Exclusive Feature THE GENERAL: MYSONNE Mysonne and hip hop have too much in common not to share such an intimate bond. Like hip hop, Mysonne was born in the late 1970's in the Bronx, NY. He was born Mysonne E. Linen and affectionately called “Myse” by his close friends and family. He is an artist who has persevered through the trials and tribulations of growing up in a poverty stricken area to capturing an audience who waits with baited breath to hear his poetic, heartfelt, and sometimes painful story told over piercing beats that resonate within the souls of each of his fans. Mysonne’s story is an interesting one and far from the average mans tale. Losing his father when he was only eleven years old made Mysonne the man of the house by default. Raised with his younger sister and two younger brothers, by his mother Patricia and his late grandparents, Mysonne led a pretty normal childhood with lots of love and support from his family. It was the streets that saw young men like Mysonne as prey.

While it can be avoided to some extent, the allure is always present. Mysonne was determined not to be a statistic like so many other fallen soldiers in the drug tattered, crime infested streets of the Bronx in the late 1980's early 1990's. Mysonne attended Martin Luther King, Jr. High School in the mid 1990's where he played basketball for the entire four years until he graduated, excelled rapidly in the sport, and found himself playing with and against future NBA all-stars and infamous Rucker Park vets such as Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury, Rafer “Skip To My Lou” Alston, God Shamgod, Future, and many others. While Mysonne mastered basketball and had a handle to be reckoned with, there was a Jones in his heart for hip hop. The bond was undeniable so he put down the Spalding and picked up the mic. Growing up in an era of Illmatic, Reasonable Doubt, and Ready to Die, Mysonne realized that he could relate to the tales told by Nas, Jay-Z and The Notorious B.I.G., and he knew that his story was just as relevant.

After graduating from high school, Mysonne attended John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City for a semester before he realized that his dream was not to be an officer of the law, he yearned to be a General of the rap game. In1997, Mysonne linked up, and signed a production deal with Tone and Nige who started Wanna Blow Entertainment, they became his management team and soon had him battling various emcees, such as Shyne, DMX, and the late Big L. Soon after earning his stripes in various battles, Mysonne steadily took over the mix tape circuit. By 1998 Mysonne appeared on various mixtapes, and signed a record deal with Violator/Def Jam and had appeared on Violator The Album, DMX’s The Great Depression, Mase’s Double Up, and Ruff Ryder’s Ryde or Die Vol. 1 where the beginning of his verse on “The Hood” featuring Beanie Sigel, Drag-On, Inf Red, NuChild, and Jadakiss stood out and showcased the rawness of his talent and captured the ears of the streets.

This year continued to be a productive and milestone year for Mysonne as he welcomed his baby boy Nasaun into the world. That same year, Mysonne completed his album, Life Teaches and Reality Bites, however, by unfortunate circumstances, it was never released. Mysonne was going through legal troubles at the same time he was excelling in the rap game, so it was a bitter sweet time for him. In July 1999, he was convicted on two counts of armed robbery, and sentenced to 7 to 14 years in prison for crimes that he insists he did not commit and maintains his innocence to this day. This is where the story might end for some people, but for Mysonne, once The Problem Child, and now The General of New York, it is just another chapter in this destined road for him and hip hop. Mysonne was released on parole in July 2006 after serving 7 years of his sentence in an upstate New York correctional facility.

During his time away, the promise that he made to his son, who was just a year old when he went to prison, to come home, love, support, and raise him kept him focused. The tremendous support of his family, friends, and fans also kept his head clear and his goals in tact for the day he would rejoin society. Mysonne maintained a buzz even during his time away thanks to his management team Wanna Blow Entertainment, and Jae Millz who was just starting to rhyme when Mysonne went away, and has since come into his own. Millz has shouted “Free Mysonne” on almost every song he has recorded to date. Mysonne was also featured in The Source and XXL magazines, as well as various online hip hop websites while he was incarcerated, so he was never far from anyone’s mind. His bond with hip hop became deeper and more complex during that time. Since his July 2006 release, Mysonne has been featured in the October 2006 issue of VIBE, XXL, as well as several online sites including XXL.com, VIBE.com, Allhiphop.com, SOHH.com, HHNLive.com, and a host of others. Mysonne has been heard all over the radio since July 2006 in various interviews.

