THE TOTAL PACKAGE: FLASH

ARTICLE JULZ MANCINI PHOTO Sean Lassiter

Within the music industry, there are artists and entrepreneurs whom lead by example, paving the way for the younger generation of creatives. These individuals’ music careers blossomed from the seed of passion and allowed knowledge to seep through their veins resulting in success. From the initial phases of their profession, they mastered the art of creating music and over time grew a love for the business aspect of the entertainment industry. 

From their gift of music to their networking and professional capabilities, they have transitioned into the perfect blueprint for other music artists to follow. I had the honor and privilege of interviewing Flash, a rare talent whom began his career as a rapper known for his witty word play and now the CEO of a record label and movement, Culture Pushaz Collective.

Being from South New Jersey, Flash was surrounded by hip hop culture, his family being responsible for his primary introduction to his passion. When asked what his earliest memory of hip hop culture was, Flash stated:

“Most of my hip hop influence, early on as a youth, was from my older siblings who passed it down to me. I have a lot of family from New York so some of my earliest memories would be the breakdancing and graffiti elements of the culture. I was more intrigued by those two as a kid at first before I picked up the mic.”

With his older brother being a talented emcee in the Bronx, NY, Flash was taken under his wing giving him the opportunity to learn about the hip hop culture. By the age of ten Flash knew about song structure allowing him to develop his unique sound and style. Creating catchy hooks and captivating bars placed Flash in the spotlight early on. Flash’s primary introduction into the industry was receiving placement on “Lyricist Lounge Vol. 1” with a song titled, “Bring Hip Hop Back”. It was during this time that Flash was a member of a duo called “Cipher Complete”. Soon after the release of “Lyricist Lounge Vol. 1“, the duo caught the attention of “The Source Magazine” resulting in a feature in the “Unsigned Hype” column. After achieving these accolades, “Cipher Complete” was offered a record deal with Elektra Records. Unfortunately, his partner was incarcerated and sentenced to thirty years to life. Flash stated, “It was back to the drawing board as a solo emcee for me at that point.”

It didn’t take long for Flash’s music career to catapult. With his talent and consistency, he was discovered by music veteran Steve Rifkind. Flash was introduced to Steve through his brother Set Free, creator of “And 1 Mixtape” and current owner of Compound. Flash went on to describe the experience.

“My bro Set Free took me to spit for Steve one day after a meeting they had at Iceberg Clothing. Steve later heard a mixtape we put together and invited us out to All Star Weekend in Los Angeles. I went to his home and over dinner we told him our vision. About a week later, he sent my lawyer a contract.”

Being signed to major record labels such as SRC Records and Ruff Ryders opened up a door of opportunities for Flash. Not only was he able to work with superstars such as DMX, Akon, Boys II Men, Jim Jones, Fat Joe, Jadakiss, and Swizz Beatz, but he also utilized the prospects to build strong relationships with professionals in the industry eventually resulting in the development of his own label. When asked what he learned about himself as an artist through these experiences Flash explained, “I’ve learned something from each and every artist that I have had experiences with. When I’m around legends and those who have come before me, I soak up as much knowledge as I can get. As far as what I’ve learned about myself from these experiences, I learned that I can bump elbows with the best of the best! When you get the respect of artists that you looked up to and came up listening to, it is a great feeling.”

Due to Flash’s experience, knowledge, solid relationships, and talent, he is now looked up to by many artists, as he has continued to strive in the music scene throughout the years. Flash expressed that during the early stages of his career he wanted to set himself aside from the regular emcees that just put words together. “I always looked up to Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane, and other artists who were known for exceptional wordplay and catchy bars.” Now, Flash is well known for his wordplay, punchlines and wit.

Many independent artists, whom seek record deals, have the misconception of exactly what a contractual agreement consists of. Flash is the perfect mentor for younger artists as he is educated and experienced in both realms; mainstream and independent. While being interviewed, Flash described the pros and cons of being signed to a major label versus being your own label.

“Major labels have the machine to give you that push whether it is relationships, advance money to reinvest in yourself, or budgets they delegate to promote you on a much larger scale. But keep in mind, every single penny they spend on you as an artist, you have to recoup before you see any profit. More than likely, with the deals the majors are offering nowadays, you probably signed most of that percentage away.”

