Hailing out of Albany, GA, a city just south of Atlanta, Cantrell has a compelling story to tell. At an early age, the up-and-coming MC discovered jam skating, a form of competitive roller skating that incorporates gymnastics and dance, as seen in the films Roll Bounce and ATL. The sport became a creative outlet for Cantrell as he was surrounded by the music of the South’s famed skating rinks. By his teenage years, Cantrell studied many artists, like Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Michael Jackson, to extend his ear for music past the confines of the skating rinks.
While researching these artists, Cantrell drew inspiration and motivation from them as his appreciation for music was just beginning to grow. Despite turning pro as a teenager in jam skating, Cantrell knew his true calling was music. Following his high school graduation, Cantrell accepted a scholarship to play college football, but it was short-lived, as he tells Billboard. “Everything else I was doing at that time besides music was getting in the way. That included school, sports, and jam skating," he says. "When I figured all that was in the way I cut them out and it was on from there.”
After a few drawbacks trying to start his music career in Atlanta, Cantrell moved to Los Angeles, where he was discovered by producer MiSCHiEF BOY on SoundCloud. A collaboration would form between the two that eventually resulted in the EP Stardust 2 Angels. Cantrell’s debut EP is the story of the physical and emotional journey from a small southern town to the City of Angels. As Cantrell puts it, “The physical journey I took from Albany to Los Angeles is a universal symbol of the risks we all must take to conquer fear in the pursuit of larger aspirations.”
[Billboard, August 2018]