Wendy Williams, DJ Kay-Slay, Ed Lover, Funkmaster Flex, and Sirius Satellite all sensed the urgency in having Mysonne heard on the airwaves and gave him the platform to speak to his fans and the listening public for the first time in seven years. Mysonne is still managed by Wanna Blow Entertainment and as of October 2006 he has completed his first mix tape, while recording his album at the same time. While several record labels have tried to entice Mysonne to sign with them he is still a free agent who is focused on his music and devoted to making the best decisions for his self and his fans. The future for The General of New York is a promising one as it has been a long, hard, and tumultuous journey for Mysonne, but his bond with hip hop was never compromised and his loyalty never wavered. He is ready to give the people what they want. It is not over.

Example Audios
(Download) Mysonne Linen - Exclusive
(Download) Mysonne Linen - I Got Em
(Download) Mysonne Linen - Ice Box



Example Interview
Whats good fam? How you been?
I'm just chillin, preparing for the takeover.

Explain to us what it felt like going to prison and
seemingly losing everything you had worked for to
being able to get out of it all in half the time and
getting back what was taken from you.
I was pissed off. Especially since I was convicted of
a crime commit, but when I was able to get out in half
the time it was excellent - I knew I still had the
passion and the talent.

As an entertainer some say you might have an
obligation to our youth. Some say you have to teach
them and help steer them on the right path. What is
your stance on that?
I definately believe that, but my method is a little
different because I realize that you must gain their
respect believe they listen to you. So, I plan to
utilize my past misfortunes and lifestyle to appeal to
them and explain the alternatives and consequences.
What did you miss most while in prison?
My family, my son! My freedom. Little things like
walking in the park or taking a bath. Uncontrolled
movement.You are less than a man in prison.
Are you mad at anyone for this?
Not at all! My trials and tribulations have made me
into a man. Experience is life's greatest teacher. So,
I don't blame anyone. I just understand life a lot
better now.

How does it feel being home? Especially reuniting with your son.
Unexplainable. There is no greater feeling than
freedom. You never know it until you lose it. Being
able to be a father to my son now is the greatest.

Did you keep up with writing while in prison?
Did you feel like quitting?
Of course! I never felt like quitting because I was
constantly reminded by people in and out of prison.
That was really nice and gave me the inspiration I needed.

Music obviously is a passion and a gift for you. What
is foremost on your mind in terms of releases. What
can we immediately expect from you?
I believe by the summer everything should be up and
going. We should be in a position to take over the industry.

Do you think hip hop is dead? Do you think you have a
stake in hip hops future? Do you think you've missed
a step while being locked up?
Yes. Yes. Hell No! I say it's dead because originality
is gone.The passion is gone. It's all about money.
They'll put out whatever it is that they think will
make a dollar. I am definately going to change that.

What do you think about the emergence of southern
music and the fall of east coast music?
I believe that The South has the passion that I was
referring to. TI, Wayne, Jeeze. The still have the
love and the passion to be original. This is where NY
is lacking. They want to talk about the same shit all
day. Step your rap game off.

Who do you respect in the game now?
Nas, TI, Wayne, Jay Z, Styles... I mean there are more
but those are the ones that immediately come to mind.
Do you have any dream collaborations right now?
I wanna do a song with me, Nas, Jay Z, Rakim with Mary
J. Blige doing the chorus.
Where is the best place to write for you?
Just walking, because like J and BIG I don't write rhymes done.
You have anything to say to fans and future mysonnians?
I promise that I will bring that element of hip hop
that we all miss. Promise.

Contact Info
Your Name youremail@youremail.com
Your Myspace http://www.myspace.com/YOUR MYSPACE

Additional Info
- Album / Mixtape Covers
- Tour Dates
- Whatever else you want included