Across the country, onto the charts

April 2, 2009 by Tifani Tamayo 

Transient rapper currently making Vegas his home, making moves to fame

Over the last few years, the state of Florida has truly emerged as an epicenter for hot rap music.

Artists like Pitbull, DJ Khaled, Plies and Flo Rida, who has the number one Billboard Hot 100 song in the country “Right Round,” have undeniably taken the rap world by storm.

The two main reasons for this phenomenon are lots of hard work and lots of unity, and as the Sunshine State continues to crank out the hits, it also continues to crank out more artists.

 Skilled, savvy and secure, Slykat has all the elements to be the next rapper from the 305 to hit the charts with the force of a hurricane.  

“Music is second nature for me, I don’t even remember when I started rapping,” he said.

With his music, Slykat brings a sound that is mainstream and easily marketed worldwide that does not jeopardize his lyrical ability.

“My style is laid-back but it’s definitely lyrical.  Coming from the South, I think it’s important to continue in the legacy of lyrical guys like Outkast,” Slykat said.

As a young man, Tiwan Harrell aka Slykat experienced a tough life like many inner-city youths do;  he was raised by a single mother and never met his father.

Hip-hop has always offered a way for a listener to explore life’s twists and turns over a beat.

Slykat grew up in the ‘90s listening to hip hop acts like Rakim, Run DMC, A Tribe Called Quest, Nas and Jay-Z.

All are artists who he said still influence him very much.

Other influential people in his career have been his friends and his company, City Kidz Entertainment.

Coming from a city in which rappers have formed a real camaraderie, he has naturally garnered several important connections in the music business.

“In the South, we not only know how to make music but we know how to skip the drama and help one another reach greater heights,” Slykat said.

“A lot of rappers in other parts of the country are all for self and that unfortunately ends up messing their situation up sometimes.”

Slykat works closely with longtime friends and prominent Miami producers, Cool & Dre.

Cool & Dre have produced countless hits including 50 Cent’s “Hate it or Love It” and DJ Khaled’s “Holla at Me.”

Slykat has also recorded songs with Chamillionaire, The Game and Rick Ross.

But one of Slykat’s most gratifying accomplishments was receiving the coveted “Unsigned Hype” in the popular hip-hop publication, The Source.

“I thought it was a joke when I got the magazine’s phone call about the article,” Slykat said. 

He explained his amazement stemmed from not being able to fathom attaining the very same accolade that iconic rappers like the Notorious B.I.G and Eminem once received early in their careers.

For the past seven months, 28-year-old Slykat, has been residing in Las Vegas—a city where notions of lack of support for local artists are prevalent.  

“It’s true, it’s hard for an artist to get the right exposure in this city if you’re not signed.”

Slykat is not the type to back down though and he gladly welcomes the challenge.

“Like everywhere, you’ve got to make radio stations play your music, no one will hand you anything.  There was a time when I wasn’t getting spins in Miami but once I expanded and made an impact in different markets, they started noticing me.”

Slykat said that in his career he has made it a point to broaden his horizons not only geographically, but musically too.

After leaving Florida and before reaching Nevada, he lived in Texas, New York and California.

His commitment to reach diverse markets and wide audiences has paid off.

“I’ve been blessed with many opportunities and I’m working diligently to have many more come.”

His songs can be found on MySpace, Amazon, Rhapsody and DSNmusic.com—a site where he has broken a record of 1 million downloads.

As he continues work on his major album release, his new material “Credit Time Served” hit iTunes on Monday.

With his velvety voice, ideal flow and lyricism, Slykat is well on his way superstardom.

ON THE WEB:

Slykat: myspace.com/slykat