Every rapper didn’t always start out spitting hot fire at loud decibels in concert.

Believe it or not, some folks start behind the scenes—even Kanye West produced before he became one of the baddest sucka emcees!

Meet Derek Allen, better know to his Philadelphia brethren as Tunez Bol. Born in Philly and raised in Lansdowne—a hop skip and a jump from the city of Brotherly Love, he started producing at a young age. According to Tunez Bul, he didn’t start rapping until he was 16 years old.

He developed a buzz in Philadelphia in 2012 when he dropped Stay Tuned Volumes 1 and 2 mixtapes. He got love digitally on DatPif and other outlets. But like the names of Lloyd Banks’ first two albums, Tunez Bol had The Hunger For More.

Since high school, his journey with the business has had interesting winds and turns. The hardest part of his journey was getting his music heard by the masses outside of Illadelph. His movement took a good turn a couple of years back when he took a job as a truck driver. That job required him to leave his family and young daughter for weeks at a time to make deliveries all over the fifty states. He made the most of his employment opportunity by handing out his mixtapes to folks in different states.

Homie had folks in Salt Lake City, Utah, Denver, Colorado and Topeka, Kansas rocking out to his club bangers.

Can’t knock his hustle though—he’s got the followers to show for it and he’s on Twitter straight flexing!

“My journey has been a long, rough and testing road with a lot of disappointments,” said Tunez Bol. “But thru all the ups and downs I have had some great experiences. I have met some great people. Traveled places I never thought I would see.”

He’s got the buzz outside of Philly and has folks in other cities now recognizing his brand. Now what?

He Don’t See NOBODY

This past New Year’s Eve, his resolution was to make 2014 the best year to date. As a result, he’s penned songs for three mixtapes that are slated to drop second quarter of this year. His motivation? To slay haters that didn’t believe in his dream. “Every time someone told me no, it only motivated me to work harder and prove the non believers wrong,” said.

He’s even upped the ante by starting a video blog. 

Tunez Bol plans to drop an EP at the end the year. He hasn’t named the project yet, but he’s convinced that that you’ll like what you see. “I’m not sure were my journey will lead me but Im a give it my all and strive for the best,”

Tunez Bol recently caught up with The Source and shared his passion and his journey.

The Source: What gives you the most joy in rapping?

Tunez Bol: I find joy in being able to connect with people by expressing myself through music. Being able to help someone get through a rough day or even get ready to turn up in a club is awesome to me.

The Source: Who in hip hop inspires you?

Tunez Bol: Jay-Z and Diddy, hands down. I have been studying them since I was in middle school. And to see them still on top of there game after all these years is amazing.

The Source: Your biggest influences?

Tunez Bol: My biggest influences are my Mom and my Dad. I wouldn’t be the man I am if not for them.

The Source: What makes you different?

Tunez Bol: What makes me different as an artist is the way I deliver my music. I deliver my music in a such a creative way that my audience feels as if they have known me my entire life. My music is 100% genuine. I don’t rap about topics I have never actually been through. Everything I write is from my heart. It is the definition of Konkret Muzik.

The Source: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Tunez Bol: I see myself running one of the top record labels in the country, touring worldwide, producing some huge records and promoting a better world for the next generation.

The Source: When did you fall in love with hip hop?

Tunez Bol: feel in love with hip hop when I first heard Pharcyde’s Running Away single. That’s one of my favorite songs of all time. The way they flowed over that beat was crazy. The lyrics were super dope as well. Everything about that song I loved and I wanted to create music like that.

The Source: What inspires you?

Tunez Bol: My daughter. She is the reason I push so hard. I want to give her the life that I dreamed about having as a child. I want to give her the best this world can offer.

Check Out More of His Work

Follow him on Twitter @tunezbol and @konkret_muzikG