This Wednesday Rick Ross surprised Hip Hop fans with this tweet: “Everyone welcome @RockieFresh to the Maybach Music Group Family!!!”
Twenty-one year-old Rockie Fresh, the underground artist known for his mixtape “Driving 88” inked a deal with Maybach Music, making him the 11th member of Rick Ross’s battalion.
Fresh, regarded by XXL as one of Chicago’s prominent rappers, brings an extraordinary resume to Maybach. Having toured with Fall Out Boy, Rick Ross, and Big Sean, his rise to mainstream hip-hop was fashionably predestined.
“Salute to @RickyRozay for seeing my vision. We #RichForever #MMG,” Fresh tweeted after signing with the major label.
Andrew Barber of Chicago music blog Fake Shore Drive said, “”I’d say Chicago is hands down the hottest city in hip-hop right now.” Barber believes that Fresh was on the radar of Cash Money and Bad Boy.
Ever since Chief Keef left the Chicago rap scene for Interscope last month, it’s no surprise that the Windy City remains a farm system for major rap labels. Keef, 17, was signed by Interscope after releasing the much buzzed single “I Don’t Like,” which was followed up by an even more popular remix featuring Kanye West and Big Sean. Interscope offered Keef a contract that could guarantee him his own label, headphone line, and option for movies. These incentives were too hard for the young Southside MC to turn down and so he signed.
Chicago has had a reputation for its talent leaving for major music hubs due to the city’s lack of a major music label. It’s a system that has benefited Chicago artists from Do or Die to Kanye, to most recently Rockie Fresh. Chicago has such a strong underground base, and with most rap music being heard over the Internet these days, it makes it easier for rappers to develop enough buzz locally to jump on the national radar. Rockie Fresh is the latest Chicago rapper to make this happen.
Set to drop later this year is Fresh’s new mixtape “Electric Highway,” according to MTV News. This marks the fifth mix tape released by Fresh since his debut in 2009. Fresh told MTV.com about his upcoming project last month.
“It’s called Electric Highway,” Fresh told MTV News. “I always want to do original music even if it’s a mix tape, so it’s definitely a free album, but all of the records are going to be original. With me getting older and seeing different parts of the world, my content is always going to be evolving, so this is going to be the peak of Rockie Fresh. Out of all of the stuff that I’ve done, I think this is going to be my best work and I’m really looking forward to dropping it.”
Fresh will continue to pave the way for young Chicago MC’s to make their mark in the hip hop world. Like Andrew Barber said, “I truly believe this is only the tip of the iceberg.”
Fresh returns home to Chicago to perform on Meek Mill’s Dream Chasers tour at House of Blues Aug. 17.
