Thee Tom Hardy

This 21-year old North Carolinian is a curious case. Apparently his break came when he sat in on 9th Wonder’s Hip-Hop History course at North Carolina Central University and was bold enough to spit some bars for the instructor. 9th has devoted time, energy and (most notably) some top drawer beats into developing the young Padawan (a member of The Academy along with Big Remo & The Away Team). Cynics will label him the next Asher Roth (and MC Hardy has a few choice barbs for on his free mixtape) and perhaps even draw a parallel between 9th and Dr. Dre’s cash-cow-milking of one Marshall Mathers. But as with Shady, at the very least, this kid is gonna be spitting over upper echelon beats (courtesy of 9th & Khrysis) for years to come. He and Mac Miller will likely go head to head for the title of rap’s next Great White Hope. An album is in the works, that is, if hip-hop’s ever-present hate vortex doesn’t swallow him whole. M.F. DiBella