Voss (hiphop)

This month, BET announced they're launching the second season of "Ultimate Freestyle Friday." What this means is more freestyle rap battle action will be hitting TV screens coast-to-coast, possibly launching new stars into the rap's collective conscience. But for a show that's been on the air for over a decade, little is known about what it's actually like to compete on the show. We spoke to Freestyle Friday Hall-of-Famer Voss, one of the names who has successfully parlayed his battle wins into the beginnings of a successful rap career, about how he landed on "106 and Park" and emerged victorious while still escaping the dreaded "battle rapper stigma" in the aftermath.

You're from the greater Philly area, correct?
Yeah, Levittown.

Being Philly alone has so many different hip-hop scenes, were any of them your first exposure to hip-hop?
Not really, actually. When I was in junior high, when Nelly and Ja Rule and 50 Cent were popular, I was a lot more into old school hip-hop. I remember seeing a documentary on TV on hip-hop pioneers, and it had Big Daddy Kane's "Raw" in it, and I instantly fell in love with that song. This guy made a four minute song just talking about how he was the best, I didn't know you could do that! I remember buying the best of Big Daddy Kane for $4.99 used, and while I rock with most of his stuff, I just played "Raw" nonstop. I also remember seeing the Juvenile "Ha" video and really connecting with it. It was just so raw at a time when you didn't see a whole lot of that in videos.

When did listening to hip-hop translate into you beginning to rap?
After I heard "Raw," I thought rapping sounded like so much fun, I had to try it. It started out as a joke, but after the encouragement of friends of mine, I started to actually try it out. I got introduced to a lot of indie hip-hop, Def Jux, Rhymesayers stuff, and that was subject matter I could more directly relate to. I started directing my own experiences, figuring out song structure, I got pretty serious with it.

Did you freestyle prior to the battle scene? Do you think it helped you in that arena?
Yeah. As far as freestyling off the top, that was how I started. I say things over a beat, and if I liked it, I turned it into a written. Freestyling was a good pass time. Battling wasn't something I was after, it was something I had to do to be taken seriously at school. Dudes were coming up to me to try to battle me at my locker, and if I didn't defend myself, I'd look like a chump. It was a pride thing. At 8:00 or 9:00 AM I was battling people. I can't imagine that now.

How did the opportunity for BET's "Freestyle Friday" come about?
I'd never really thought about "Freestyle Friday" like that. I was a fan of Loaded Lux and what Jin did on there, but I never thought about pursuing that. I got an email from BET after they had seen some Grind Time battles I did, which I took for exposure, they reached out to me with a form to fill out. They gave me a date, May of 2012 and I went out there to New York.

Do you remember what the audition process was like?
I waited in line with 70-80 other cats, females as well. People from all walks of life, all types of rappers. I was in the second to last group. They bring you into a room with a bunch of judges and go "you and you battle." They throw a beat on, and it just happens. I beat the first guy and they brought two more people up immediately and I beat them too. They had me sit out, but kept me in the room. Then they brought in a new group of people and I beat two more out of that group. They said they were going to call me, and finally called me in September, telling me to watch who won that week's battle. I had my first battle in October.

During your five-battle winning streak that landed you in the Hall of Fame, did you find the exposure raised your profile both locally and in social media?
No doubt. When you're on a national televised show, you're getting tons of viewers. I was getting followers. I never went too hard on social media hunting for followers, but being on that show boosted my followers in every core of my outreach. Popularity in general expanded my fanbase. Where it hasn't helped is getting people who just want to see me battle on some "dance monkey, dance!" They aren't really interested in the music, which doesn't help me at all. The plan was always to use battling to get signed where I'm at now [to Universal] and I have a team behind me, which I didn't have before. I got a lot from it, but I wish I got more fans who are open to other things outside fat jokes and momma jokes.

