Published: Sunday - February 25, 2007
Words by Jay Casteel
Diego Redd (Photo: n/a)
Succeeding in a city without any real music industry is hard. That combined with coming up in Fresno, makes is that much more difficult. This is a problem Diego Redd has been plagued with throughout his career, but he hasn't let that hinder his grind. He has got his hustle on in a city only known -- in hip-hop -- for producing underground mainstay Planet Asia and Britney Spears' ex-hubby Kevin Federline.
Although he stays hungry, trying to break into hip-hop in his hometown was a challenge. "Growing up in Fresno is hard. Half the city gravitates to the Los Angeles sound and the rest are Bay Area rap fans, so coming up, you're either one of the two or you gotta bridge both," Diego Redd explains. "All the hot acts are shows [that] come through here, but there was never no major artist doing it that big in Fresno."
How does he combat those problems locally? He tries to bring a lil' flavor from different places instead of trying to hone in on one region's success -- the Bay's hyphy movement or L.A.'s gangbang roots. "I'm in between L.A. and the Bay, right in the middle," Redd says. "I'm one of the few artists who brings the two sides to the table -- Los Angeles and the Bay. Both places have very distinct sounds."
Long before he began recording music, Diego Redd came up idolizing his older brother; a street hustler who spent his hard earned cash on studio time, not really chasing a career in music, but rather to just bump his own music with his friends. As Diego's older brother mimicked emcees such as LL Cool J at the time, Diego followed suit, mimicking his brother and the rappers around his neighborhood. He was like a sponge soaking up what he could, until it was his time to spit.
Unlike his brother who had the gold ropes, cars and girls, Diego Redd saved his money for music. He'd buy a bus pass to get to and from the studio, while staying in school. He watched, listened and learned, which is evident is his work ethic and hunger to succeed. "My partners and people around me, they'll get tired of hearing a song because if I did it tonight, I'mma play it 87 times, over and over until I get it right," Redd explains. "I'm a perfectionist in the studio. When I go in, I'm not leaving until I'm satisfied with how it comes out, whether it be all night or all day and all night."
In early 2003, Diego Redd signed with Def Jam Records after Kevin Liles heard some of his material. According to Diego, Liles loved his demo so much, he signed him without even meeting him in person, which was a first for Liles. Things didn't work out because the label went through a standstill due to the Feds raiding Murder Inc.'s office. From there, the rapper decided it was time to cut his losses and move on.
After leaving Def Jam, he looks back on it as a learning experience. "The whole Murder Inc. investigation happened, and they put a freeze on accounts and everybody was going crazy -- Keith Murray did something, Foxy Brown," Redd confesses. "That's because they froze all the accounts when the Feds were doing the books, so all our living expenses were frozen. It was a rough situation, but a good learning experience because I got to meet a lot of great people in the music business and [it] gave me a lot of knowledge. That was one of the best experience in my life, behind Def Jam, because I learned how business is."
Although Diego is entertaining offers from other labels, his primary focus is to establish a concrete fanbase. Currently, the rapper is continuing to push his latest mixtape, Gettin' Money, Gettin' Paid, while contemplating his next move and working on tracks for his official album. Fresno may not be a breeding ground for mainstream talent, but if Diego Redd has anything to say about it, its time may come.
Scouting Report
Diego Redd has the uncanny ability to create songs. No, not mixtape throw-a-ways or freestyles, but actual songs. Growing up in the studio and seeing the process from beginning to end has really benefited this young emcee. His knack for creating hooks and building a song's structure is definitely something that will stand out to any label looking for its next star.
With the right team behind him, Diego Redd has the potential to shine bright in the future. But, with the way the music landscape is today, it will take some major hustling for Diego to get a label to invest the right amount of time into money into him to really make him a force to be reckoned with. Either way, his skills as a writer, as well as his knowledge in making songs can always be a nice side hustle on his way up.
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