The East Coast Freshman

The title of this mixtape that dropped last night is perfect.

"Who is that freshman?" I can hear the girls saying.

"Who's the new kid?" The dudes say with a tinge of jealousy.

The East Coast Freshman is just that. Fresh. New. Exciting. And will have you talking. 

So who is this new kid on the block? He's a down to earth guy from Pittsburgh, Pa with the heart of (black and) gold. He loves to party but is one of the hardest working people I know.

He's T Wolf (Shawn Rumbaugh) and he's about to shine all over the steel city. T Wolf encompasses the new face of the rap world but pays homage to where he's come from.

"I'm still the kid that started rapping in my dad's attic and I'm still the kid that will rap at parties for fun, but now I have a face, I have a movement, I have a name."

Just two years ago to date he dropped his debut mixtape, "Frat House of Clowns" and it finished Datpiff top 8. With only one day of being released, his newest mixtape has already had thousands of listens and a lot of positive feedback. 

"It's kind of surreal when I look back and see all the progress from then until now. I've been working on my craft, perfecting my music, built my fanbase and branded my movement. It's just the beginning."

" Now I start stuntin' "

The Stay Dope movement is all about positivity and hard work. Balancing fun and work at the same time. Lighting the candle at both ends. Learning how to work all day and party all night. And when you do something you love, you can't even call it work.

I asked Shawn if he had any advice for upcoming artists and he said, "Don't listen to anyone but your gut feelings. Never stop pushing. Don't settle on being content. Don't rest. What you want is possible regardless of what the 99% say. If you truly believe you're a part of the 1% then show the others you can do it. We can't explain what we do because we're a different breed. We speak a different language and expect different things. We stay dope."


You can checkout The East Coast Freshman at

http://www.datpiff.com/T-Wolf-The-East-Coast-Freshman-mixtape.607959.html

and follow him on Twitter @OfficialTwolf for updates and more.

Making Myself

I find myself answering life's questions with song lyrics all the time. It's as if the songwriter sometimes writes the words that I have trouble piecing together.

I'm driving in my car through the night last night with just enough gas money to get me where I'm going and the beautiful moonlight glowing the path on which I was traveling.

Each song that came on reassured me of my last minute decision. 

With my iTunes on shuffle, I took these lyrics as signs that I am doing the right thing.

John Mayer's "Great Outdoors" says to me, "Check your pulse it's proof that you're not listening to.. the call your life's been issuing you." And I drive faster.

Then my favorite band incubus comes on and Brandon Boyd speaks out to me and sings "But if you really want to live, why not try and make yourself?" And I push the gas pedal a little harder.

People remember your birthday and the day you die, but will they remember how you lived?

I check the time and I'm only 2 hours into my 8 hour drive. But with each song that passes while I'm on the open road and my thoughts all to myself, I know I am finally doing the right thing. I crack the windows open, breathe in the fresh air, recline my seat and smile. 

                                                                                           

My biggest concern lately has been the typical trouble of any twenty-something, "What am I doing with my life?"

Everyone says "follow your dreams" or "do what you love" and I've finally decided to do just that. 

My favorite movie, Into the Wild, may have had some influence on my decisions lately. If you haven't seen the movie, I suggest it. It's about a recent college graduate who hated the idea of society and conformity and treks across the country to live a self sustainable life on what the Earth has provided for him. He burns his money and his social security card and ditches his car and tramps across the country until he reaches his goal of arriving in Alaska.

No, I'm not in the midst of a roadtrip to the tundra but I am on an existential journey to find myself.

I know that there is more to life than working a job to pay for things used to impress other people. 

I know there is more to life than close minded people who don't respect your decisions.

As stated in a Pearl Jam song, "I know I was born and I know that I'll die, the in between is mine." 

This is my life and I'll be damned if I waste it doing something that makes me miserable.

So my dreams have led me on this road trip from Pittsburgh, Pa to the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina where I will be catching a shuttle bus to help work the Counterpoint music festival in Kingston Downs, Georgia April 24-27. 

My degree in journalism and my passion for music will be combined this summer with my plans to work at these concert events and then blog about my experiences.

I was at a very rough point in my life this last year handling my depression the wrong way and working jobs that I was not happy at. 

There is so much more to life than being miserable, paper chasing and trying to please others. There is an entire beautiful world out there with beautiful people that are waiting to meet you.

I have met some of the greatest people in the last few months since I have ditched my depression and started focusing on living a happier and simpler life.

As I'm prepping for my last minute road trip I realized how blessed I am to have such beautiful friends and family in my life.

Whether it was a gift to help me with gas money, packing me snacks for the trip or installing an aux jack into my car so that I could listen to my iTunes easier, I am so grateful.

Genuine good people are happy to see you accomplish your goals not kick you when you're down. 

Traveling this summer I hope to meet more beautiful souls like them and learn from every unique person I meet. 

Stick with me as I grow this summer and keep up with my blogs to see what goes on behind the scenes at music festivals.

Tomorrow- Counterpoint. See you in Georgia.

(Atop Wayah Bald- Smoky Mountains, NC 4/23/14)

"The Hardest Out in Allegheny County" TWolf

You wouldn't expect to find a talented rap artist among my coworkers at a local gym. Shawn Rumbaugh, or T Wolf, is a down to earth guy who is covered in tattoos, goofs around all day and makes everyone laugh. But he has another side to him. One that he puts a lot of time into and has made him who he is today, rapping.

(T Wolf being modest at Life On Carson with his music video playing on the television.)

His passion for music started when he was young. "Originally, it wasn't the idea of being a "rapper" that inspired me, it was being addicted to the idea of being someone larger than life."

Then he got his first instrument- the guitar. T Wolf idealized bands like Greenday, The Offspring and Sublime. "Once I started singing along to my guitar and then other instruments, I learned to flow with a ska type style," T Wolf told me.

"Then I just started getting dope with it."

With his words flowing perfectly to match his instrument of choice, the world of hip hop started to peak his interest.

"I was always into hip-hop and rap because it's something I had no clue about and it was such a different type of lifestyle."

After years of practice, Shawn has something to show for. He is a multifaceted musical artist but he sticks with his family, "Stay Dope," and writes, produces and edits his rap videos.

T Wolf originates from Pittsburgh and just released a video for his single "Stay Dope Boys" that can be found on his mixtape The East Coast Freshman.

You can check out his video on YouTube or join his huge following on Twitter (@OfficialTwolf) to stay up to date with his video releases and the announcement of his mixtape release party coming soon. Or you can come say hi to us at the LA Fitness in the South Side of Pittsburgh where we work together. He's the guy always wearing a coat no matter what temperature it is.

(Check out his single Stay Dope Boys on YouTube)

"I'm just doin' the same shit I've been doin' but people just come around now; they pay attention and look up to me. I'm still the kid rappin' in his kitchen but now I have an audience."