For a kid who grew up surrounded by a family of rappers, one might think that Dallas-based rapper Eyesee3's hip-hop destiny was predetermined. But according to him, something his family told him when he was young turned out to be the driving force behind his musical career. "They said that I couldn't actually rap," Eyesee3 said. "I think that really drove me to get better."Back then, Eyesee3 (who was better known as Kelvin Spencer) was a ten year-old kid imitating the artists he heard on the radio. "The first thing I remember hearing was Bone Thugs-N-Harmony," he said. "We used to study their lyrics and recite their stuff. From there, it spun off to us wanting to create our own songs."
It wasn't until Eyesee3 penned a song called "Ice Man: 32 Below Zero," that his family began to take notice. "They said ‘Man, Kelvin, you got a hit!'" he said.
Now at age 21, Eyesee3 has a developed a sharp and confident style that has earned him the distinct honor of being chosen as Stereofame.com's first hip-hop artist to win Artist of the Month for August 2010. With influences that range from hip-hop giant Jay-Z to relative newcomers like Chamillionaire, Eyesee3 has the chops and bravado to go up against the best. But it is his respect for the producers behind some of today's biggest hip-hop hits that has shaped Eyesee3's sound. "Guys like Timbaland, Akon and Pharrell...have a lot of upbeat stuff that could brighten someone's day," he said. "That song Akon did with Gwen Stefani ("Sweet Escape")...everytime I hear it, it sounds like a party."
Eyesee3 shows he knows how to get the party started himself on tracks like "Lookin Ass," which loops a slinky blues guitar riff set atop a Latin-style bounce. But it is the rapper's darker beats that illustrate his depth as a lyricist. Songs like "One Life" and "I'm Dying" feel like bookends to Eyesee3's "live in the moment" mentality. Beyond the lyrics, the beats have a power and style all their own, a point that Eyesee3 credits to his relationship with various producers such as Lil Shine, DJ Black, Lil Woo and DJ Kayotik, among others.
"It feels like I'm on a path," Eyesee3 said. "Every time I meet someone, it leads to meeting another guy. They all have helped me grow and get better."
Currently, Eyesee3 is readying the release of his album "Revelation" for later this month, which will consist of all original material, from the lyrics to the beats, including his collaborations with DJ Kayotik. For more information on where to find "Revelation" and more of Eyesee3's material, check him out at Stereofame.com/eyesee3.