How different was battling on "106 and Park" compared to the actual battle circuit?
There's a lot of differences. On the surface, on "106 and Park," it's a lot more bite-sized. It's two rounds, 30 seconds a round, over a beat. The [professional battle circuits] now have battles that are an hour long, which in my opinion is overkill. The main difference would be, when you're on Freestyle Friday, when you freestyle, they respect it. A lot of these a capella leagues, it's all about these intricate layers bars guys have written for two months with all this wordplay where freestyling is almost looked down upon as being passe, as if anyone could do it. Well, not everyone can do it. I've done the written battles, but I like freestyle battling so much more. More adrenaline. I never know what's going to happen, it keeps me on my toes.

On "106 and Park," you have to appeal to a younger audience, your references have to appeal to a broader audience, and you can't curse. That makes it harder. The battle segments were always at the end of the show, so I remember showing up and waiting for an hour-and-a-half there in the crowd on the day we shot the battle and feeling like a weird old man sitting next to all these 15-year-old girls asking me when I'm going to rap.

Was it the same thing competing in the all star tournament?
That was better because we had a little V.I.P. area balcony thing where we could hang out. It was a little nicer to be away from everyone.

You've steadily released music following your appearances on Freestyle Friday. Was that always part of the plan?
By the March All Star Battle, I had gotten signed by then. I met my manager the December before, a month after I got my fifth win. I was officially signed at the end of January, and we laid out a plan to put music out after those appearances. We came out with a proper timeline, that was the best way to do it.

Do you find by releasing so much music, you've been able to avoid the battle rapper stigma?
I think, to a degree, it helped. I think I make better music than 99-100% of battle rappers. I already had a strong local Philly fanbase before I even went on 106, so it helped having a strong number of people knowing I could make songs before I ever stepped foot in front of a television camera. I think I'll always have a bit of the battle rapper stigma for the rest of my life, which sucks to think about, but I think I'm going to get it because it was a big deal. I think a lot fo guys face it more because they actually are battle rappers most of the time and their music just sounds like they're battling an imaginary opponent. But, yeah, other guys get it worse, that stigma exists for a reason. But now, my music's doing well, I don't really battle any more and people see that music is the priority.

What's the story behind the title of your recently released The Book of Michael: Chapter 1?
I've been writing for an album for two years and it's gotten to the point where I have so many song, and I'm not going to be one of those rappers with a 20 song album. So, we're taking the songs that have potential sample clearance issues or that don't really fit with what we're making mood-wise, and we're making three EPs. The first chapter came out in January. The Book of Michael concept came from getting all these songs under one umbrella. While I'm not personally religious, I am fascinated by certain Bible stories because they're really cool. The story of the Archangel Michael who battled Lucifer, is really intriguing to me, not just because I conveniently share his name, but because that battle between Michael and Lucifer exists in every human. In some people, there's a clear winner, and in some people that battle never stops. I'm one of the people that walks that line. I have a lot of flaws, but I'm trying to make that right. The next one's out this summer.

Do you find yourself ever trying to cater certain songs to your battle fans, or are those worlds entirely separate?
Personally, I've found them completely separate. Even doing the written battles, it was a completely different mindset. For me, writing for a written battle is easy as hell. There's no structure, I write this many bars, and that's it. Writing a song is so much more challenging and stimulating to me. Doing a battle, I'm not as concerned with staying power. Whatever wins me the battle at the time, I'm not thinking about references being dated six months later. Writing songs is a completely different animal. - The Village Voice

It’s been three years since Voss has performed live with a full band. With the July release of his latest EP, The Book of Michael Chapter 2: Hunger Pains, the emcee decided to revisit performing using live music. Last Thursday night, he performed with indie-rockers The Jawn at Underground Arts. Phlight School’s Chris Vance hosted, while Jim Redz DJed.

The night brought a heavy dose of local hip hop from four opening acts, including LTC, a Levittown based rapper whose personal motto seemed to be “go hard, go strong.” Up next was Rob Diioia, who brought a charming swag to the stage with a smile and some speedy spitting and CJ x Evan’s party boy hip hop made you want to dance. The final opener, Sinistah K, joked with the crowd but was serious and intense when he began to flow.

Then came Voss, who began with his well-known song “Tarantino.” With The Jawn backing him, newer songs like “David Beckham” produce a thumping that incited consistent head banging. Local singer Khrista White, who is featured on the song “The Believers” from Voss’ recent EP, graced the stage and fellow emcee Skrewtape lent some extra energy and vocals.

