For all of you who thought Buffalo, New York was all about the Bills and snowy weather I present to you this week’s Ear 2The Streets, Buffalo’s own, Trazz. The first artist signed to DJ Noodles’ Fix Your Face Music Group, Trazz is living proof that all the hip-hop talent isn’t trapped in the city.

Just a few hours away from hip-hop hotbeds like the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island, Buffalo hasn’t gotten much play but it wont be that way for long if Trazz has anything to say about it. Sixshot.com caught up with the up and coming MC to discuss upstate New York, working with DJ Noodles, and what he hopes to accomplish in the game.

Sixshot.Com: What's good man?

Trazz: What’s good my dude? Everything is great right now. I'm just happy to be
in the spot with Sixshot.com, you know we stay up with what ya’ll doing man.

Sixshot.Com: So for those that don't know, tell us about upstate New York.

Trazz: Upstate is home man; it’s where I’m from. It’s cold in every aspect
upstate. The lifestyle, the weather, the attitudes. It’s no place like home though.

Sixshot.Com: Being that upstate is so close to the city, why you think there hasn't been a major artist from there yet?

Traz z: Well most people don’t know but upstate (Buffalo) is actually 6 hours away from the city. A lot of artists here have a hard time finding there own sound. This is still New York State but because of our location it’s heavily influenced by other cities.

Sixshot.Com: How did you get up with DJ Noodles?

Trazz: DJ Noodles is my manager, my producer, and my close friend. We have been friends since high school. I was rapping and he was DJ'ing at the local clubs when we were 15 so we experienced a lot together mad early.

Sixshot.Com: Besides Noodles, you've been on a lot of high profile mixtapes, how does it feel to know that that many people are hearing your stuff?

Trazz: It feels great man. I’ve been working hard to get to this point so it’s good to finally see the results. A lot of artists want the fame and recognition but don’t want to put in the work. I’ve grinded to this point but I still got a long way to go.

Sixshot.Com: You've worked with T-Pain, what was that like?

Trazz: I actually didn’t get a chance to get in the studio with him. We put the remix together for Jive and Noodles just worked with the pro tools on it. I'm definitely trying to get with Pain at some point this year to make something happen though.

Sixshot.Com: What is your role in the Fix Your Face movement?

Trazz: I’m the first artist signed to fix your face music group. The pressure is always greater when you’re the first to do anything. I’m definitely gonna make sure people understand that "fix your face" will be here for a long time.

Sixshot.Com: What is the hip-hop scene like upstate?

Trazz: The hip-hop scene is dope upstate. It’s a lot of hot and unique artists in the whole region. I think that once things take off for myself then it definitely will be lot of record labels visiting the upstate area searching for what else we have to offer.

Sixshot.Com: "What U Got" is killing it right now, how far do you think that record can go?

Trazz: "What U Got" is a dope record, not only that, it’s the perfect timing for a record like this. I hope it climbs the charts, I ain’t gonna be mad if I’m on a number one record, feel me?

Sixshot.Com: Who would you say are some of your musical influences?

Trazz: Artists like Jay-Z and T.I. influence me but my all time favorite was Big L. Unfortunately, he died before his career really took off but if he was still around a lot of MC's wouldn't even have careers right now.

Sixshot.Com: As a new artist, do you think it's gonna be hard for you considering sales are down so much?

Trazz: No doubt, the odds are always against any new artist. I was groomed by DJ Noodles, who has an extensive radio background so that's the type of music we make. We make radio hits that are appealing to all audiences. I think the whole industry is going through a transition right now. Me and my team are definitely trying to be ahead of the curve and that's why a lot of my stuff is digital only in terms of the releases. If your music is dope people are gonna cop it however they can.

50 and Kanye proved to everyone that people will still buy records if your music is hot enough. As a new artist I definitely see the game changing but I think of it as an opportunity rather than a challenge. Recently I went to Brazil and did some shows and the reason I got fans in Europe right now is due to the Internet. Digital music is the reason sales are down in a traditional sense but it’s also the reason new artists like myself can reach so many people so quickly.

Sixshot.Com: What are you bringing to the game that it doesn't already have?

Trazz: Right now, I think the game is missing commercially viable artists that can really spit. A lot of artists that are getting crossover appeal right now can’t spit like that. I think I’m right in the middle ground. I’m definitely respected as a lyricist but I still have that commercial appeal.

Sixshot.Com: You've also worked with Sunn.y., what is your relationship with him like?

Trazz: Sunn.y. is my homie. He definitely represented upstate as one of the first cats around here to get signed to a major label. Him and me and rocked a lot of shows together. He’s still grinding though. Shouts to Sun.ny.

Sixshot.Com: The Inconvenient Truth is hot, how was the response from the fans?

Trazz: The Inconvenient Truth was my second mixtape. The response was crazy. We bled about 10k all throughout upstate and another 20k was downloaded through the internet. It’s crazy cause we did those numbers independently without a budget. It was all word of mouth and on mad hip-hop sites. It feels good because imagine the numbers I’m gonna do with a big budget.

Sixshot.Com: What projects are you working on that we can look out for?

Trazz: Well right now my single is out "Gonna Love You" featuring Wayne Wonder. It’s getting a great response. It’s already getting mix show spins in some big markets like B96 in Chicago and wild 98.7in Tampa. Its also getting tons of support from both WBLK, the urban station in buffalo as well as the top 40 station in town, it feels great to have the city behind me. Also my new mixtape with DJ Noodles is coming in May entitled He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper. Also we just dropped DJ Noodles' street single called "Can’t You Tell" off his upcoming album. It’s featuring myself, Red Cafe, Hot Rod, Murphy Lee, and Jay Rock so definitely check for that.

Sixshot.Com: Anything you'd like to say to the fans out there?

Trazz: To my fans, thanks for believing in me and I appreciate all the support. Remember to call your local radio station and request "Gonna Love You" featuring Wayne Wonder. To the DJ's and radio stations thanks for the support. Shouts to DJ Noodles, Joe Colli, Davey Dee, Louie B, DJ Heat, and everyone that supports the fix your face movement. Don’t
forget to check out the whole movement online at www.Trazzmusic.com, www.djnoodles.com, and www.fixyourface.net!

All comments and questions can be sent to info@sixshot.com