Artist Spotlight - Brad Real
September 04, 2011

One of the most hard-working, inspiring and uplifting artists in the Indianapolis music scene, Brad Real breaks the mold of hip-hop stereotypes to share his passion for music while delivering explosive, unforgettable performances that you simply shouldn’t miss.

Being a self-proclaimed nerd growing up, Brad has been writing poetry since he was a child. When he discovered hip-hop in the early 90’s, he began turning his poetry into actual songs, eventually recording them on his family’s computer using a plastic plug-in microphone over the sounds of Digital Underground, 2pac, B.I.G. and any other instrumentals he could find. Addicted to the feeling he got from this, he started taking music more seriously as he got older. “I loved hearing my thoughts come to life. The sense of self-worth and happiness music gives me is priceless. There is always that next step, that next goal to go after. I will never stop.”

You can catch Brad performing around three or four times per month, most regularly at Locals Only and The Melody Inn. “I love playing to those rooms, especially when they are full.” Last summer, he opened for Cypress Hill at The Vogue and he also put on an amazing performance at this year’s Indiana State Fair. “Indy’s music scene is absolutely amazing. There is no way I can put into words what it means to me and the role it plays in my life. I have mad friends for life on the scene, most of which are with other artists. I go wherever the local hip-hop is that night. We all support each other. It’s a great community, we are like family.”

Now working on his third major release called “Letters to the Editor,” Brad is shifting to making a record that he is making for himself instead of what he thinks other people would like. The album will be a collection of his experiences, thoughts, beliefs and life through music released on his record label, 8729 Records. Hoping to release this project sometime in the spring, his upcoming Oranje performance (which will also feature Big Tid, DJ Ganzarelli and Ty Caldwell) will allow us to get a taste of “Letters to the Editor.”

Always a supporter of Indianapolis music, Brad is in the process of making a collaboration track with the band The Holland Account. 8729 Records also has an event series called Breaking Ground, which features a wide variety of music genres. The last event for Breaking Ground was at The White Rabbit Cabaret, featuring Brad Real, Oreo Jones, The Post Script and Finer. “My goal remains the same: to wake up happy and go to bed happy. My biggest fear in life was to be an old man who had regrets. It would be great to make a living off of music. I will continue to work towards that. In the meantime and beyond it's all about enjoying life, self-fulfillment and passion. “

This will be the first year at Oranje for Brad, both as a participant and a guest. He will be playing at 1:00 a.m. on the Old Soul Ramp Stage. Brad has nothing scheduled in the time between now and September 17^th, wanting Oranje to be his next focus. “We are truly honored to be a part of it. I’m most looking forward to being surrounded by so many other talented musicians and artists. A lot of the people on the bill are folks that I have looked up to and focused on to learn the right way to do things. It’s incredible to see our name alongside them. Playing Oranje has always been a goal of ours and we have worked our butts off to get here. It will all be unleashed September 17^th!”

Written By Rachel Rubenstien @rachelrubes

http://oranjeindy.com/news.php?news=41

 

 

• Brad Real and 8279 records can be found here:  Web Site | Blog/Tumblr | Twitter | Facebook | MySpace | YouTube 
• Stacy Basner and Finer can be found here: Web Site |  MySpace | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Tumblr 
• She has previously appeared as a guest on Show #039 and Show #080 and as a host on Show #078. 
• Apparently it is okay to eat the rhind on brie ... In fact, as I am of French ancestry, I have apparently shamed my ancestors by not doing so up to this point, not.
• At the time of the interview, he had just hosted the Metric Mondays poetry slam at Local's Only.
• Brad's single, Rise Above, was produced by NickJ and is a collaboration with local singer/songwriter Jason Firebaugh (Facebook | Reverb Nation | Twitter).  It can be downloaded here: iTunes | Amazon
• Brad and Jason met at a 6 Bands for 6 Bucks showcase put together by local music blogger Ricki Lee Potts. 
• Mumble features a sample from Mr. Kinetik's song, SOS.  You can see a video, shot by Sheanie Mike, on Brad's site. 
• Brad's new EP, He's the Jibber, I'm the Jabber is available as a free download here.  
• The Jibber is Big Tid -- in case you're confused. 
• No Coast is a four-way collaboration between Brad, A.C.E. O.N.E., Big Skittz, and F.I.R.E. 
• Our fourth track, The Storm, was produced by Axe Hand, not NickJ.
• Our bonus fifth track, Blind Side, features both Brad Real and Stacy Basner and was recorded at the Music Garage. 

 

 

 

 

 

This weekend I got a chance to check out local emcee from Naptown Brad Real. He was having a release party for his latest video “Mumble”. It was a great turnout and Brad and his Manager made sure I was well taken care of. These guys really have their business together. To get more indepth of exactly who they are and what they do please log on to bradreal.com! But right now! Check out the latest single “Mumble” Good Beats Good Rhymes…nuff said!

 

 

 

"The party jam playing on Brad Real’s MySpace gives an instant indicator of the Indy native’s talent. “Let Yourself Go” shifts and moves as well as anything on the national scene, and the right amount of attention is all that stands between Real and a larger stage."

 

Naptown’s Brad Real is releasing the official video to his newest single, “Rise Above,” May 20 with a free celebration at Fox & Hound in Castleton. The video was produced by Spitten Writtens, a couple of cats  who just moved to Indy and have already had a great impact on the hip-hop scene, be it through their video work, T-shirts or blog.

