It’s no secret that Bronx, NY is the birthplace of Hip Hop.  What you may not know is that Bronx is also home to a neighborhood called Throggs Neck, the birthplace of one of the best kept secrets emerging in Hip Hop, Brandon Rose.

To the uninitiated, Throggs Neck NY is ‘a pleasant peninsular area in the southeastern part of the Bronx; an idyllic and serene backdrop to the windswept water of Eastchester Bay with its white-shingled one- and two-family houses and quiet, tidy streets.’  Brandon Rose has a different story to tell about life in what he refers to as “Throggz Neck City,” far from the rosy perception painted above.  He describes a life most often experienced in other parts of the Bronx; stories of the struggle, the streets, and survival.

A conscious artist and true street scholar, Brandon Rose has an authentic, raw lyrical style that doesn’t conform to the shift the genre has taken in recent years.

Hip Hop is oversaturated by mumble rap and songs that sound rushed to radio.  Rap artists used to talk about sellin’ drugs; now they talk about takin’ drugs and a lot of the music caters to this drug takin’ culture. The message is influential in a negative way and bad for the youth.

He’s sticking to his roots and respecting real Hip Hop much like his influences; 50 Cent, Jadakiss, Drake and J Cole.

With a strong passion for writing, he used it as an escape from the depression of having a mom with cancer, dealing with a close family member’s death, damaged relationships and growing pains.  He channeled those feelings into rhymes and started participating in cypher battles in the neighborhood and writing verses to instrumentals.  The basketball court was another place of solace, and eventually his rap moniker became the nickname he acquired from people who thought his style was reminiscent of a young Derrick Rose.  He started recording at Triangle Recording Studios and formed an instant synergy with studio owner and fellow Bronx-native Jahmane Bright.  Joe Melendez is credited as an integral part of his growth as an artist, providing honest feedback for improving his technique.

Brandon Rose is more than a street scholar, recently graduating Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in PR/Corporate Communications and currently pursuing his master’s degree.  He applied his PR knowledge to his music career and masterminded an impressive marketing strategy that paid off in a big way.  In his words, “information without application is just fascination.” Trying to maintain balance as a full-time college student, a full-time employee and professional music artist hasn’t been easy, but his dedication attests to the fact that he’s unafraid to push the envelope when it comes to getting what he wants.

Check the stats on what he was able to accomplish within a 6-month timeframe, without a label or management:

  • Self-released inaugural mixtape, “Cold Blooded in the summer of 2016”
  • Directed and self-released 2 videos for songs on the mixtape, “Street Warfare” and “Ridin Round”
  • Received contact from 3 record labels after release of the “Street Warfare” video including RCA Records, Cash Money Records, and 300 Entertainment
  • Performed live at Club Pyramid in Manhattan, Blackthorn 51 in Elmhurst, Queens & The Paper Box in Brooklyn
  • Collected over 3.4 million views on Worldstarhiphop.com in just 4 months.

The numbers don’t lie; they simply illuminate one frame within a much larger picture.

When you listen to Brandon Rose on the mic, he sounds well beyond his 23 years.  Weighing in at 14 tracks, “Cold Blooded” delivers straight heat with just the right pace and energy needed for a memorable debut effort.  “All of my experiences led me to be cold blooded so I translated them into music.”  A few seconds into “Ridin Round,” you already know this is one of those street anthems perfect for radio.   Chaz “KC” Wilder helmed the production, laying a solid foundation to the insanely catchy hook and deft word play – “On It, I been feelin’ like I gotta get em off me/I could run my own route like Mr. Softee/I’m the energizer bunny with coffee/Mr. Big shot got ma Billups call me Chauncey/on ma Steph Curry flow know you can’t cross me.”

On “Street Warfare” co-produced by ThaVenom Beats and Sourze Music, Brandon Rose cuts to the chase and lays down a brutal assault from start to finish, easily one of the mixtape’s standout tracks – “Trigga fingers that won’t aim slow, it’s a work of art when they let that thang go/And if your name’s known it’s hard to keep the flame low/I’m comin’ with the flame throwa, make ya have to change clothes…”  Whether he flows over a trap beat or 90s boom bap, he’s a lyrical vigilante.

Evidenced by the upward trajectory in his career in such a short time, it’s safe to say that Brandon Rose has positioned himself as the pioneer for the community that birthed and bred him, soon to officially add ‘Throggz Neck City’ to the list of respected Hip Hop landmarks.

Listen to Brandon Rose on Spotify

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