Good Life Campaign: GLC sits down with A.N.T

The Hip Hop Scene has exploded over the last year all across the state. The most encouraging sight has been the amount of shows, venues and opportunities that have become available for artists to work on their craft. Awhile back ago I reviewed an event called BattleMania last summer. Since then not only did that event burst the Teazer's bar to capacity on Tuesday nights, we also started seeing other venues regularly have hip hop showcases and battle competitions. Who knew Hip Hop would grab the city of Grand Rapids in such a manner. Once one of the toughest places to get a show at is now the ONLY city where you can damn near perform at a different venue every night of the week if you so please. Let's continue to ride the wave of momentum into the national limelight and put the MI on the map for Hip Hop!!!

One artist I truly believe will help lead this charge is A.N.T. Gun Ru born and raised, A.N.T has quickly positioned himself as one of the next to blow not only on the Grand Rapids radar, but the entire state and quickly spreading through regions of the U.S. The Trump Tight Music Group CEO has accomplished this feat by using a work rate that can only be rivaled by another Grand Rapids native, Floyd Mayweather Jr. Last week I got a chance to chop it up with A.N.T, Bub Bentley Billionair and the T.T.M.G team. Here is the interview!!!

GLC: What age where you when you wrote your first sixteen bars??

A.N.T: Probably age 16. Outkast ATLiens. Me, my nigga Kast, and my brother from another mother my nigga Lamar. At the end of the tracks where they used to let the instrumental go for a good 45 seconds or so we used to try and get our 3000 and Big Boi on. It was about then that I was like "This is pretty dope!"

GLC: You are most notably known as the host of BattleMania Series, and also more recently opening up for a number of major acts coming to the state/are, what is something that the people will get from you here in this interview that they may not have gotten just discovering you in that arena??

Bub Bentley Billionair: O.M.G.!!!

A.N.T: Always!! We are just always On Our Grind, and you will always get back what you put in. Hard work is not a skill, everybody can do it, some just choose not to. That's not me taking a shot at anybodies work ethic, just me personally I don't do ANYTHING without trying to be the best at it. If I was on a basketball court and I seen that Jordan was there, I'm going to go at Jordan to see where I'm at and after he whoops me figure out what I need to do to get my game to his level. I feel that if you have a strong work ethic and if you truly believe in yourself, you will never second guess all the time, energy, money, and focus your putting in and you will get to where you wanna be.

GLC: As the GoodLifeCampaign Team has chopped it up amongst each other and other hip hop circles about artists in the area to pay attention to, your name consistently comes up. First thing said is "Wow that man truly knows how to market himself". The T.T.M.G shirts, the pictures with the cds, stickers, pens and hell even onesies for the babies!! What made you decide to really go outside of the box here locally and go at it like that??

A.N.T: Well first off I am more than humbled and truly flattered that my name even gets brought up amongst a group of people talking hip hop. But again, there is nothing that I am doing, or my team is doing that hasn't been done before. I think it is a testament of sitting back and looking at a few things, successful plans put forth by some before us, and saying that I want to reach that level and just going at it. I don't think I possess any one marketing genius scheme that nobody else knows about. The difference is that I don't know anything else, and I just wont stop!!

GLC: You have $25 and you need to get something to eat, drink and something to listen to. What would be your choices??

A.N.T: Thriller by Michael Jackson would be the album. Something to drink well I'll go at this a couple of ways. If it is with something to eat I'll go with an ice cold soda or powerade. If its on leisure time then I have to keep it O.G with a little VSOP. My food: Fried Chicken.

GLC: Aside from Outkast, whom you mentioned looking up to earlier, are there any other artists that have helped essentially mold you into the artist you are today?? Who are your biggest influences musically??

A.N.T: The Passion I put into my music, Tupac. You can feel the music. He is the greatest that has ever done it in my opinion, so that is kinda my role model. As far as mainstream success level I look at the heavy hitters, your Kanye, Jay-Z, Lil' Wayne types is what I'm looking at. You had mentioned something earlier about local, I think a small testament as to why me and my team have reached a moderate amount of success is that I don't like to think locally. That's not saying that I'm not paying attention to all the great things going on locally, its just that I'm focusing on a much bigger picture to reach greater goals. We talked about the heavy hitter so to speak in the game, I want to be a heavy hitter, so that is what I am looking at.

GLC: Speaking on some of your goals, what are a few things you are doing to help yourself reach those goals??

A.N.T: I recently attended an APCA convention, which was one of the greatest experience I could have had. I'm about to start touring colleges, which is something I'm sure every artist dreams about doing. I've been extremely fortunate and blessed to have met some good people along the way such as the GoodLifeCampaign team, B-Unique from needgraphicsfast, Mike G, and many others that have helped bridge Mackinaw size gaps that have helped me open for artists such as Rick Ross, Snoop Dogg, E-40, and Travis Porter. It's truly a blessing man, I think it is what every artist sets out to do is to work with their peers and people they look up to and wanna be like.

GLC: We talked about you paying attention to what goes on locally. Who are some artists in the area that you rock with??

A.N.T: Bub Bentley Billionair. I've known this nigga for years. One of the realest niggas I've ever met, even outside of this music shit. He has had a buzz for a long time in the game even before I did. S/O Moe Money McCoy and the FireProof team. He has been real instrumental in a lot of things going on and is truly a good guy. For as musically, there is so much to diversity and so many people that I like to check out. You listen to my album and you will see who I usually vibe with. With that being said, I welcome everything really. S/O to everybody doing their thing making some noise, it's all love. That's the same thing we are trying to do.

GLC: At first impression, with all the chains and the tattoos and such, one might perceive you as to being a certain type of artist. After digging into your album a bit, there are songs like "Top Of The World" and several others where you show much versatility. What drives you to challenge yourself to not be able to be type casted as a certain type of artist??

A.N.T: I don't believe in labels. I might wanna wear chains one day, and the next put on a cardigan sweater and change it up. You go through chapters in life and it should show progression. I like to also think of myself as a chameleon, and be able to function and adapt to any situation. My thinking is on the lines of being universal, and not fitting into any box. I'm a firm believer that if your work is authentic and of great quality, you can do anything you want. Even a rock album if you choose. Look at Wayne. If you are truly being you, that is all that really matters. The people will know if you are being true to yourself. If you are, then it will last. If not then it will fade away quickly.

GLC: Five words that describe A.N.T???

A.N.T: .... Ain't No Tellin Stay Tuned!!!

Be on the Lookout for big things going on!!! A.N.T will be opening for Freeway March 30, 2012 @ The Intersection in Grand Rapids, and also has been selected to open on the Maybach Music Tour stop at the Silverdome next month. A.N.T recently signed a distribution deal with Snoop Dogg shortly after opening for him in Grand Rapids. Coast 2 Coast mixtapes also selected one of A.N.T's tracks to be on their mixtape that will be distributed throughout the entire U.S, and will certainly hit the hotbeds of hip hop overseas. Us here at the GoodLifeCampaign will continue to keep an eye on this artist as he makes his way toward his dream with no other outcome in mind. Hard Work, Dedication, and a Strong team. Sounds familiar huh? Till the next one, stay blessed and continue living that GoodLife!!