Voss flung himself around the stage and through the crowd as show goers jumped, swayed, pumped their fists and nodded their heads. The breath control and exercise Voss says he’s spent the last year keeping up with seemed to pay off during his hour long set, his longest set to date.

At the end of the show, Voss was drenched in sweat but also drenched in appreciation, repeating “thank you” for support throughout his career overall and the show specifically, which he put together on his own.

Voss has plenty more projects in the works. Some he’s not quite ready to announce and some he is, like the third chapter in The Book of Michael EP trilogy, for which he just began recording. - Jump Philly

For those of you not familiar with Voss I’ll drop a little knowledge on you real quick. Voss hails from Levittown PA, he recently won BET Freestyle Friday’s and was placed in the Hall of Fame. Since then he has consistenty been hitting us with quality video after quality video. He has also just dropped his newest EP The Book Of Michael 2.

We had the privilege of going to his show at Underground Arts with The Jawn. From the time we stepped in the building you could feel the anticipation from the crowd waiting for Voss to perform. All the openers came on and did their thing, starting with another Levittown emcee LTC. LTC hit us with some Buck 65/Sage Francis style bars and even tossed in some Michael Jackson for good measure. Next up was Rob Diloia who gave us that fist bumping party music reminisces of the Jersey shore. Once CJ & Evan went on the crowd was just excited to people chanting “Corfu”. They killed their set and engaged the crowed getting everyone hype. Sinistah K was the act right before Voss and the majority of the audience went outside to get some air before coming in and jamming out with VO. He did his thing though.

Finally the moment we all had been waiting for, Voss & The Jawn took the stage. No introduction needed, they busted right into Voss’s single “Tarantino”. The set list was comprised of all bangers as they hit single after single inviting a new dope guest up practically every song. We got to see the homie Skrewtape and Milton take the stage along with Reese who was the designated hype man. By the conclusion of the performance we were satisfied to say the least. Hip-hop with live bands brings a new element to performance that can’t be captured during a solo set. Hopefully Voss & The Jawn will collaborate again and bring us another dope live show. - OogeeWoogee

Sweat drips from Philly-based rapper Voss‘ forehead, nose and chin. Dressed simply and chicly in a black tank top, simple gold chain, grey jeans and boat shoes, the 25-year-old rapper bounces from one end of the stage to the other, even jumping off to sing the chorus to his recent single “Tarantino.”

The room is warm and energetic, with fans pressed against the stage upstairs at Milkboy for the MC’s last night of his Reservoir Dogs tour.

Bouncing hands are up in the air and rarely come down, except when Voss closes his set with a word of appreciation for any support and a vow that he will continue creating great music for those who want to hear it.

The crowd wants to hear it and Voss knows why. He says he takes pride in his writing.

“I don’t make fast food rap,” he says of his lyrical ability. “I want to make something you can feast on but you can still enjoy. The taste will hit you right away but then you will taste a new flavor the next week.”
Though the rapper is good at feeding the needs of his audience, it is never at the expense or limitation of his creativity.

“I just rap, I rhyme words,” says Voss, whose grunt-like voice is streamlined with precise delivery. “I don’t see why I should limit myself to one type. I understand the commercial importance of finding a niche but I’m too eclectic to put myself in one lane.”

He says he started listening to hip-hop when he was 10, becoming a dedicated fan of legends like N.W.A., Public Enemy, Rakim and Big Daddy Kane. He reminisces on his first rhyme as a 14-year-old, called “Straight Outta L-Town,” a humorous ode to his hometown of Levittown, Pa., which he spit over N.W.A.’s “Straight Outta Compton” beat.

“A lot of my friends heard it and laughed at it and thought it was funny,” Voss says, “but then people started telling me I should really start to rap.”

At the time, Voss says he was only joking around. He didn’t think he could ever be like his favorite rhymers. But after listening to more obscure artists, he began to feel there was a place for him in the rap game.

“There are more lanes to hip-hop than just what I was hearing initially,” he asserts. “So, I started building up from there and I just became more confident in my ability to write serious rhymes, just because of the people telling me I could do it until eventually I believed them.”

