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Written by Ron Moon
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| I Got Next! is The Realness's showcase of up-and-coming talent who hold the future of music in the palms of their hands. Part 1 of 2 features Pac-Man,the teenagewonder from the Lakeside neighborhood of Shreveport, LA with mic skills and self-expressionthat has his elders looking like pre-schoolers. |
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Wu-Tang’s Inspectah Deck famously reflected that “life as a shorty shouldn’t be so rough.” And for 17-year-old Lakeside, Shreveport native Pac-Man , truer words have never been spoken.
“Some people don’t understand. They look at us like kids or whatever,” he explains in a mature, serious tone. “But being a teenager in Shreveport is almost nothing like that. When you out here dealing with these people - the grown-ups - they don’t care that you under 18. They will still bust your head out here. Age stuff is not a game in the game.”
“The game” attracted Pac-Man at an even younger age and would lead to an eventual falling out with his mother - something that he opens up about on the somber “Life I Chose”. “That was in a time when my mama was finna kick me out the house, ‘cause she just felt I was out in these streets too hard. And I was just trying to explain to her that I want to stop, but I can’t. It’s just in me, ya feel me? Since I was raised around it my whole life, its’s me.”
Though small in stature, Pac-Man stands tall over his dance-crazy, pill-praising peers when it comes to lyrics. “No, sirrrrrr! You will never hear me rapping anything like that. Never.” he quickly replies with a deep laugh when asked if his next single will be the Soulja Boy-assisted “Crank Dat Pac-Man”.
“I got the lyrics, you feel me? I’m spittin’ the real. I can switch up and do the metaphorish [sic] type [rhymes], but most of the time, I’m try’na bring real stories, bring real life to the table. When you listen to me, I want you to be able to picture something.” And all doubters should refer to the so-not-Disney Channel joint “Alone Storytime” for further proof, as Pac-Man delivers tales of deception and loneliness over a soulful, sped-up sample.
With more mixtapes in tow, the self-proclaimed. “hood’s voice box” is separating truth from exaggeration. “When I say that, I’m saying I’m speaking for the ‘hoods. I’ve lived in the ‘hood. I know what the ‘hood is like. Like a certain rapper, he talk about choppers (automatic rifles)all the time. I feel that is not real. It helps to have a handgun, but everybody is not walkin’ around with choppers in they hands like they just an army man. That’s not real - that’s hilarious.”
Ice-T will be so proud.
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