It's a StrugGle 2 get Deep (Arsun F!st)

PHL: What is the title of your album? Give us the name(s) of  the producers you have worked with. Tell us are you signed or unsigned?

ARSUN F!ST: The name of my album is called It's a StrugGle 2 get Deep. It features production by The Unknown, Fatman & Tropical, Choppy Chope Sounds, and Natestrumentals. I've also completed songs and/or projects with FLO*, Suff Daddy, Blank Beard & Dubby Waters, Percy Flith, and the Jazz Addixx.

And yes, I signed with Domination Recordings in August of 2007.

PHL: How long have you been an entertainer?

ARSUN F!ST: I've been grinding off the radar for about 12yrs. In that time, i've learned alot about the ugly side of the music game. Whether it  be lying ass concert promoters, studio engineers who hate hip-hop, or group members growing apart and eventually breaking up...I've seen my fair share of drama and sunshine.

PHL: Where are you from?

ARSUN F!ST: I was born in Panama City, Panama (latino por vida!) but due to me growing up in a military household (Pa Dukes was in the Navy) I kinda bounced around from place to place coming up. I've lived in California, Hawaii, South Carolina, Florida, and Maryland over the years.

PHL:  What are your best attributes to the entertainment industry?

ARSUN F!ST: Hmmmm...good question. I would have to say that my patience and free spirit are some of my stronger qualities. I really believe that to be successful in music and life in general, one must be patient. It's very easy to miss out on the finer points if you rush or are too eager to accomplish your goals. Remember, the Tortoise won the race, not the Hare. 

And by me being a free spirit, i'm not afraid to experiment and jump outside of the box when it comes to creating music. I know we all have preferences and that's fine, but if nobody challenges the status quo; how can we truly grow?

PHL: What are your views about hip hop being dead?

ARSUN F!ST: From a fan's perspective, I don't think Hip-Hop is dead, it just needs some balance to inject  new life into the culture. It seems like everybody has a new dance step, or new slang to describe selling drugs on record. There really hasn't been a lane for Hip-Hop created without that "mainstream" formula in a long time.

While from the view of an artist, the culture can seem very cruel if you do not buy into the industry's view of what "good" Hip-Hop should like. Because of this, we've had an influx of monotonous material flood the airwaves. Imagine if every time you decided to eat, you were fed the same meal over and over for years. Some people might be like cool, at least i'm eating and keep it moving but you have some out there who will eventually grow tired and demand to be served something different. I find alot of similarities to Hip-Hop in that analogy.

PHL: What does it take to make it in this "rap" world?

ARUSN F!ST: I always felt that raw skill and talent were enough to get your foot in the door, but it's your grind/work ethic that determines how long you allowed to stay in the house that Hip-Hop built. If this is what you REALLY want, one must be willing to go hard or not at all. And surrounding yourself with a  strong team and not a bunch of "yes men" won't hurt either.

PHL:  Do you have any words of wisdom for success in the hip hop industry?

ARSUN F!ST: I wish I could speak more on this question, but to be honest, I have yet to achieve a majority of goals I set for myself in the industry so I don't want to pass out advice prematurely lol. Yeah getting signed was a big deal, but now the real work starts and I believe that success is earned not given. So I will definitely revisit this question after a few more grind sessions...

PHL: Are their any people that you would like to recognize?

ARSUN F!ST: Yeah, I like to send some positive energy out to Reign, Em-Eye-See, B-Nak, Ian, Boogz, Diggz, Roh, Cami, Ria, and you DJ Risque for showin' me nothing but love since we linked up. Plus everybody who has and will continue to support me on my musical journey.