Music artists are currently at an advantage as social media has sky-rocketed the possibility of receiving recognition, enhancement of their fan bases, and potential business opportunities. With consistent content, innovative marketing strategies, talent, and self-investment, music artists have the option to pave their own road to success. Flash continued to explain the pros and cons of remaining independent.

“Well as far as independence goes, it’s just that. You have your independence! You’re in control of your own destiny and have more freedom to do as you wish with your career. Also, the profits from your hard work and efforts are all yours unless you’re in a partnership situation or have investors. Cons of independency are that it’s a harder route if you lack the finances and avenues to get the proper exposure to compete.”

With everything Flash has to offer the culture, he and Tek developed CPC (Culture Pushaz Collective), a movement to “bridge the gap between the youngins and the OG’z.” Tek and Flash co-own the record label pushing a positive message to artists. With the intent to lead by example and present opportunities to artists on their roster, they plan to offer guidance and leadership which will further assist artists during their journey.

Although Flash now co-owns a record label, he remains true to his artistry releasing music for his fans. In December of 2020, Flash released his first collaboration project, “I’ma Die a King” under his independent imprint, “Hardwork Entertainment”. The first two singles and videos off of the project were “Where You Belong” featuring Capone and Royal Flush and “F.I.T.” featuring Tek of Smif-N-Wessun and Innocent?. Flash explained why he chose these specific songs to release first.

“Well, with “Where You Belong”, that up-tempo fly East Coast shit is what’s needed right now to break up the monotony of what’s been going on, so I wanted to throw that back in the air. With “F.I.T.”, I just felt like it was a vibe that hasn’t been done in a while; 3 emcees back to back for three verses with scratching for the chorus which is an important element of hip hop that has been missing and undervalued.”

“I’ma Die a King” is a project filled with collaborations of heavy hitters in the industry. Fame (MOP), Ransom, Styles P, Lil Cease & Bristal (Junior Mafia), Wanya Morris (Boys II Men), Innocent? and Moe Chipps and Billionz are all featured on this amazing project, allowing Flash to present a one of a kind album to his audience. The production consisted of top notch producers such as Statik Selektah, Buda & Grandz, Vinny Idol, Stan Da Man, Big Yount, Merc Beatz, Eternal, Neff Beatz, and Apollo. During the development of this project, Flash was able to cross off a goal from his bucket list. Kool G Rap wanted to take part in the project! Flash expressed the honor he felt.

“I had the honor to collab with Kool G Rap which was some bucket list shit! I was fucken hype when he said he fuck with me and wanted to take part in the project!”

The response to his album has been incredible. He achieved his goal of collaborating with artists who inspire him. By accomplishing this goal, he has been able to show other artists that anything is possible. He also developed “I’ma Die a King” to “spark a fire” before he presents his artist via his other imprint “CPC”. Due to the outpour of support and positive feedback, Flash is thinking about dropping another project soon!

As the interview concluded, we asked Flash what piece of advice he would give to his younger self now that he has acquired so much knowledge pertaining to the industry. Flash explained,

“Patience, patience, muthafuckin patience! Every opportunity isn’t meant to be optimized. Do your homework and think before you react. I put myself in some fucked up situations due to lack of patience. When the right opportunity presents itself, if you’ve done your proper due diligence, you’ll know!”

At this point in Flash’s career, he still remains motivated knowing there is still an audience who values what he does and wants to hear real hip hop. Flash expressed that he deeply appreciates every like, comment, repost, and stream he receives. He stated that music is his passion and as long as it’s being appreciated and inspirational, he has no intention of stopping.

Flash is about to drop his third release off of “I’ma Die a King” titled, “A Few Good Men” featuring Lil Cease and Bristal from Junior Mafia. After this release, Tek’s solo project is due to be launched. In spring of 2021, Flash and Tek are planning to officially drop the first release off of their imprint which is a compilation project titled, “Culture Pushaz Collective Presents Vol. 1”.

It is clear that Flash has utilized every single experience throughout the duration of his music career to become molded into the person he is today. Flash is an impeccable outline of what an artist and entrepreneur should be. As he continues to thrive as a hip hop artist, his audience apprehensively awaits every project he releases. Now, with his record label ready to be launched, Flash brings a new dynamic to his long list of accolades. No ceiling exists for Flash as he continues to reach higher peaks, leaving onlookers in awe of his ability to succeed in anything he puts his mind to.

To be a witness to the continuance of Flash’s success, please follow him on all social media platforms: @flashishiphop and also be sure to check out his website www.flashishiphop.com.