The Music Gettin' Grimey with Izzy!
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 NEWARK, STAND UP! Izzey Grimey is picking up the Brick and carrying it back to the promised land called Hip Hop!
I from Newark NJ born and raised. Also known as Brick City. I am the leader of the New School on this side. This is the city of Redman, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Rah Digga, Shaq, etc.. I'm proud of what I represent because we have a deep and rich history. What was it like growing up there? It wasn't all fun and games because of the violence and peer pressure. Newark is the biggest city in the state and it is very close to NY, so its all about the bright lights and big city state of mind. But you have to be intelligent and grounded to avoid getting caught up in the negativity. Possibilities are endless but opportunities are limited so your upbringing will determine how you approach it as an individual. I was a knuckle head, I didn't listen, I had to earn on my own. Luckily, I didn't put myself in a situation I couldn't control. We have a new Mayor and he is trying to revitalize the city and there are things to do, so if anybody is in from out of town hit up Izzy Grimey and I will be you're your tour guide.
Well, people think if you come here you will get shot on the spot, which isn't true. Yes things do happen, but it mostly affects people who live that type of lifestyle. One thing that we live up to is the stolen car stereotype. You definitely need a club and alarm. But there are a lot of nice quiet areas also. We have a just built a stadium for the NJ Devils hockey team. We are very close to NY, so that whole area is convenient to get to. Not to mention the rest of NJ and all of the nice cities that surround Newark. Speaking of Brick City- tell us about ‘Brick City is Back'! That song is incredible! Thank you, I'm glad you like the track. Originally it was just a street joint I did for the hood, but it started catching like a wildfire! It is like the resurrection of an area that has been forgotten in the hip hop realm. I wanted that track to talk directly to the people in my hood, and I wanted to give an update on what was going on around them. That is the track I am really pushing right now. Who produced the track? The track was produced by an up and coming production team called 'Pain and Fame'. They are out the bricks and they have a new sound that the industry will love once they get heard in the right place. They just put out a mix tape called "All Night Long". You can download it for free at www.illtownradio.blogspot.com. Also check them out at Myspace.com/painname. What inspired the song? The inspiration came from hearing so much music from so many different areas and not having anything that speaks to me and for my area. The state of NJ is big and we don't really have a voice. Newark is the Mecca for NJ, so I wanted the people out here to hear something that they can relate to and appreciate. I did it for the forgotten people who live the day to day struggle of trying to stay afloat. When people from Newark hear the song it motivates them because its one of their own putting it down.
It was a blessing. The video was shot in Newark in 6 days. The first half of the first day was awkward because I never been in front of a camera before, so it took me about and hour to adjust. People from my city were not used to seeing somebody walking around with a camera crew through out parts that were considered forbidden. We showed Newark like it hasn't been shown in over 15 years. It was only a 3 minute song so we tried to get as much as we can so everybody could enjoy it. Its cool because I have no record deal and my video is better then a lot of people with the big budgets. Check out the HD version at www.vimeo.com/1994073 I see the video was sponsored by Motorola and Mark Ecko's Complex Magazine. How were you able to get these major players to back this video. Well complex chose ten songs out of hundreds and let the internet vote on who had the best song. So my song was chosen and I was crowned 2008 emerging artist by complex magazine. Motorola had a phone that they just released which was the motorokr e8. Since they helped complex sponsor the video we incorporated the phone in the video which you can see. There are two versions of the video out. There is one with out the phone effects which is the rough copy that we leaked and the official video which is out also. Big shout out to onsmash.com , that's where the video debuted, you can also read about me on complex.com just search Izzy Grimey.
Dan was incredible. He gave me two hundred percent. He really enjoyed his self and loves his work. He made sure he got enough footage to make a classic video. I probably was one of the longest video shoots he had so far. He will soon be one of the biggest directors in the game. He taught me how to find beauty in the ugliest things and that's something I can never forget. Shout out to Dan and the staff. For those of you who don't know who Dan is go to Dantheman.tv and find out. Look forward to about three more videos with Dan. That's my guy. Tell us about the ‘Help Our Selves Foundation'. H.O.S. is a foundation that I started which is just to provide support for the underprivileged and the needy. We do things like book drives for elementary schools, clothing and food drives for the poor, recreational activities for kids, and a lot of other things. I feel that if everybody takes a little time to help somebody who needs it, which will provide strength and hope for the next person and will prove that love can conquer pain. No matter how much a city changes for the better there will always be people caught in that transition with no direction or means of helping themselves so we have to H.O.S. to make a difference. What motivated you to start H.O.S.?
