Local rapper and indie artist, Futuristic has built an organic fanbase by churning out quick-witted raps, in-your-face rhymes and catchy beats. His most recent album As Seen on the Internet, released this past August, hit the Billboard 200 Charts, as did his preceding album, The Rise. On The Rise, “I did this nerd rap called “Nerd Raps in Compton” and it kind of fueled the whole album and made everything take off.” That, coupled with videos for some of his biggest hits including, “The Greatest,” “Too Easy” and “No Way,” racking up more than 10 million views online have successfully laid the groundwork for his growing success. “I went from doing tours with like 20 people at a show to now, I just finished up the first half of my world tour and every show had like 400 people.”
But larger crowds are not something Futuristic is unfamiliar with. The rapper has had the opportunity to share the stage with top artists like Snoop Dogg, Sean Kingston, Machine Gun Kelly, Yelawolf and Tech N9ne among others. “That’s how I got my start was opening up for anyone.” When asked who he would love to collaborate with, some of the same artists were mentioned including Machine Gun Kelly and Tech N9ne along with singer-songwriter Jon Bellion and established hip-hop artist, Ludacris. “Ludacris was always my favorite growing up,” says Futuristic.
Now, Futuristic is enjoying his own fame and fan base that has stretched past state borderlines. “People know me here [Arizona]. It’s a lot of people I have met over the years, but then there’s fans in other states who don’t know me personally so that’s really cool. It’s always different.”
The next year is sure to be a busy one with Futuristic continuing to promote his music and he says, deciding “whether to go mainstream or stay indie.” Whatever he chooses, the witty rapper is moving forward. “My goal was always to be here so now that I am I just want to continue to grow and not go backwards.”
To catch the local artist live, head to Livewire on November 11 at 7 p.m. for what’s sure to be a packed show. “Livewire was the biggest stop on the last tour,” says Futuristic.
For tickets and more information, click HERE.
