Record Label: PayUp Game (Unsigned)
Featured Artists: Mouf, Bang Boogie, Trae Smith

André has been rapping since age 13, formally known as Young Haz – eventually dropping the Young, then the nickname altogether.

Although André has several years of musical experience under his belt, “Summer School” is the first project that he put together with a conceptual vision; it’s also the first time his music is being heard from a wide range of listeners outside of southwest Florida.

With the exception of four tracks, André himself handled “Summer School” production.

The EP opens with “Class is in Session,” which sets the tone for rest of the record as he declares, “If this your first time then you’re in for a show. So you should probably get your notepads out.”

“Illin’” is the EP’s typical rap bravado track. André rants about what separates him from other artists and emphasizes, “The point [he’s] tryna get across is [he’s] clever!” The hook repetitively declares, “I’m illin’,” while the beat alters to add flare to the statement.

“Dre Day” provides the EP with a West Coast hip-hop sound, similar to a beat you would hear California rappers like Pac Div on.

“Everywhere I Go” is one of the EP’s stronger tracks containing references to current events like, “If anybody hating on what André does, that’s when I gotta hit ‘em with that Kanye shrug.”

There are also references to André’s influences outside of the music industry; “And now thanks to the women in my past I’ma live my life tryna be the black Hank Moody”

“Word Up!” directly addresses the female audience, while still creating an atmosphere for anyone to bounce to. The Cameo sampled “Word Up!,” produced by Andrew “Pooh” Clarke adds an energetic party-like aura to the EP. The skillfully enhanced melody provides André with the proper sounds to rock a party with.

“Radio” (containing samples from “Big Sur Suite” performed by Johnny Hammond) addresses the current status of hip-hop on the radio. He declares “I don’t want this on the radio, nah, I’m good!”

André addresses the abundant use of the word “swag” asking, “By the way, why you so worried ‘bout your swag?” Although it’s an anti-radio song, it sounds like a track that would be well-received by radio listeners because of the repetitive hook and sing-along bridge.

“The Girlfriend Interlude” prefaces “Psycho,” produced by fourth-year SCAD sound design major Kurt Pierce. “Psycho,” with its somewhat dark theme, is a playful song. André takes scenarios he created about crazy women and entertains listeners with his narrative skills.

André reaches out to fellow PayUp members, Mouf and Bang Boogie, to show and tell on “The Cypher” (produced by Full Sail Recording Arts major Parris Pierce) The track stays true to the hip-hop tradition of displaying lyrical skill alongside other rappers in the form of a lunchroom cypher, normally observed in urban high schools.

André reveals some of his complexities on “Causes,” (produced by and featuring Trae Smith) sampled from The Beatles’ “Because,” by verbally going back and forth with himself in indecision. He contrasts his artistic path with cars and baseball stating, “And every legend got a start; watch my drive, I’ma put it out the park!”

“Summer School” is a work of art put together by a young rapper and his creative companions with the goal of creating heartfelt hip-Hop music. André proves to be an artist who isn’t afraid to admit that, as clever as he may be, he still has a lot to learn.

To download “Summer School” for free visit André’s Web site.

For more information about André and PayUp Game visit their Web site.

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