Chi-Town rapper Terrel Mitchell aka TWISTA, was originally known as Tung Twista. Peep the 1992 Guiness Book of World Records where he was dubbed fastest rapper. His debut album, Runnin' Off at Da Mouth, was released on the Zoo Entertainment label in 1991. He later released his sophomore album in 1995 called Suicide, on Street Flavor records before taking a break to refocus his style and his rap name, becoming simply Twista. In 1997 he released Adrenaline Rush, on the title the artist says, "My style was designed to pump listeners up, and when I went back and listened to the recorded songs, the only name that made sense was Adrenaline Rush."
Between the time of the 3 albums, Twista says he added substance and focus to his style by patrolling the gritty landscapes of his Chicago ghetto. He recognized that the only way to escape the bleak surroundings was to immerse himself in it and shed some sort of light. As he explains it, "After I came off of my first national tour, I went back to the 'hood and just started applying the lessons I learned about the business and writing structured songs to things that were going on in the community, and everything started to seem much more real."
He turned up in 1996 to snatch pavement props and earn Gold status for being featured on Do or Die's number one Billboard rap single, "Po Pimp." Finally with Adrenaline Rush, Twista's transformation from pioneering Windy City hero to spatter king is complete. Castigating the laziness of L.A. G-funk and challenging the looseness of modern free-styiling, he raps to reveal emotions ranging from ecstasy and joy to sadness and pain. In his urban grit diary he creates musical paradise from poverty's riches.
Born and raised in the K-Town section of Chicago's infamous, impoverished west side, Twista grew up amid scenes of junkies, drugs, violence and poverty. He used his inner strength to help pull him through, while his dreams centered around either music or art.
His attraction to music also began building from an early age. First he moved his body to hyperactive house tracks of his hometown. Then, after being exposed to krush grooves by the likes of Kurtis Blow, the Sugarhill Gang and the Fat Boys, hip-hop started engaging his mind. He first became aware of rap by way of college radio . "Listening to people like Eric B. & Rakim and Kool G. Rap & DJ Polo," Twista remembers, "is what first inspired me to become an MC."
Twista says his trend-setting style developed under a sort of musically-induced schizophrenia ("Basically hip-hop was being imbeded into my head at the same time that I was listening to house") and was spurred forward by hearing positive feedback. Recalling the support Chicago's underground gave him after freestyle showcases and talent shows, he says "It was the love of everybody that was around me that pushed me to higher and higher levels of acheivement."
Working with Creator's Way and The Legendary Traxter, producer of the platinum hit, "Po Pimp," Twista approached Adrenaline Rush with much more patience and care. They recorded the album entirely at Creator's Way Studios in Chicago. "Basically it's my follow-up to 'Po Pimp,'" he says. "Before that record I was writin' a lot of different ways, but after it, my course was charted; I knew exactly where I needed to go next." The first single, "Emotions," slinks and swaggers with a distinctive playboy flair and leads in with a mythical vocal intro, establishing Twista in a domain of his own.
Refusing to withold, Twista explains his daily MO in "Ridin' High." Then, with "Overdose," which he describes as a "real lyrical song," he tells listeners exactly how he flexes his flow. Meanwhile, "Unsolved Mysteries," explores the tarnished underbelly of inner-city life, verbally panning over technicolor images of brothers shooting, hustlers slangin', and players mackin'. "Corrupt World," a reflective tune with liquid melodies and eerie bounce, speaks of the street sorrow experienced by Twista and his buddy B-Hype, who guest rhymes. "Make a toast to yourself for survivin' in a world that's so corrupt," they conclude after recounting all the fallen friends and family they knew.
Twista then working with the Speedknot Mobster's released Mobstability in 1998 which featured the Bone ThugsnHarmony crushin diss song, "Crook County". Twista and Layzie Bone later settled their beef and to show their new found truce, together recorded "Midwest Invasion". The album also featured the single, "In Your World" which garnered Twista some mainstream appeal after appearing on, and being released off, the Nutty Professor movie soundtrack.
After label problems which sparked a major bidding war between P Diddy's Bad Boy Records and Jay-Z's Roc-a-Fella Records to try and get Twista to pen his name to their roster, Twista decided to turn to the independent route. Twista set up Legit Ballin Records and resolved his differences wit Atlantic Records to distribute the labels records. He quickly went to the lab wit his entire roster and the end product was Legit Ballin Records vol 1, which produced such singles as "Game Recognize Game" and the now classic record, (which many consider his best work) "Victory or Death". The most notable aspect of the album however was the abscence of Twista's friend and producer, The Legendary Traxster. Money issues had pulled the two apart which led to a small beef and Trax disses Twista on his solo album. Twista however brought in Toxic and Cayex Illah who more than handles the task.
Vol 2 followed a year later, and this gained mainstream interest due to the massive hit single, "Ball Wit Us" which saw Twista re-unite with Johnny P. The album was a success, as was Twista's empire which for a short time boasted Ruff Ryder and ex-No Limit Soldier, Fiend who appeared on the album. The Legit Ballin roster currently consists of Twista, The Speedknot Mobstaz, Darkside Ballaz, Bennie Franks, Tod Nitty, Turtle Banxx, High Beam, female rapper Ms Kane, producers Cayex Illah and Toxic, and even boasts an r'n'b contingent thru male duo Mecca of Soul and female songstress Oobie, who has been puttin in various guest appearances includin 3 on the recent southern smash, Lil Jon and the Eastside Boys' "Put Yo Hood Up" album.
The Chi-Town rapper is currently workin on just his second solo album under the alias of Twista titled "Kamikazi", and is set to feature production from Timbaland and guest appearances includin Ludacris who Twista collaborated with "Freaky Thangs". The rest of the Legit Ballin fam are workin on Legit Ballin vol 3 which is set to drop soon. So hold tight, it's gonna be a bangin '02!
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