Sauce Money is already a music industry veteran. He has paid his dues in the hip-hop trenches for eight years both as an emcee and behind-the-scenes as a ghostwriter. With his debut album, Middle Finger U., Sauce steps out of the shadows displaying the lyrical lethality, emotional depth and fire that his fans always knew he had. Respect as an emcee is something Sauce garnered back in 1996 when he appeared on friend, mentor and fellow Brooklyn native Jay-Z's now classic debut Reasonable Doubt. But he caught the entire music industry's attention for good in 1998 when he penned the lyrics for Puff Daddy's Grammy Award winning mega hit tribute to Biggie Smalls "I'll Be Missing You." "I knew the song was going to be big, because BIG was so loved," Sauce explains in his familiar, husky voice. "But I had no idea it would win so many awards.
I guess it was meant to be because I wrote the song in minutes." Sauce went on to write songs for artists such as BLACKStreet and Shaquille O'Neal among others. Although ghostwriting continues to be a lucrative gig for Sauce, it is when he is spitting his own lyrics that he is the most dynamic and dangerous.
A former athlete, Sauce attended Allen University in South Carolina on a basketball scholarship and was majoring in business when he caught the rapping fever and returned to New York. "My heart wasn't really into school towards the end, " he says, "I left and have been chasing my dream ever since." Sauce hooked up with Jay-Z, who at the time, was just starting out himself and studied Jay's technique while he honed his own skills. Sauce appeared on Jay-Z's first three albums, including 1998's Grammy-award-winning Jay-Z Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life.
But just as Sauce was on the verge of becoming a star in his own right, an eclipse dimmed his rise. "It was an accumulation of different things" explains Sauce about the transition from his former label to Priority Records. "Between changes at my former label and the loss of my mother, I had to take care of a lot of personal and business matters."
Fiercely determined, Sauce never gave up on his dream and the result is the multi-layered Middle Finger U. on Priority Records, which will undoubtedly take its place alongside other monumental debuts like Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt, Nas' Illmatic and DMX's It's Dark and Hell is Hot. "I would describe this album as very emotional," says Sauce.
He continues, "It will touch every emotion that a person has. From the heartache of losin' your moms to ballin' a little bit to just straight rhymin'. But at the same time, it's gutter, it's street. If I could sum up the record in one word, it would be epic."
Middle Finger U. is definitely packed with epic joints-from the heartfelt "Section 53, Row 78"-a track dedicated to Sauce's mother who passed away in 1994, to the sonically sweeping, play-it-loud-in-your-car-stereo "For My Hustlaz" to the gritty "Say Unkle". Puff Daddy provides production help and joins Sauce on the upbeat "Star Wars". Jay-Z stops by to hang out on "Face Off 2000" the laid back sequel to their '98 track, and is featured again on "Pre Game". DJ Premier contributes sizzling production on "Intruder Alert", while Sauce is on top of his game on "What's My Name"-delivering his lyrics in the arrogant, sarcastic style that has become his trademark. "When I do my music," he explains "I don't feel that there's anybody that can do music like me. I project that vibe, like, don't fuck around with me."
Showcasing his incredible versatility, wit, passion and drive on Middle Finger U., Sauce Money is set to finally shine in the spotlight and serve as fierce competition to all the other emcees in hip hop today. And after everything he has been through, he is not planning to just make a hit record-he's in it for the long haul. He reflects for a moment and says very seriously, "A lot of artists are in this to sprint to the bank, but I'm tryin' to make this sprint into a marathon." Spoken like a true competitor.
Source: http://www.saucemoney.com/bio/