How did the food and clothing drive on Thanksgiving go? It went well. We had some issues with the location I wanted to do it at so we moved it to a different spot and it was very beneficial to the community. The next one I am aiming to get it done around the spring time. Were going to get a lot of media outlets to help spread the word that way we can get more donations and clothes. If anybody is interested please contact me. There will be a website up and running pretty soon for the foundation. How long have you been making music? I have been recording for maybe a little close to two years. I used to freestyle for fun and people kept saying I should go in the booth because I was nice. I went to my friend's studio one day and did about eight songs in one night. Ever since then I never looked back. Music for me is like the remedy to my insanity because I have so much I think about and so much I have to say. When did you discover that you had what it takes to make a name for yourself in Hip Hop? When I was crowned the emerging artist by Complex. Honestly I never really wanted to go deep in this rap game. Rapping for me was like taking medication to numb myself from the pain of life. When I started shooting the video I realized that it was bigger then me, I was the voice for a people that needed to be heard. That's why I am also known as The Brick City Savior. So now I have no choice but to do what I'm supposed to, just to set an example that anything is possible if you work hard. I consider myself to be the best unsigned artist in the world.
Izzy is a nickname that I had growing up. Grimey represents the area I come from and the state of mind that people have over here. Most people are grimey because of the survival of the fittest mentality. It is definitely a name once you come across you will never forget. Of all the songs you've created, other than ‘Brick City is Back', which one means most you and why? Well I have a song called 2036 two which is like a follow up to a song I have called 2036. I have a lot of excellent songs but right now I am in love with that song because the concept is like a journey through third world countries. A vivid description of their way of living and the struggle of surviving. I love it because it pushes creative boundaries. My lane will be the creative songs and messages I brink to the table. The song hasn't been released yet but when it is, IREP will be one of the first to get it! Who hates on you the most right now? Do you have a message for the haters? Yea right now my biggest haters are the police. They don't like to see young fly flashy dudes from the hood get money and get more respect then they do. I'm a general and there are a lot of militant organizations in Jersey also so they bunch everybody up in one category and harass us. Well my message is we don't ride dirty and everybody with warrants stay home when we out so try all you want you will never be able to stop us. I started a crew called the Brick City Grindaz and we are strong with over thirty members so that bothers them but we are self sufficient and here to stay. Catch me if you can, I'm like the ginger bread man. Lol!! Where can our readers catch you performing? Do you have any up coming shows? Well right now I am performing all over NJ. My list is always updated on myspace.com/izzygrimey . Pretty soon we will be doing a College tour down south so a lot of people can check me on that. I will be keeping everybody informed so stay tuned... Where can we listen to more of your music? Where can we buy your music? To hear more music visit myspace.com/izzygrimey . Also my mix tape "Target Practice" is dropping in a couple of days and all of the download links will be available through MySpace for now. This is going to be my first mixtape and it will be classic. IzzyGrimey.com is coming soon and that's where you will be able to purchase the music. I'm completely independent right now. You can check out youtube.com/brickcitygrinda to check out Newark NJ and what me and the BCG'z are doing. If you like what I'm doing call your local radio station and request Brick City is Back and if they don't have it tell them to get it ASAP. Lastly, what can we expect to see from Izzy Grimey in 2009? 09 is the year of the Grimey. My first mix tape is dropping then we give you about four to five of them. I have a book called 2036 coming in the fall, so look out for that. I will be doing shows all over the country with some of your favorite artist. We will be doing about three more videos this year with Dan. Working on my album with Pain and Fame and also Developing the BCG'z movement.
We have a slew of
events that we will be promoting such as party bus trips, parties, and cruises.
I will be putting a Shout out to IREP Magazine for bringing innovation to the table with the poetry, music and allowing us to build our brands. Just so you guys know IREP will have a lot of exclusive stuff from me and will have info on a lot of the big things I will be doing. Make sure you check out Patti's Poetry Corner on IREP Magazine also. Remember, the fun has just started and the take over has begun. 100,000. Peace!! Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites          
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