Unrapped: Roscoe Dash Turns Up the Volume
Lounging in a high-rise office on a snowy morning in Manhattan, 19-year-old Atlanta native Roscoe Dash seems unfazed by the blizzard happening outside in the streets. Much like the heavy snowfall, the rapper hit the masses with little warning, yet no one could’ve predicted the impact he would have on the music industry. His debut single, “All the Way Turnt Up” featuring Soulja Boy Tell’em, and follow-up single “Show Out,” have quickly captured listeners’ attention. Even Roscoe himself couldn’t have guessed the outcome. He may be a Southern spitter, but his sound has spanned the U.S. and beyond.
“When you come from a Down South region, a lot of other regions don’t really respect Down South music,” Roscoe explains to staging-rapup.kinsta.cloud. “It was really surprising for me the fact that you got people on the West Coast, you got people up North, you got people across the Southwest region, and everybody likes the music—even people overseas and in Canada. We got a lot of people wanting to book shows, so it’s just amazing to see how fast music can change your life.”
Before Dash met Soulja Boy, he was a local basketball star on the rise. But fatherhood caused him to step off the court. After having a daughter at a mere 16 years of age, the baller focused on music to be closer to her. Eventually, his sound caught the attention of one of hip-hop’s most sought-after producers, Polow Da Don, who signed Dash to his Zone 4 Inc. imprint. As a result, the rapper has had the opportunity to conduct business with some well-respected players in the game. Besides Young Jeezy and DJ Khaled, Dash is looking to drop a bomb with his forthcoming debut Ready Set Go! “I’m trying to bring people back,” he admits. “Not necessarily bring ’em back, but bring somebody out of retirement. It adds that extraness to it that makes people wanna listen.”
As he sits back, dressed in skinny jeans, a silver Black Label bomber jacket, and sporting a mohawk, one would think writing rhymes is the only thing on his mind when he’s lost in thought. Surprisingly, it’s not. Though Roscoe’s prepping for the July 20 release of his first effort, he’s also working toward completing another goal. After getting his GED at 17, the rap newcomer enrolled in college, majoring in radiology tech and anesthesiology. The opportunity to have a legitimate music career came knocking, but that didn’t cause Roscoe to put his education on the backburner. “I’m making sure that stays in heavy rotation on my priority list,” he reveals. “Even if I have to take online classes.” Can’t knock the hustle.
–Nadia Chanté