Radamiz

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There’s an unfortunate common denominator in Rap: Forgoing downfield vision to satiate short-term desires. Yes, getting a check for $20K might feel great in the moment and grant you “boss status”. It might allow you to put food on the table for a minute; it might allow you to finally win that staring contest with that Hublot; it might vindicate your hustle. But the real value doesn’t derive from the check’s amount—it derives from the signature on the bottom right-hand side. Nobody is more familiar with the latter mindset as Brooklyn emcee, Radamiz.

The 23-year old rapper is an extremely focused individual with a refreshing take on the Rap game. “I plan to be around for a minute,” the Dominican artist says with authority as he pounds his fists on the table. He’s seen it before—the quick check, the lavish expenditures, the impending doom. Sure, he’s had opportunity knock on his Bed-Stuy apartment door, but he’s dismissed those knocks; he’s not being dismissive, he just fully understands his vision and understands which parties will facilitate his growth. He’s a mature individual who is familiar with the concept: Patience is a virtue. The fluid spitter took time to hone his craft, refine his hooks, discover his sound and most importantly, discover himself. Mental fortitude fueled his desire to enjoy a career of longevity and the chance to leave an impact. He’s seen people do it wrong; he’s just trying to do it right.

When ZeusWolf asked him his stance on indie or label route, he said without hesitation, “It depends.” And he’s right—it’s all circumstantial. Radamiz’s apt example illustrates this notion: “Outkast signed to a label, but they were allowed to do whatever they wanted because their label believed in them. And they won Grammy’s. I mean look, they’re Outkast.” Although Radamiz’s representation is still undecided, his indecision does not mean that there won’t ever be a decision—there must be a mutual understanding and vision.

Radamiz began rapping in an unconventional way. While most kids played Madlibs with a pencil and a dumbass group of friends, Radamiz played Madlibs with his thoughts and raps. He incessantly listened to Biggie and Jadakiss mixtapes and would inform his rhymes through their words by literally taking the first half of their 16s and penning the remaining 50% with his rhymes. In his words, “That way at least half of the verse was guaranteed to be fire!” With practice and diligence, his pen game developed from a Bic to a Monte Blanc.

He is known for employing a slew of polysyllabic rhymes that shape his voluminous stories. He touches upon known concepts in Rap: The hood, poverty, inspiration, and more. But his rhetoric depicts the other side of the coin often dismissed by rappers: He focuses on the beauty in the ugly. When discussing his impoverished youth, he’s thankful for it. He’s thankful for the lessons it taught him, the experience gained and his perspective to view the “real” in everything and appreciate life at face-value; simply, for what it’s worth. His ability to look at life through a positive and unobscured lens gives his rhymes substance and relatability. But there’s something else that makes Radamiz stand out from the steep New York competition: His NYU education.

“I always knew that I wanted to be a rapper with a degree.” His entire life, for as long as he can remember, he’s placed the ultimate premium on education. With two parents from the Dominican Republic who didn’t graduate junior high school, Radamiz always had a different perspective on school. He saw what a lack of education could take away; he dreamt what a surplus could provide. He appreciates the value of a college education for the maturation process, developed perspective and life skills. It was at NYU where he experienced the necessary epiphany that forced him into the direction of his desired lifestyle. His background, youth and times at NYU contributed to his strong reputation and the words that pulse through his soul.

Radamiz caught his first whiff of success when Hip-hop’s favorite Jew (aside from yours truly), Peter Rosenberg, announced him as Hot 97’s “Who’s Next” artist. Rosenberg has a knack for reaching his pasty, hairy hands into the underground abyss of New York’s talent and picking out future stars. This co-sign foreshadows great things to come for the young wordsmith.

After spending four years and a five-figure sum, Radamiz finally dropped his highly anticipated rookie tape, Writeous, on April 18th. Check out the project here and make sure to peep the ZeusWolf x Radamiz Writeous interview. In addition to putting in his own time, Radamiz also features fellow group members as well as other up and coming New York rappers.

Radamiz enjoys the company of music contemporaries; having mental springboards to bounce ideas off of invokes creative stimulation. For him, this group comes in the form of The Mogul Club—a collective of four high school friends. They work in the studio together to motivate one another, support and develop each other’s visions. All members are pursuing individual careers but were honored to leave their fingerprints on Writeous.

The Writeous single, “Ali’s My Big Brother”, features Mogul Club member Dre Dollaz and is an impassioned song that draws inspiration from Muhammed Ali’s battle against enlisting in the Vietnam War. On the hook he sings “All my life I’ve been ready for the war, All my life I’ve been ready for the war” symbolizing Ali’s fight against his perceived injustice and Radamiz’s own life struggles and enemies. Tupac is another source of inspiration paid homage on this track because of his ability to always be himself, no matter the circumstance, and fight for his beliefs.

Listen to Radamiz to witness an authentic man pour his all into his craft. Throw in the earbuds, absorb his rejuvenating energy and vibe to his flow. It’s a rarity to find so much maturity in youth; he’s driven on achieving his dreams and knows that taking his time will eventually pay dividends. Like I said, he’s just plotting and strategizing.

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