The Witzard

Chefren "Chef The Chef" Gray is a rapper-producer, multi-instrumentalist, and singer hailing from Bridgeport, Connecticut . He recently emailed me, after being referred to The Witzard by my past collaborator CURTA , with a link to his latest 10-track project DEMONZZZ . Chef The Chef is playing a CURTA show along with fellow openers Zak G + ECID & PremRock at Connecticut 's own Stella Blues this upcoming Thursday, October 12th at 8:00pm, as part of CURTA 's awesomely-named Circus In a Suitcase 2017 Tour . "I was really influenced by my surroundings. My experiences and just the mental battles I fight everyday. So, I called it DEMONZZZ because I wanted people to instantly be able to see right through me," Chef The Chef wrote within an emailed statement. "I wanted to be very transparent. I feel like being vulnerable is a valuable trait in deciphering who we are as people," he continued. Chefren Gray initially told me he created DEMONZZZ ...

18-year-old Simmie ("Buddy") Sims is a FRESH Compton -bred rhymesmith; One of the premier editions to Pharrell's newly-formed up-start label, i am OTHER . Sims has already managed to lace up a beat or 2 from the master chiefs themselves, Pharrell & Chad Hugo: The Neptunes . Legend has it that late one fateful evening, music supervisor/friend, Scott Verner randomly strolled on through "Star Trak Studios." Verner proceeded to show Pharrell a self-produced music video of a FRESH, up-and-comer, Buddy [then 16]... brutally massacring Craig Mack - "Flava In Ya Ear" (Instrumental) . Skateboard P. was reportedly so blown away, that he instantly set up a meeting with Buddy a mere few days later. Right off the bat, Pharrell saw something "special" within the young rapper, offered to become his mentor, imminently inked a recording contract... and the rest, as they say, is history [in the making]! Buddy's debut single, "Awesome Awe...