I$REAL

Hailing from the Rosemont community of west Baltimore, Israel experienced anything but a normal upbringing. Growing up without both of his parents, Israel had to learn the art of survival at a very young age. Although the cards were seemingly stacked against him, his grandmother served as a source of unconditional love and security for him; a driving force in him wanting to be greater. Israel first connected with Hip Hop when he heard LL Cool J's Going Back to Cali, and that would eventually lead to him competing in an elementary school talent show for dramatic reading. Around that time he witnessed a pair of neighborhood hustlers rally kids on the play ground with sounds made from "hot sticks." The art of rhyming intrigued him as they threw hundred dollar bills into the crowd. Music was his gateway to heaven on earth-explaining all he had to say through his walk of silence as a child. During his high school years he would be met with the temptation that many of his counterparts would be met with; becoming a man of the streets and wanting to become a so called "thug." It's during this period that he would be able to identify and connect with the story of one of his greatest musical inspirations Jay Z, and his classic body of work Reasonable Doubt. Not long after Israel would link up with other budding artists within the community and start making music with 4 track machines, and the rest is history. Israel's music speaks of the struggle; of selling hope. It paints the picture of the before and after, and reflects growth. He does it for the love, and he often describes his music as for the self-conscious and the self-aware. Israel's goal is to become successful and reach back into his community-to do the opposite of what he saw around him coming up. One of his many messages is that it's cool to be yourself. Israel's rawness, realness, and authenticity is what people will connect with, and what the game has been missing for many years. Israel sounds like no one else, and this uniqueness will evoke thought and hope in everyone that comes across his music.