CLYDE CARSON
Clyde Carson is down with the MC-as-entrepreneur program. Born and raised in Oakland—and heir to the independent hustle pioneered by Northern Califorefathers like Too $hort and E-40—the young go-getter took a 2001 trip to NYC, where he soaked up the mixtape game. Back in the Bay, he formed a trio, the Team, with fellow indie scenesters Mayne Mannish and Kaz Kyzah, and scored a local radio hit with 2004’s “It’s Gettin’ Hot.” In 2005, he assumed control of local indie label Moe Doe Records, incorporated the It’s Good Beverage Co. and launched his own energy drink (Hyphy Juice, naturally).
These credentials, and his distinctive whisperlike flow, caught the attention of Southern Cali’s current king, The Game, whose backing led to a joint venture between Moe Doe, Black Wall Street and Capitol Records. After more than a year of studio time—long enough for Carson to record guest vocals for artists like Styles P and drop another Team album—Carson’s debut, Theatre Music, is set to hit shelves in January 2008. Led by the synth-driven club bumper “Two Step” (produced by Dr. Dre acolyte Neff-U) and “Doin That,” a duet with newly minted teen sensation Sean Kingston, the album aims to make the 25-year-old paper chaser moe doe than ever.
Clyde Carson is down with the MC-as-entrepreneur program. Born and raised in Oakland—and heir to the independent hustle pioneered by Northern Califorefathers like Too $hort and E-40—the young go-getter took a 2001 trip to NYC, where he soaked up the mixtape game. Back in the Bay, he formed a trio, the Team, with fellow indie scenesters Mayne Mannish and Kaz Kyzah, and scored a local radio hit with 2004’s “It’s Gettin’ Hot.” In 2005, he assumed control of local indie label Moe Doe Records, incorporated the It’s Good Beverage Co. and launched his own energy drink (Hyphy Juice, naturally).
These credentials, and his distinctive whisperlike flow, caught the attention of Southern Cali’s current king, The Game, whose backing led to a joint venture between Moe Doe, Black Wall Street and Capitol Records. After more than a year of studio time—long enough for Carson to record guest vocals for artists like Styles P and drop another Team album—Carson’s debut, Theatre Music, is set to hit shelves in January 2008. Led by the synth-driven club bumper “Two Step” (produced by Dr. Dre acolyte Neff-U) and “Doin That,” a duet with newly minted teen sensation Sean Kingston, the album aims to make the 25-year-old paper chaser moe doe than ever.