At 16, Voss started performing and recording. He also started battling. In 2012, Voss took the stage at BET’s 106 & Park Freestyle Friday, winning five times in a row, earning him Hall-of-Fame status.

Fellow rapper Taizu has seen Voss in action many times. The two went on tour this past fall.

“He’s good with crowd control,” says Taizu. “He knows what songs to pick for what environment. He knows what’s going to get people excited. He knows what’s going to get them to throw their hands up. He plays on to that really well, which is important as a performer. The ability [to] tune into the crowd and give them what they want.”

Even with all of his steps toward success, Voss says he’s still learning as he goes, dealing with the challenges being an up-and-comer can present.

“You got a guy still making Eminem jokes in 2013 and if I can get that same guy to buy a shirt at the end of the night —which is what happened — I can do anything,” he says. “Those obstacles are always going to present themselves but at the end of the day, people respect talent. So if I can show them that, I have nothing to worry about.” - Jump Philly

The past six months have been a wild ride for Philadelphia emcee, Mike Voss. Working a “shitty day job” in the middle of nowhere (New Jersey), Voss has managed to keep his ten-year rap career alive. He claimed five Freestyle Friday victories in a row on BET’s 106 & Park, signed with Black Ink Management and Music Group (part of the New Legacy Enterprises family), and played at SXSW. Voss has gained coveted opening slots for major hip-hop names like Ghostface Killah (May 12th), Pusha T and Raekwon, and scheduled an album release through Universal Music Group Distribution provided by BIMMG. In a minute of downtime, I got a chance to sit down with Mr. Freeze himself in his new, rap-funded apartment in Philly.

“Right before I got that job in May, I tried out for the BET thing and made the cut -and they called me in September. Right after I won my second week (on BET), I got fired due to ‘inconsistent performance’ (from day job). I can’t say the name of the company because they paid me a lot of money not to slander them, severance package or hush money, whatever you want to call it. So I won my five weeks, retired and moved in with my engineer, Ron Swerdon (member of Kim Jong Ill),” says Voss.

Acting as his own manager and booking agent for his entire career, Voss chose to hand those responsibilities over as of this year when he signed with BIMMG. “Its such a relief, I’ve been doing this thing now for ten years and no one taught me anything, so I had to learn (the business) on my own. If I had a mentor, someone who was really up on the business side, when I was a kid, I feel like I would be a lot further than I am right now.”

On the other hand, Voss explains, since he did it all on his own, he doesn’t owe any favors. “Now that I’m with Black Ink, and I have a team of people that give a shit, Isaac (Gordon), Catherine (Torbert) and everybody else, it feels amazing. I am paying my rent with rap.” He added that since the networking and booking is no longer his responsibility, he can enjoy himself at shows and concentrate on the music.

Riding on the success of his five consecutive wins from Freestyle Friday on BET, Voss got booked in Texas on a bill with The Game and Nipsey Hussle at SXSW, when other people had some bad business. “I had the time of my life. The showcase I was a part of, the business end was messed up. This guy in Houston, his name is Chris Ford with Star Scream Entertainment and he is a crook,” adding that he had every legal right to say his name, “(he) was basically taking money that wasn’t his and The Game and Nipsey Hussle wound up not showing up to the show.”

When faced with that adversity, Voss played the show anyway and was glad he did. “We still had people there, the sound was amazing at Emo’s East, and after that I got to meet so many people and partied my ass off.” When reflecting on the trip and the nonsense he had to deal with, Voss kept things in perspective – “It’s bigger than the show. Just the experience of being there and meeting some of the people I did, I am definitely going back next year.”

Unfortunately, Voss did not get to stay in Texas long. The Champions Tournament for BET’s 106 & Park Freestyle Fridays was scheduled to film only days after his show. Winning in the first round, but coming up short in the second, he was relieved to be done with the competition. “I did the March Mayhem all star tournament when I lost to this kid Charron from Canada. Shout out to him- I think he won legitimately but I went down swinging. Battle rap isn’t my thing, and I’m happy to be done because I got so much coming up musically and show wise that it’s not really a set back.”