Brad Real is one of the hardest-working dudes on the scene. His company, 8729 Records, has gotten his work placed on a few blogs of notice, and Indianapolis  will have the opportunity to see “Rise Above” first before it hits online. Hosted by Cameron “The Captain” Pruitt, this free party will rock the Northeastside from 6 to 9 p.m., a great way to start the weekend.

http://indianapolis.metromix.com/music/article/backspin-brad-real-rises/2624664/content

 

 

 

In 2009 Brad Real seemed to spring out of nowhere with a full array of resources at his disposal — a record label, videos, web sites, newsletters, in-house production capacity, and high profile gigs (notably an opening set for the Mudkids on New Years Eve.)

Curious, I met Real at North Side News to figure out just where he came from, and how he made his name so quickly and efficiently. It was a Sunday, and Real arrived after attending services. Given his religious commitment, it might be surprising to learn he was raised on a diet of Tupac and Biggie. But the sacred and profane come together in his music, which combines the accessibility and commercial appeal of those mainstream artists with more socially conscious subject matter.

Real’s path to hip-hop has been a winding one. At 13, recorded his first mixtapes using overdubbed beats with a plastic computer microphone. Real studied sports marketing at Indiana University, and moved to Chicago to work for the Bulls after graduating. Eventually, he reevaluated his direction and realized that his career wasn’t making him happy. So he ditched the glitzy professional sports world, and headed back to Indianapolis for some serious and humbling grinding in the local music scene.

It was then that Real decided to hook back up with his childhood friend, Nick J., a talented multi-instrumentalist who has concentrated on hip-hop production since high school. Real has known Nick since they were toddlers, and as such, they communicate openly and easily, unafraid to critique the others' work, with an instinctive sense of where a song needs to go. The relationship works so well that Real jokes that he'd like to keep his beatmaker a secret.

With a musical cohort in tow, Real began putting together the business side of things. He enlisted his father to manage his budding record label, naming the company after his one-time address, 8729 Records. Real’s professionalism has led to a consistent rotation of gigs for the young emcee. Despite avoiding all the common hip-hop show pitfalls, like overbooking acts and running late, Brad admits it’s still an uphill battle. “It gets so exhausting defending our genre.” But he’s adopted a role as a hip-hop ambassador, on a mission to win over unexpected fans by defying negative hip-hop stereotypes.

Brad Real's new album, Married to the Music, will be his label’s first wide-scale release. Saturday’s concert at Bently’s is a dual release show with Saint Recon, who will premiere a new EP, The Psalm Before the Storm.

Real hopes 8729 Records will become a vehicle to help bring the Indianapolis hip-hop scene together. “I love our scene,” says Real. “We have a unity within the scene, within the artists, to support our friends and colleagues. But we've got to get new people in the door who'll say, 'Hey I had a great time at this show,' and the word of mouth will spread.”

 

In 2009 Brad Real seemed to spring out of nowhere with a full array of resources at his disposal — a record label, videos, web sites, newsletters, in-house production capacity, and high profile gigs (notably an opening set for the Mudkids on New Years Eve.)

Curious, I met Real at North Side News to figure out just where he came from, and how he made his name so quickly and efficiently. It was a Sunday, and Real arrived after attending services. Given his religious commitment, it might be surprising to learn he was raised on a diet of Tupac and Biggie. But the sacred and profane come together in his music, which combines the accessibility and commercial appeal of those mainstream artists with more socially conscious subject matter.

Real’s path to hip-hop has been a winding one. At 13, recorded his first mixtapes using overdubbed beats with a plastic computer microphone. Real studied sports marketing at Indiana University, and moved to Chicago to work for the Bulls after graduating. Eventually, he reevaluated his direction and realized that his career wasn’t making him happy. So he ditched the glitzy professional sports world, and headed back to Indianapolis for some serious and humbling grinding in the local music scene.

It was then that Real decided to hook back up with his childhood friend, Nick J., a talented multi-instrumentalist who has concentrated on hip-hop production since high school. Real has known Nick since they were toddlers, and as such, they communicate openly and easily, unafraid to critique the others' work, with an instinctive sense of where a song needs to go. The relationship works so well that Real jokes that he'd like to keep his beatmaker a secret.

With a musical cohort in tow, Real began putting together the business side of things. He enlisted his father to manage his budding record label, naming the company after his one-time address, 8729 Records. Real’s professionalism has led to a consistent rotation of gigs for the young emcee. Despite avoiding all the common hip-hop show pitfalls, like overbooking acts and running late, Brad admits it’s still an uphill battle. “It gets so exhausting defending our genre.” But he’s adopted a role as a hip-hop ambassador, on a mission to win over unexpected fans by defying negative hip-hop stereotypes.

Brad Real's new album, Married to the Music, will be his label’s first wide-scale release. Saturday’s concert at Bently’s is a dual release show with Saint Recon, who will premiere a new EP, The Psalm Before the Storm.

Real hopes 8729 Records will become a vehicle to help bring the Indianapolis hip-hop scene together. “I love our scene,” says Real. “We have a unity within the scene, within the artists, to support our friends and colleagues. But we've got to get new people in the door who'll say, 'Hey I had a great time at this show,' and the word of mouth will spread.”