My Story

It all started in Chicago back when I was just a lil shorty playing in the dirt. I had two older brothers who were always listening to hip hop and rap music. Naturally I looked up to them and wanted to do as they did, so I began taking a liking to the music myself. Any chance I'd get I'd be listening to some Easy E, KRS1, Sugar Hill, Too $hort etc.

As I got older into my teenage years, my love for this music grew even stronger. Kris Cross exploded, Tupac, Notorius BIG, Bone thugs and Harmony, Cypress hill were all amongst my favorites.

After I graduated high school I moved out of my parents house and into my own apartment. I usually have friends come by an one of them was always freestyling. Another buddy of mine, had a beat machine so he’d bring over lots of instrumentals to flow to. I sat back and listened for a while until finally one day I said to myself, let me try this out. So I gave it a go just for fun and before I knew it know I was getting better and better.

Then one day I happened to meet a man named Kenneth Marsalis, CEO of Unchained Productions, and close family member to Wynton Marsalis, the very well known & famous Jazz musician. He introduced me to his recording studio in which the hip hop super star Common had previously recorded in.

I was impressed with all the equipment. He let me hear a few beats and asked me to flow over them. I did, and he was impressed with my performance. He said whenever you're ready to start recording music, give me a call. I took him up on his offer but I had to get some material to work on first.

I began to write down all the lyrics that I’d spit in freestlyes, and piece them together to one day make my first song. The lyrical content was seriously dirty, and the rhyme, well lets just say it was a little off beat. Never the less it had jump started me to begin writing, and the more I wrote, the better I became. Before I knew it I began to develop an undeniably strong talent for creating music.

Eventually, I was approached by a business man who really took a liking to my music and asked me If I wanted to persue it professionally. If I did, he had offered to be my manager. I jumped at the opportunity and began working immediately.

I then set up a meeting with him, myself, and my manager. We talked some business and then Kenny let me pick out three tracks that I liked best to take home and write to. I wrote one song for each of the beats and began weekly sessions recording. Not even three weeks later, Kenny calls me up out of the blue and asks me if I wanted to perform at a show that night. Kind of nervous but ambitious I said yes. A few hours later I was on stage suited up looking crazy fly at the checker board lounge. As I spit my three new tracks the response from the crowd was unreal. When I’d finished performing, over Three hundred people stood up and went crazy!! It was the greatest feeling in the world.

Kenny then became my unofficial agent & producer from that point on. After performing at a slew of shows, my following became larger and larger. It got to the point where every time I performed I’d have between 200-300 people show up. With my experience and talent consistently growing I eventually started performing at actual concert venues vs. clubs and lounges.

The crowds were getting way bigger sometimes totaling over 3,500 people!!! I opened up for legendary groups such as EnVouge, Tone Tony Toni, and Slave to name a few. Some older groups but legendary never the less. George Daniels, owner of Georges music room and a big name in the music world, liked my style so much that he personally introduced me on stage. I felt unstoppable!!! I?

There was only one problem. See, with me being in the music business I didn’t have much time to work a regular gig, my manager pretty much fronted for most everything I needed. The shows that I had done were great, don’t get me wrong but they were for mostly for exposure vs. money. The money I made from them wasn’t enough to get by on my own.

Things were great but suddenly out of nowhere my camp ran into some financial glitches and therefore didn't have much cash to fuel Grand Larsen. It was a very discouraging moment especially since we had been doing so well. I had to face the music and put my career on hold. I needed cash, had to eat, pay rent, and put gas in my car.

I went and got a sales job which took me out of the lime light and off the stage for a good minute. Never once though, did I stop writing music. This was actually a very strong growing period for me! During the time I had worked that job, I was able to stockpile over 100 new songs. While all this took place eventually my support system got back up and running.

When the economy tanked my employer couldn’t pay out his employees anymore, and had to shut down operations. I packed my stuff, went home, and got strait back in the studio to record “Tooka Year Off” a song explaining my set backs and preparing everyone for the return of Grand Larsen.

Currently, I’m still in contact with Mr. Marsalis and there are talks of him being my agent once again, however he’s no longer my producer. I'm now proud to be working with Bob Ware of Warehouse Productions, a very serious, and talented producer. Over this last summer 2009 we recorded my new demo. It's a combination of a two classic tracks revised, and modernized, along with four new blazing hot tracks that will give you a sun tan just by listening to them!