For North Charlotte native 704Chop, music is an outlet for something bigger than rap
The only boy among six sisters, Chop learned to fend for himself growing up. Raised by his mother as a child, the relationship grew strained as he got older and acclimated to street life, eventually leading to foster care. He never considered being a rapper, but aspired to simply be the funniest guy on the block. “I was the one in the group that always had some sense. Most of my friends seemed like they never really gave a f*ck,” he said. “I’m not emotional. Nothing phases me. I’ve seen my homeboy die. I realized talking to people didn’t really help, so I just started writing down what I wanted to say instead.”
It was then in 2015 that 704Chop penned his first track, “I Wish,” in which he enumerated all the things he wished he hadn’t done in life. It racked up thousands of plays in a relatively short time frame, proving there was an audience for what he had to say. Homeless and a father at age 22, he was motivated to make a better life for himself somehow and began pouring his heart out on YouTube instrumentals. Just as he found his calling, however, life would deal another blow as 704Chop found himself in legal trouble facing a two-year sentence which would delay his budding rap career. Deterred but nevertheless determined, 704Chop picked up where he left off after gaining his freedom, developing a signature sound that blends bars, humming harmonizations and soulful singing that has resulted in him becoming one of the hottest artists in the city. (FULL ARTICLE)
