Grant Rice was featured in a article bout 30 up and coming people under 30 from Kansas City. Here's the article:
GRANT RICE
Hip-hop musician
Age: 26
Grant Rice has already accomplished more than most local rappers: He's won a few MC battles, opened concerts for some hip-hop titans and collaborated with a few underground heavyweights.
If his plans fall the right way, Rice's next project will be his best-known and most successful. Later this month his all-Hispanic rap quartet, Grant Rice and the Empire, will release “Crowned,” its first full-length album, which highlights his diverse elements.
“Because we have so many different styles, our sound is unique,” Rice said. “We've got Panic, who's kind of skateboard-rock 'n' roll. I'm mainstream hip-hop. Luna is underground hip-hop. And S.G. brings in the outstanding beats.
“I think our sound has a real early-'90s House of Pain feel to it. Radio has been very positive to it so far, and the Hispanic underground is going nuts.”
Rice's roots in the local hip-hop community go back more than 10 years — “back to when I was 14 and 15 and the Flavor Pack days,” he said.
Several years ago he hooked up with Tech N9ne and Tech's partner/manager, Travis O'Guin. Rice was a major collaborator on Tech's first big solo record, “AngHellic.”
But the business end of that relationship got strained, so Rice left the Strange Music fold and is now with Savage Communications, run by Mike Savage, an executive producer of Johnny Dare's morning show on KQRC-FM (98.9).
“Tech and Travis and I are all still friends,” Rice said. “I started with Tech. He put me under his wing. But Strange Music is his label, and I was starting to feel like I was always in his shadow. It's kind of sad it had to go this way, but we're all still very cool. We still work together.”
Rice is part of Tech N9ne's side-project, Regime, a 12-man hip-hop crew started by Tupac Shakur and now maintained by Cali rapper Yukmouth; Tech N9ne is also affiliated with Regime. Rice has also recorded some tracks with the Southern white rapper Bubba Sparxx. He also has plans to release a solo album.
But his primary focus is Empire. As he spoke to The Star recently, Rice and Savage were in Los Angeles (Tech N9ne's new home) talking informally with record labels.
“We've talked to Island, Warner and Interscope,” Rice said. “But right now we think the best thing to do is release this record independently, hit our core fan base really hard, especially the Latino kids, and generate some good SoundScan numbers. Then we'll take it to the labels and sign a better deal.”
Savage said the record has been received well by the public.
“We've done a promotional tour of 25 to 30 cities,” he said. “I'm getting fan letters and requests for the album already. We have a great street buzz going on.”
That buzz is about to jump to radio. Last week Savage got good news from KPWR-FM (105.9) in Los Angeles, one of the largest hip-hop stations in the country.
“Their DJ Khool-Aid has a Latino hip-hop show called ‘Pocos Pero Locos' that's syndicated in 40 cities,” he said. “She said she's going to play two tracks off the record and introduce us to her audience.”
Sometime in early December, Rice and Empire plan to introduce themselves to their hometown at a label showcase/CD release party.
“It's not for certain,” Rice said, “but we're hoping to do that at the Empire Room, obviously for the name but also because it's a good-size club but not too big.”
The event will be a showcase for more than just radio programmers and record labels. It'll also be a chance for local hip-hop fans to get a close look at a group that appears bound for bigger places and larger towns.
GRANT RICE
Hip-hop musician
Age: 26
Grant Rice has already accomplished more than most local rappers: He's won a few MC battles, opened concerts for some hip-hop titans and collaborated with a few underground heavyweights.
If his plans fall the right way, Rice's next project will be his best-known and most successful. Later this month his all-Hispanic rap quartet, Grant Rice and the Empire, will release “Crowned,” its first full-length album, which highlights his diverse elements.
“Because we have so many different styles, our sound is unique,” Rice said. “We've got Panic, who's kind of skateboard-rock 'n' roll. I'm mainstream hip-hop. Luna is underground hip-hop. And S.G. brings in the outstanding beats.
“I think our sound has a real early-'90s House of Pain feel to it. Radio has been very positive to it so far, and the Hispanic underground is going nuts.”
Rice's roots in the local hip-hop community go back more than 10 years — “back to when I was 14 and 15 and the Flavor Pack days,” he said.
Several years ago he hooked up with Tech N9ne and Tech's partner/manager, Travis O'Guin. Rice was a major collaborator on Tech's first big solo record, “AngHellic.”
But the business end of that relationship got strained, so Rice left the Strange Music fold and is now with Savage Communications, run by Mike Savage, an executive producer of Johnny Dare's morning show on KQRC-FM (98.9).
“Tech and Travis and I are all still friends,” Rice said. “I started with Tech. He put me under his wing. But Strange Music is his label, and I was starting to feel like I was always in his shadow. It's kind of sad it had to go this way, but we're all still very cool. We still work together.”
Rice is part of Tech N9ne's side-project, Regime, a 12-man hip-hop crew started by Tupac Shakur and now maintained by Cali rapper Yukmouth; Tech N9ne is also affiliated with Regime. Rice has also recorded some tracks with the Southern white rapper Bubba Sparxx. He also has plans to release a solo album.
But his primary focus is Empire. As he spoke to The Star recently, Rice and Savage were in Los Angeles (Tech N9ne's new home) talking informally with record labels.
“We've talked to Island, Warner and Interscope,” Rice said. “But right now we think the best thing to do is release this record independently, hit our core fan base really hard, especially the Latino kids, and generate some good SoundScan numbers. Then we'll take it to the labels and sign a better deal.”
Savage said the record has been received well by the public.
“We've done a promotional tour of 25 to 30 cities,” he said. “I'm getting fan letters and requests for the album already. We have a great street buzz going on.”
That buzz is about to jump to radio. Last week Savage got good news from KPWR-FM (105.9) in Los Angeles, one of the largest hip-hop stations in the country.
“Their DJ Khool-Aid has a Latino hip-hop show called ‘Pocos Pero Locos' that's syndicated in 40 cities,” he said. “She said she's going to play two tracks off the record and introduce us to her audience.”
Sometime in early December, Rice and Empire plan to introduce themselves to their hometown at a label showcase/CD release party.
“It's not for certain,” Rice said, “but we're hoping to do that at the Empire Room, obviously for the name but also because it's a good-size club but not too big.”
The event will be a showcase for more than just radio programmers and record labels. It'll also be a chance for local hip-hop fans to get a close look at a group that appears bound for bigger places and larger towns.
