The Grimm_Factor

The Grimm_factor....The kind of MC that gives his all in the booth. Take it from his line in the infectious hook on I GO HARD "Everytime I Step In The Lab You Don't Even Have To Ask If I'll Murder The Track!" and you'll soon come to realize that it is a fact and not made up. The Grimm_factor has been rhyming since age 14. Grimm (as he likes to be called in short) was always exposed to hip hop music since he was a little boy and has had a penchant for writing poetry that gained him awards in h...

The Grimm_factor....The kind of MC that gives his all in the booth. Take it from his line in the infectious hook on I GO HARD "Everytime I Step In The Lab You Don't Even Have To Ask If I'll Murder The Track!" and you'll soon come to realize that it is a fact and not made up. The Grimm_factor has been rhyming since age 14. Grimm (as he likes to be called in short) was always exposed to hip hop music since he was a little boy and has had a penchant for writing poetry that gained him awards in his local area. However, it was when he heard Redman's track "Blow Ya Mind" that Grimm decided to change from writing poetry, to writing poetry in motion. It took some time for Grimm to develop his styles to those you hear him spit now but hard work and diligence got him there. Grimm considers himself to be a perfectionist and will never be satisfied with a rhyme or track until he feels that everything is on point. "I know when my track is finished and ready for that extra polish when I smile and get excited once I hear it." The Grimm_factor became serious about pursuing a career in hip hop music in 1996 after taking classes in music theory in high school. Noticing that he had a great talent for composing music, Grimm decided to buy some equipment to make his own beats with. After much searching through catalogs and music stores, Grimm finally purchased the Boss Dr-5 Drum Machine, a machine that totally revolutionized his life. Night and day, Grimm would work on beats and to many people who heard his tracks for the first time, they somehow knew that Grimm was on point. After learning the ins and outs of the Dr-5 (while still rhyming), Grimm soon drew the attention of a local singing group by the name of Nigel. One of the lead singers of the group who went by the name Shamone Stylez, was especially interested in the music making process. Both Grimm and Shamone began constructing tracks on a continuous basis for both hip hop and R&B. The Grimm_factor and the group Nigel began recording tracks on Grimm's first multitrack recording studio, a tape based Tascam 488-MKII. This laid the foundation for The Grimm_factor's tuned ears. All of the hard work involved in learning to produce, record, edit, and mix paid off for Grimm. Now he has no problem getting into a studio to do work but to also do it right. Working with multiple artists has helped Grimm to fix his ears to learn their sound. Working with other artists also gave him a sense of patience that enables him to appeal to almost anyone he does work in a studio with. Most of the artists Grimm has worked with over the years understand that Grimm has a great set of ears and knows when something is done right or wrong or should be fixed or left alone. Its this kind of knowledge that makes his artists rely on Grimm's word in the studio. The Grimm_factor took a break from pursuing his music career early in the new millenium to focus on building a family and raising his son. To Grimm, family is the only treasure in life that he could ever need, a treasure he is willing to give his life for. The blessing of having his own family and home indeed filled a large void inside of Grimm but there still was always the yearn to do music. Grimm never really stopped producing or writing rhymes, he only stopped recording and performing, thus he left the "PUSH" alone. The Grimm_factor's life took a turn for the worse when he had a fallout with his wife and they became seperated. Not only was the life fulfillment of having a family now gone, it left a void in him that had to be closed. So he decided to actively pursue his career in music again. This time Grimm vowed to let none stop him on the path to success in Hip Hop music. Luckily before his marital breakup, Grimm, plus former member of Nigel and childhood friend LS, joined forces to restart a project called Slaughterhouse Entertainment. Slaughterhouse Entertainment was started by Shamone Stylez who left the project when the rest of the members left to live their own lives. Shamone Stylez was tragically killed in a car crash leaving only his legacy behind. The Grimm_factor and LS once again revitalized the Slaughterhouse Entertainment project as a way to pay homage to their close friend Shamone and as platform to give them a name in the industry. Slaughterhouse Entertainment's main focus is not only urban music, but also entertainment in general. Not too long after, Grimm was approached by his close friend C4 to join his new group and label, The Bullpen (bullpen entertainment), a band of four men with sharp lyrical skill and a business structure that involved stellar campaigns to propel them to the top of the music industry. Grimm and C4 agreed to do work as long as Grimm could continue his ventures with Slaughterhouse Entertainment. Thus the reason why you'll hear The Grimm_factor represent both Slaughterhouse Entertainment and Bullpen Entertainment in his music. During his course back into hip hop music, The Grimm_factor has sharpened his lyrical skills and has fine tuned his production of beats. Grimm rarely samples when making beats as he feels that it takes away from his creative process. "Aye if I can make my own melodies why resort to using someone else's that's already been done?" he says. Also, Grimm has worked with various artists and producers such as La' Keinya (now the 1st lady of Moneybag Records), Jus-Nice (one of the latest additions to the Bullpen but also representative of RedTeam), Skeem (of Seven One Seven