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Stat Quo is four songs deep into every Southern rapper's worst nightmare — being stuck in New York (on a brick-ass cold day, no less) rocking for a jaded crowd who wouldn't know a Southern hit if it elbowed them in the grill. But Stanley Benton Jr., 26, ain't one to lose his cool. Flashing a toothy grin from under the brim of his signature Atlanta Braves fitted, Stat Quo cuts the music to ask one simple question: "What, y'all too cool to move?"
But just because the Big Apple didn't get the bigger picture, don't think Stat Quo is your average Southern rapper, despite the name. There's the accent, for one — a gravelly drawl so unique, even folks from around his way, East Atlanta, don't believe it's authentic. Then there's the flow — a staggered way of cruising the beat that's half pimp, half battle cat, and all style. And finally, there's the deal: Stat Quo signed to Shady/Aftermath in late 2003, making him the only artist, besides 50 Cent, with a direct link to both Eminem and Dr. Dre.
"Everything I do is different from what's going on right now," he says later. And it's true. Quick, how many rappers with a major deal aren't college dropouts — if they went at all? In 2000, Stat earned a double major in international business and economics from the University of Florida. And when was the last time you heard that a hustler didn't want to discuss his past? "I got some money, I made it flip, that's all you need to know," he says.
One thing's for sure, his skill speaks for itself. Just ask Slim Shady, who, along with Dr. Dre, snagged Stat after catching an earful of one of his Underground Atlanta mixtapes. "He's got a different sound for Shady," says Em. "The grimness of his voice will make people come back for more." Or, this spring, cop Stat's impressive debut, Statlanta, featuring production by DJ Toomp, Scott Storch, and, of course, Dre and Em. Folks who didn't get it on the first go-round will take note. "I hear motherfuckers say that I came out of nowhere," says Stat. "No I didn't. But if you took my CD and Frisbeed it, then yeah, I came out of nowhere." So, do you hear him now?
By Benjamin Meadows-Ingram
source : http://www.vibe.com/modules.php?op=m...rder=0&thold=0
But just because the Big Apple didn't get the bigger picture, don't think Stat Quo is your average Southern rapper, despite the name. There's the accent, for one — a gravelly drawl so unique, even folks from around his way, East Atlanta, don't believe it's authentic. Then there's the flow — a staggered way of cruising the beat that's half pimp, half battle cat, and all style. And finally, there's the deal: Stat Quo signed to Shady/Aftermath in late 2003, making him the only artist, besides 50 Cent, with a direct link to both Eminem and Dr. Dre.
"Everything I do is different from what's going on right now," he says later. And it's true. Quick, how many rappers with a major deal aren't college dropouts — if they went at all? In 2000, Stat earned a double major in international business and economics from the University of Florida. And when was the last time you heard that a hustler didn't want to discuss his past? "I got some money, I made it flip, that's all you need to know," he says.
One thing's for sure, his skill speaks for itself. Just ask Slim Shady, who, along with Dr. Dre, snagged Stat after catching an earful of one of his Underground Atlanta mixtapes. "He's got a different sound for Shady," says Em. "The grimness of his voice will make people come back for more." Or, this spring, cop Stat's impressive debut, Statlanta, featuring production by DJ Toomp, Scott Storch, and, of course, Dre and Em. Folks who didn't get it on the first go-round will take note. "I hear motherfuckers say that I came out of nowhere," says Stat. "No I didn't. But if you took my CD and Frisbeed it, then yeah, I came out of nowhere." So, do you hear him now?
By Benjamin Meadows-Ingram
source : http://www.vibe.com/modules.php?op=m...rder=0&thold=0
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