On April 28th, Voss dropped the music video for “Mr. Freeze”, a single off his track produced by ASK?. The single is meant to build the hype around the album he is currently in the process of recording. “I have over 20 tracks written for the album already. We will record all of them, pick out what fits and put everything else out as a free EP,” Voss explains, adding that his management is working on an East Coast summer tour followed by a winter tour with dates in Ohio, Boston and North Carolina .

There will not be any features on the album as far as rappers. Voss has done collaborations with many emcees, but likes to keep his albums solo. He wants the focus of the album, including the response, to be directly on him as an artist. “I don’t want people to listen to the album because somebody else is on it.”

However, he does want to include vocalists and has two in mind. First, his engineer/roommate/landlord Swerdon. Second is an up-and-coming R&B/Hip-Hop artist, Milton, who like Voss, is a member of the CORFU Collective. “Corfu is a group of like-minded outsiders that thrive off inside jokes. A group of like-minded outsiders that say a lot of really mean shit to each other, but only mean like 50% of it, but put 100% effort towards helping each other out. Not only getting our names out there but also having as much fun as we possibly can while doing it. Am Down, all heem no heche.”

Other notable experiences of Voss’ include playing The Fire with Astronautalis and Sims from a group called Doomtree, which sold out. Voss feeds off of his audience, “the crowd was so open-minded and open-armed and was ready to take in everything I had to offer. That was one of the few shows where I really didn’t feel like I had to earn anything, which is nice once in a while. I just walked out and they were ready.”

He also added opening for former Def Jam recording artist, Wax, at The Trocadero in 2011 to his list of favorite shows along with two major hip-hop emcees in 2013, Pusha T and Raekwon, on separate nights at The Blockley. With an opening slot (for Raekwon), Voss still played in front of 200 people, stage dove, brought his hip-hop artist friends Skrewtape and Sean Cov on stage for a song, and got one of CORFU’s biggest members, Tray Digga (weighing in at around 240lbs), to stage dive along with him, being that it was his birthday. - ThatMag

MJ: You are an independent artist who has been described as “A beast on the microphone!” Can you elaborate on that?

Voss: Well see whenever I touch a microphone it’s like the Thriller video, I turn into an actual hairy vicious beast, and it’s pretty crazy. Seriously I’ve probably been called that because whenever I’m in front of one I rap like it’s the last time I’ll be able to rap ha-ha. Go hard or go home you could say.

MJ: That’s that confidence! Share with us the motivation behind the track and video “Cloud Nine.”

Voss: Well the track is kind of outside the box for me as an artist. Definitely one of the most upbeat positive songs I’ve done. I got that beat from my man GilliBeatz out in Delaware and it just made me feel good. Like I needed to write some up lifting s@@t on it. So I did. I played around with my flow a lot on that too which is always a fun challenge. As for the video, I just wanted a “day in the life” vibe around my city. My man Skrewtape who filmed it went around to South St. and Love Park and just enjoyed a gorgeous day. It was a real organic video without much planning. Other than the shots with the smoke machine where I’m rapping, which I did to simulate a cloud like appearance. We filmed those in the basement of my house in Fishtown…set off the smoke detector three times lol!

MJ: A classic old school Hip Hop video, it completes the track! When did Voss first come out on the scene? Talk about how that evolved.

Voss: Thank you…I wrote my first rhyme when I was 14, and it was pretty much a joke. After my friends told me to seriously pursue it, that I had a gift with words, I eventually believed them and by 16, I was playing shows and recording, that was in Levittown right outside Philly. I didn’t get a lot of shows in the city due to being too young and rarely having a way to get there. But when I did, I would find a ride to at least the train station and go out there, do my set with X’s on my hands then have to leave the club since I was underage…Then I went to college in West Chester, PA and kind of formed a hip-hop scene out there from virtually nothing. I booked shows, ran monthly events…it was really cool to see a talented group of kids get known out there at my events and to make a scene out of what was just a couple rappers who kind of took it as a hobby. I graduated school then wound up living in Philly and the rest is history. I’ve really only been a constant fixture in the Philly scene specifically for maybe 4 years. I think it’s a testament to how you can put me anywhere on the planet and I’m going to make something out of it, usually in a short time…not to toot my own horn but BEEP BEEP ha-ha!

