Blood Raw
Album: My Life the True Testimony
Release Date: June 17, 2008

review:
A member of Atlanta rapper Young Jeezy’s cokerap trio U.S.D.A., Panama City, FL, native Blood Raw began his rap career while serving a six year bid in Florida prison during the mid-90s. There he first developed his rhyme skills and earned the "Blood Raw" moniker (which is local slang for "the truth"). Upon his release in 1998, he relocated to Atlanta to work for his uncle at a local rap hotspot called the HipHop Café. Inspired by the many upandcoming acts that graced the venue, Blood Raw moved back to Panama City in 1999 to start a rap crew of his own.

About Blood Raw :

When responsibility becomes a dirty word leave it to artists like Florida’s Blood Raw to come clean.
"I am a role model," says the burly member of Young Jeezy’s USDA. "The best role models are the ones that lead by example."

The native of the impoverished Panama City, Blood Raw, ne’ TK, has lived an example to learn from, not necessarily to follow.

Growing up in a single parent household, Blood Raw’s mother was in and out of prison and died when he was only twelve years old. His grandmother raised he and his sister living out of a trailer home making $3 an hour.

In an all too familiar scenario Blood Raw took to the streets of Florida selling drugs and in 1992 had the pause button set on his life becoming the property of the Florida Department of Corrections for six years.

While paying his debt to society Blood Raw discovered a new form of personal currency—his voice. "Blood Raw is a slang in Florida, it means the Truth. The OGs in jail heard my little raps and they’d say `that shit is blood raw.’" And just like that he’d found his new calling.

When he was released in 1998, Blood Raw joined his uncle in Atlanta at the Hip-Hop Café where he befriended both local and established talent playing his music for anyone that would listen.

A year later he moved back to his native Panama City and shifted his rap career into the next phase joining the Niggaz For Life Crew (N.F.L.) and making cameo appearances like his feature on the debut of former Lox member Genovese. But it wasn’t until after a performance in Alabama that Raw’s career would get the boost it needed. "I performed and Young Jeezy was impressed with my show," he remembers. "Although I was talking with T.I. and had a few other situations, working with Jeezy just felt right."

A week later Blood Raw became an official member of the USDA crew and embarked on a tour with the trap star. Unfortunately, some loose ends from his past threatened to trip up Blood Raw. A cocaine trafficking charge almost sent him back to prison for the rest of his life, but thankfully he was acquitted. "God knew my heart," he says relieved. "He knew I gave up everything to do my music. I could have easily went back to the streets after He took away everything. But, I’ve got relationships instead of fans. I had so many people praying for me that I’m sure He was like, `who is this dude?’" After lending his talents to the Gold Certified USDA debut, Cold Summer, Blood Raw is hard at work on his solo debut, TKNAME, recording tracks with Orlando’s DJ Nasty and Tallahassee’s J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League. He is also poised to be the first rapper from Florida to do an official Gangsta Grillz mixtape with DJ Drama. "I’ve adopted a new nickname, `Mr. Florida’ because the game plan is to get back to business by repping my state," he says confidently. "I have people crying when they hear my music because I’ll only spit what I’ve been through."

Track listing

1. I’m The Truth featuring Big Rube
2. It Feels Good
3. Louie featuring Young Jeezy
4. Almost There featuring Mannie Fresh
5. What’s Happening featuring Trina
6. F**k You featuring Slick Pulla
7. Tryin’ To Get Home featuring Lyfe Jennings
8. I’m Fly
9. Get Away
10. News Reporter
11. Go Head
12. Still A D Boy
13. I Miss You

No profanity, or inaproppriate remarks.