#RAISINGTHEBAR: Jkruz W/ SMOOTH VEGA ft. PAUL WALL “Hold It Down”!!

Performance Footage:

House of Blues: smoothvega (Dallas) –> http://youtu.be/eQGcarqY_Z0

The Ridglea Theater –> http://youtu.be/6pey3BEltlo

La Grave Field –> http://youtu.be/ANl5W3R3K-k

Rose Marine Theater –> http://youtu.be/9a1wfz6SIg0

Smoothvega hails from Fort Worth, Texas and represents not only his hometown with pride, but also his community. Vega has always been determined to be more than just a rapper, he wanted to be someone who left this earth with a legacy that stood for something, and if you’ve been listening up closely, like his last single suggested (“3.10.85”), you’d see that he is living up to that goal, and has already “re-defined the independent artist.”Smoothvega has built up such a solid reputation within this industry, and in speaking with him, it’s always been about making sure that Latinos are represented in a positive light, and he takes charge of that by demanding that he is not another stereotype, but yet a product of the beautiful struggle of life. A struggle that has allowed him to remain an individual, a role model, and a well-respected figure within his community despite life’s hardships, and as easy as it would have been to take the latter route, he stayed focused on his dreams of becoming a lyrical genius. By educating himself on the business, Vega has been recognized for his raw emotion on his tracks, and it’s apparent that he is very passionate about his lyrics and about his position. Vega makes sure that the platform of his fame is put to good use, and rather than reveling in his own success, he shares it with others who also have dreams, dreams that might not necessarily have come true if it weren’t for someone as motivating as Vega.

In August 2007, Vega founded Total Pandemonium, an event that just started off as a local dance competition for kids of all ages, but soon lived up to its name. Many teenagers grabbed hold of this golden opportunity that Vega provided, and turned it in to such a sight to see that it established both attendance and revenue records. Much of the youth involved within this event have come from broken families, where their dreams were rarely considered, therefore left unexplored, which is where Vega seen opportunity. Vega wanted his fans and community to know that he was and is just like you, he’s someone with hopes, and sometimes all we need is a little inspiration, and Vega is that to anyone who encounters him.

“Smoothvega is a perfect example of an artist that does his thing on the indie grind, and he gives back to the community and the love is given right back. Musically, the proof is in the product,” says Illuminati2G.Com, and Vega plans to show and prove on his latest effort, “Exclamation Point.” The title speaks for itself, in the fact that his career has been just that, an exclamation of him, his life, his goals, and the outcome of all his work. The album is complete with appearances and backing from some of Texas’ finest, such as Paul Wall, Big Gemini, along with production from Mr. Lee and willstrumentals, plus much more.

Being recognized by Fort Worth Weekly as “Best Rap/R&B Artist,” two years in a row (2006 & 2007), in addition to all of the publications he’s been featured in such as, worldstarhiphop.com, Murder Dog Magazine, hiphopdx.com, XPOZ magazine and countless others, it’s clear that people view Smoothvega as a talented artist, but let’s also recognize him for being a motivational person to all of those who need it. Let’s recognize him as a Latino who not only has lyrical skills, but one who has paved the way to opening up this industry to our culture, as he set out to do early on. Let’s recognize Smoothvega as more than just a rapper.