MJ: Your confidence is fire! I love it! Talk about what you’re currently working on now; albums, performances, etc. Share with us where fans can follow Voss.

Voss: Ha-ha thank you. Some confuse it with arrogance but I think confidence is what you’re able to back up, and arrogance is just all talk…Right now I’m actually working on a ton ha-ha. Most importantly I’ve got an EP coming out on 7/22 called “The Book Of Michael, Chapter 2: Hunger Pains.” Chapter 1 dropped in January. This one will be free just like that one. It’s 7 tracks and I’m super proud of it and excited to get it out. It’s called Hunger Pains instead of Pangs (I know that’s the medical term) because I wanted to play off the “pain” that comes with being metaphorically hungry for something, so I just used that word…I’m having a public release/listening party on 7/19 before it comes out online at Status Shop in Philly, which is a dope clothing store at 327 South St from 6-8PM…Also going to be debuting the video for my next single “David Beckham” which was a ton of fun to film. I’m already working on the final Chapter which will be out before this year ends and of course my full length album as well. Also an EP with my homies NOD who are a dope production team consisting of Steve Untytled, Hank McCoy, Wes Manchild and Kush Shalimar, so I’m staying busy lol. On August 13th I’m opening for Roc Marciano at Silk City in Philly which I’m real hype for, he’s nice as hell. Then on August 28th I’m headlining at Underground Arts in Philly on the main stage which is awesome, and I’m playing with a LIVE BAND, which I’m insanely hyped about! I can’t forget to mention July 11th I open for Peedi Crakk at Rio in Levittown and July 12th I’m playing an Autism benefit at The Fire in Philly with Reef the Lost Cauze, 30 & Over League and more!

MJ: That’s where that confidence kicks in, you are definitely doing your thing, Lyrically Fit! Let’s talk performances…4 words to describe a performance by Voss? Who are some artists you would like to share the stage with?

Voss: Good question, 4 words…”this is fu@@ing dope,” lol! As for artists I want to share the stage with…I don’t know. I’ve done some great shows with dudes. I’m a huge fan of like Ghostface, Raekwon, Questlove, Cam’ron, El-P, Pusha T, Kweli…Ha-ha I even opened for Macklemore at a tiny spot in Philly back in 2011, and Mac Miller too. I’ve checked a lot of names off my list of artists I’d like to rock with but I got to be honest…I’d love to do a show with Kanye and Kendrick and Outkast. Just to have the chance for them to catch my set, and to be able to pick their brains in person about what they put into their performances because those guys are all great live!

MJ: Describe your own style, flow, and what your music and Voss as an artist contributes to the world of Hip Hop.

Voss: Ahhh it’s hard to do that. Kind of feel weird describing my own style of music. I’d rather hear the people do it. I will say it’s honest, always. I say in a song called Time Capsule “This music’s more honest than me,” which is true for better or for worse ha-ha. Even when I’m just having fun, I’m honestly in that moment when I record or perform that track. I have a ton of influences, musical and otherwise, so my s@@t is all over the map too. Honest, diverse, unique… there’s some descriptive words! I feel I’ve always had lyrics, but my flow kind of had to catch up to them. Nowadays I like where it’s at though. I vary my delivery and cadence up a lot more than I used to. It’s such a fun challenge to be able to write solid lyrics while delivering them in a way that you know will catch ears and keep attention. As far as what I contribute to Hip Hop as a whole, s@@t, more good and honest music from the heart. I can hope for really. Hopefully on a global scale in the near future.

MJ: I have to pull the diversity card…do you face any challenges or setbacks because of the color of your skin? True Hip Hop knows no color, however, in today’s industry it does tend to play a role.