Productions), Walter Randall (CEO of So Sick Records/Owner of Brown Sugar Studios), Thomas Smead (aka T-Money owner of SoundStrike Studios), rapper Dub Banga! (Also a member of Slaughterhouse Ent.), the island beauty pop/r&b singer LDV, plus the stellar singer IRV. Working with said talent has only helped The Grimm_factor maintain his already sharp music talent while picking up worthwhile advice on improving any areas he may be weaker in. The Grimm_factor continues to build his Slaughterhouse arsenal of beats and rhymes and maintains a steady relationship with the Bullpen and all the artists he's worked with. His partner in crime LS is now in Iraq doing work as a civilian for the government. However, when LS returns both men plan to have Slaughterhouse Entertainment established in both the US and Overseas. The Grimm_factors style of lyrics is vast. He has many different flows to utilize when rhyming over a beat. Grimm can be both dangerous and friendly with the pen and pad. There are times when The Grimm_factor only wants to party, then there are times when Grimm just wants to rhyme and there are times when Grimm wants to put that extra heat in his rhymes to keep all naysayers and haters at bay. The Grimm_factor has been heavily influenced by acts such as REDMAN, the HIT SQUAD, the WU-TANG CLAN, RASS KASS, XHIBIT, BUSTA RHYMES, and many other top artists. In his rhymes you'll only hear lyricism. Grimm is not at all a gansta, thug, drug dealer, or pimp. Those lifestyles have never appealed to Grimm enough for him to put them in his rhymes. The Grimm_factor has grown up in the hood but decided not to follow the norm of many of the young kids in his area. "To me living that lifestyle doesn't make you a man. I don't knock anyone for doing it just don't knock me for doing what I do." The Grimm_factor's style of producing beats is very organic and melodic. Grimm is not content with dumbed down production that only carries a basic beat or tune. Grimm likes to construct intricate melodies that move and flow in different ways. All the while keeping to an industry format. Since The Grimm_factor rarely samples, he's left to rely on inspiration from within. What he hears in his head is only rivaled by what he's already completed as far as production. Grimm wont stick to using the same sounds or instruments for all his beats. "I have tons of synthesized and natural sounds to pick and choose from, I don't like to stay with just one basic package or set of sounds." His melodies are unique and original. They range from hardcore beats that make rappers wanna spit some real gangsta sh*** (if thats your bag baby!) to party tracks that will hypnotize you on the dance floor and put you in a trance. You'll also hear Grimm's production in different styles like reggae, drum and bass, plus pop and R&B. Add in a touch of flavor from his cohort LS to a multitude of his tracks and the heat just rises from the speakers. Give yourself a chance to listen to The Grimm_factor, and let his flow grow on you. Its entertainment on a large scale from someone on a smaller level. When you want something different to appeal to your ears and your need for good urban music, then you want THE GRIMM_FACTOR!! Why this name? I was in a group called the Fan Four, we each had names that fit our style of rhyming and I was Ben Grimm. I don't use the Ben moniker too much anymore so I just kept Grimm and added the Factor too it. Do you play live? I do live shows but only when they seem beneficial to my career. So far I've performed in New York, New Jersey, and Philly. I love performing but need to work on some of my stage presence. How, do you think, does the internet (or mp3) change the music industry? The internet gives a ton of lesser known artists (such as myself) a chance to get there music out to people yearning for more. The music industry has changed many of the Americans ears to fit what makes money fast but isn't too supportive of original music or impactful music. The internet is the outlet to showcase any and all talent worldwide. Would you sign a record contract with a major label? Depends on the Deal and whats on the table. How much freedom of creation I'll be able to retain will be a big part of it. I'm independant and don't mind working harder in my career to be successful with my music. Your influences? Musically I like Hip Hop, R&B, Soul, Jazz, Classical, Funk, Alternative, Dance, some pop, very very very very very lil country, and a few rock songs. Certain folk and foreign music have good vibes too. Basically if it sounds good then I like it. The types of music I've listened to have greatly influenced my style of beatmaking. Artistically I love lyrics...great lyrics can mean the difference between a song not making any sense and a song making an impact. In hip hop I like all of the great lyricists. And some of the more obscure ones. To name names REDMAN, THE WU-TANG CLAN, BUSTA RHYMES, RAKIM, JAY-Z, BIGGIE, NAS, MOBB DEEP, ONYX, RASS KASS, SNOOP DOGG, KURUPT, NATE DOGG, E-40, BIG L, JOE BUDDEN, DIP SET, D-BLOCK, MASE, EMINEM, and a few others. Its not just their styles I like but their lyrical content is always on point. Favorite spot? I like some of the Southern cities in Florida. North Carolina got some nice areas. Phoenix is definately poppin, Indiana's a great place to visit. NY is always jumping. Philly has some great clubs and the culture is great artistically, they just going through tough times now. I aint been to too many other places besides some nothern states like Boston, New Hampshire, and Maine but I wasn't there long enough in my adult years to really take in the spots. Equipment used: Currently everything I do is on a Computer. Not the computer that I wanna work with but its gettin the job done. I plan to upgrade real soon. Anything else...? I'd like any and all support. Ask your local DJs to contact me for music to spin. Ask your radio stations to play what you hear if you like it, if they dont have it then tell them where to get it!