Even before establishing himself as a rapper, Seandale Price has already secured his place in history. In its 2007 book edition, Guinness World Records lists Price, aka Rebel XD, as the “Fastest Rap MC” after rapping 852 syllables in 42 second
I first broke the 1992 record held by rapper Twister,” said Price. “You can go to the Web site YouTube.com to check me out. I can really throw down.” He added that in 1992, he recorded 674 syllables in 54.9 seconds to break the record then; and in 1998 he did 683 syllables in 54.5 seconds to break the record again. His stage name, Rebel, stems from him being different than other rappers and XD stands for “xtreme don’t,” Price said.
The South Shore High School alumnus grew up with a desire to be a cartoonist because he loves to draw, a passion he still shares today. “If I was not rapping I would definitely be a professional cartoonist,” he said. These days, drawing is just a hobbyûa hobby I enjoy though.” And unlike hardcore rappers like Nas or DMX, Price, 34, describes himself as an ‘old school’ MC. Professionally, he has been writing and singing music since 1987, when he was just a freshman in high school.
Rappers such as Chuck D, former lead singer for the rap group Public Enemy, Big Daddy Kane and Rakim had the greatest influence on Price’s music career, he said. “These cats can put it down and keep it down. I consider them among the pioneers that helped shape rap and bring it to a new level,” Price said. In 2006, Price released his first album Cold as Hell as an independent artist, which he still is today.
He said he does not want to sign with a record company unless he gets a deal that would allow him too retain copyright ownership. “Record companies acquire the rights to your song once you sign, so while you will receive royalties from sales, an artist no longer owns the rights to it,” said Price.
With no official numbers as to how many copies his debut album sold, Price is preparing to release a second album in June.
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