Voss: Ha-ha I respect that question. Honestly not too much. Of course a stigma will always be there, comparisons to Eminem (sigh) will never stop lol. I’ve found that they’ve become less common as time has gone on due to mainstream Hip Hop in general’s gradual blindness to skin color, which is a beautiful thing. Of course it’s there, people will discuss differences. Hip Hop is becoming a really dope melting pot. I may not personally be a fan of all the white artists becoming prominent now but I do see it as a positive thing and not like some kind of culture “theft” as some more bitter folks seem to think. Hip Hop is and always will be a black art at its core. I know and respect that yet that doesn’t mean being a white Hip Hop artist in 2014 should matter at all. There are so many more pressing issues in this world ha-ha. Just be dope and respect the pioneers…As for me personally I’ve found that my style is unique to the point that the comparisons to other white emcees kind of just stopped. People often have trouble pegging what other rappers I sound like in general, which I take as a huge compliment.

MJ: I respect and appreciate your insight and intelligence on the topic! As we wrap up Voss, I’m going to pass you the mic, drop a little freestyle for MJ and the Lyrically Fit family!

Voss: “Wrapping up this interview, Lyrically Fit they know the boy’s dope after hearin’ me spit no fear in the kid, I ain’t scared of nothin this is off the top here, not preparin nothing I’m rarely frontin, sike I never am livin every day just to become a better man got a clever plan to make my way to the pinnacle listen what I spit for you, good look on the interview.” - Lyrically Fit

Philly-raised rapper Voss — who has shared the stages with Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Mac Miller, Raekwon and Cam'ron (just to name a few) — dives head first into his ambitious plans to take his career to the next level in his Wayne Campbell-shot/produced clip for "Angel Dust."

The trippy, hazy visual serves as the third single/clip off Voss' debut LP dubbed Insatiable, released back in April through Monster Entertainment/Empire Distribution and can be purchased on iTunes now. - 2DopeBoyz

Philadelphia artist Voss (BET 106 & Park Freestyle Friday Hall of Famer) seeks to feed his unquenchable thirst for success, truth and music on his thirteen track album, “Insatiable”. Voss also contracts a long list of featured guests including Revolution, I Love You, Evan Rotunno, Ron Swerdon, Milton, Jake Palumbo, Mel Alston Jr., Harrowgrove, Azar, Kim Jong, Ill Mason and the means. The album has a very strong warrior feel to it and Voss‘ strong voiced delivery helps further that vibe. GYBU caught attention of the album and wanted to review a few of our favorite songs. Join us below as we speak about Voss and “Insatiable”.

“Angel Dust”– This was the first track on the album that really caught my attention. It started with the slow paced synth bass, keyboards and guitar melodies and then when the chorus kicked in, I was sold. I loved the vox edit on the backing track as well. The production is carried out very professionally and Voss’ flow fits the rhythm. I like how he used the word angel in the latter end of verse one. This is definitely one of the best songs of the album.

“Average” featuring Azar of Ground Up – I love amped up records and “Average” is far from it’s given title. The Fearmongerz & Architekt produced instrumental consists of a fast paced snare drum, low octave brass horns and a harsh synth arpeggio that makes you want to simply wild out. Voss finesses the track well but it’s the show stealing guest verse of Azar that amplifies the energy of this song from 10 to 100. Again, the Philly artist provides a solid hook for this one.

“For The Moment” featuring Mason – This song hit me hard right from the very start with a powerfully sung chorus provided by Mason. Damn, this track has a very strong international sound. It’s the song I feel would perform best commercially. Voss once again rides the beat perfectly and the cinematic production of JuicedUp Beats & Ron Swerdon will have you giving it your all to your eyes won’t open. Love the message, highly recommended.

“Rest For The Wicked” – This song follows after “For The Moment” and carried over the high energy. The song topic is based on a toxic relationship and being addicted to the need of that person. This song also has an extremely dope chorus and well written lyrics, another single I could see fairing well online and on radio. I can relate to the plot, as I’m sure many of you will as well.

I really enjoyed these four songs and a few others such as “Found.”. There are alot of Hip Hop based songs found on the album but it appears the Philly talent shines brightest on his more Pop sounding tracks. Either way, “Insatiable” is a great mix of Hip Hop, Pop, EDM and Dance. The entire album can be streamed down below. - GetYourBuzzUp.com