitely. We’re moving. Right now I’m in Philly so we’ve just been on the road. We were in Atlanta and we’re going to Miami. We were in North Carolina. We’re definitely grinding right now. We’re on the road and we’re touching the people.  Your debut album is being distributed by Koch. How did that happen?  Rha Sun, he has Black Globe Records, who I’m signed to. We linked up with Shabazz and Colossal Entertainment. We signed a joint venture and Koch is distributing the album. They’re putting the project out. The people from Koch Distribution are putting the record out, but Black Globe Records and Colossal Entertainment, that’s the joint venture.  You had a big single last summer with Sparks. How much did that song help you?  It definitely took it to another level because before that joint, I was really just doing mixtape tracks and trying to get my buzz up and I was just rhyming over different beats. Doing a joint with Sparks and him having the legacy of being in State Property and the Roc, that was able to take my buzz to another level. And it did well on HipHopGame when it was up. Now we’re just trying to take it to another level right now and put this album out.  And since we’re talking about Sparks, I’m about to do a joint with Freeway. That joint right there, I don’t want to give too many details about it, but that joint will be crazy. That will probably end up being the main single. Freeway is also a part of that Rocafella legacy. That joint right there is going to be a good look for me.  As an independent artist, how do you make collaborations with big names happen?   The big reason why we chose to take the independent route is because we never really looked for handouts. Everything we did up to now is hard work. When the artists hear my music, they just respect me as a person and they respect my music. They get excited and they just want to jump on the record and do songs with me. I think they just feel my music and where I’m coming from and that makes them want to do the collabs with me.  What can we expect on your debut album?  I’m just making my mark on the game. I’m a newcomer. I got a lot of fire and we got a lot of hot tracks. My main thing is just putting Jersey on the map in the right way. I think we’ve been in the shadows for a long time and I’m trying to unify everything and get it out the way it should be. There’s a lot of talent in Jersey.  What’s the next move for Bizz?  We’re about to go on a promo tour. We’re dropping “Jersey Swagger” and we’re basically going to hit the whole East Coast up. We’re going to push those records to the club and the radio and then we’re going to work on the main single with Freeway. So we’re just going to be on the road and grinding. We were just at the Core DJ’s retreat and I should be performing at the next one. Basically this whole summer we’re going to be on the road and grinding. And I’m also going to be all over the internet. A lot of people complain about the internet, but it’s all good because it really allows you to touch the people. It’s hard work and I’m blessed and I’m happy to be in this position right now. I’m working hard and I’m trying to take it to another level and I hope these people feel me and feel where I’m coming from and feel my music.

By Brian Kayser

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