articles
Lil Peppi
from volume 01 issue 08 // Aubrey Bramble
Lil Peppi
Larger Than Life
Words: Aubrey Bramble
Photos: Aubrey Bramble
World's smallest motivational speaker? Perhaps. Pint-sized lyrical prodigy? Sure. Someone to slow down and take notice of in the otherwise tediously mass-produced sea of pop music ingénues? Most definitely.
Chances are, you have absolutely no idea who "Lil Peppi" is. Well, I'm about to clue you in. You can thank me later.
At nearly 8 years old, Lil Peppi might possibly be the world's tiniest MC, packing an infectious energy and a credo a little more buoyant than, say, Lil' Romeo or Lil' Bow-Wow, in his diaphanous bag of primary-colored tricks. Inspirational and catchy, Peppi's tunes are refreshingly void of any wannabe gangsta banalities, manufactured baby mama drama, and stereotypical rap vernacular.
Half Latino (his mom is Panamanian and Puerto Rican) and half African American, Peppi raps about what he knows best: spiffy kicks, arroz con pollo, the importance of playtime. On his self-titled debut, it's just good, clean fun. And a lot of infectious beats.
I had the opportunity to sit down with Peppi and his father, C. Anthony Hopkins (who is also his beat-maker and producer), on a windy day at the end of November and was tickled to see up close just how amazing and talented this little guy is.
Sporting a respectful amount of bling around his neck and looking fresh in a grown-up leather coat, Peppi strolled up to me with a candor of someone much older; his confidence was unexpected and instantly put me at ease. He was eager to discuss his love of music, making sure to point out that just because he is dedicated to making it in the hip-hop world, school and family are still his top priorities in life.
He wants his peers to know just how important it is to stay focused, stay positive, and to respect your elders, especially your teachers. His is a message that many kids today whizz past in an eagerness to grow up, a sad event that often results in delinquency, high dropout rates, and teen pregnancy. Lil' Peppi wants to change all that.
With songs like, Having Fun and Sketcher Zone, he's got my vote.
In addition to getting good grades and staying out of trouble, Peppi hopes to one day collaborate with his idol, DJ Laz, a Cuban rapper and DJ from Miami. Laz, if you're out there, look a boy up!
You can check Lil Peppi out in more detail at his personal website, lilpeppi.com, and via his MySpace page, myspace.com/lilpeppi2. His CD is available for purchase around the Bay Area at Daddy Kool in St. Pete and Vinyl Fever in Tampa.
Larger Than Life
Words: Aubrey Bramble
Photos: Aubrey Bramble
World's smallest motivational speaker? Perhaps. Pint-sized lyrical prodigy? Sure. Someone to slow down and take notice of in the otherwise tediously mass-produced sea of pop music ingénues? Most definitely.
Chances are, you have absolutely no idea who "Lil Peppi" is. Well, I'm about to clue you in. You can thank me later.
At nearly 8 years old, Lil Peppi might possibly be the world's tiniest MC, packing an infectious energy and a credo a little more buoyant than, say, Lil' Romeo or Lil' Bow-Wow, in his diaphanous bag of primary-colored tricks. Inspirational and catchy, Peppi's tunes are refreshingly void of any wannabe gangsta banalities, manufactured baby mama drama, and stereotypical rap vernacular.
Half Latino (his mom is Panamanian and Puerto Rican) and half African American, Peppi raps about what he knows best: spiffy kicks, arroz con pollo, the importance of playtime. On his self-titled debut, it's just good, clean fun. And a lot of infectious beats.
I had the opportunity to sit down with Peppi and his father, C. Anthony Hopkins (who is also his beat-maker and producer), on a windy day at the end of November and was tickled to see up close just how amazing and talented this little guy is.
Sporting a respectful amount of bling around his neck and looking fresh in a grown-up leather coat, Peppi strolled up to me with a candor of someone much older; his confidence was unexpected and instantly put me at ease. He was eager to discuss his love of music, making sure to point out that just because he is dedicated to making it in the hip-hop world, school and family are still his top priorities in life.
He wants his peers to know just how important it is to stay focused, stay positive, and to respect your elders, especially your teachers. His is a message that many kids today whizz past in an eagerness to grow up, a sad event that often results in delinquency, high dropout rates, and teen pregnancy. Lil' Peppi wants to change all that.
With songs like, Having Fun and Sketcher Zone, he's got my vote.
In addition to getting good grades and staying out of trouble, Peppi hopes to one day collaborate with his idol, DJ Laz, a Cuban rapper and DJ from Miami. Laz, if you're out there, look a boy up!
You can check Lil Peppi out in more detail at his personal website, lilpeppi.com, and via his MySpace page, myspace.com/lilpeppi2. His CD is available for purchase around the Bay Area at Daddy Kool in St. Pete and Vinyl Fever in Tampa.
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