Many Hidden Gem rappers that are featured in The Source fell in love with hip hop at a young age and began to pursue it as career. Rhyming in their teens, they’re inspired by the flow of the usual suspects like Nas, Biggie, Tupac, Jay-and others.

Meet, B.D.G., a Queens born and South Florida raised lyricist who grew up listening to Big L, Notorious B.I.G., 2 Pac, Mobb Deep and Eminem. He fell in love with the raw underground circuit of hip hop and wanted to creat his own flow. “I feel like it runs through my vains,” B.D.G. told The Source.

B.D.G. recalls his formative years in hip-hop starting sometime between ages 12 or 13 years old. He would walk around writing both music and poems and carry a notebook to scribble notes and anecdotes. “I would always carry around my composition book everywhere in case a rhyme or a lyric struck me at that certain moment,” said B.D.G.

According to B.D.G., what was once a cool hobby amongst his friends, rapping became a craft he took seriously when he turned 15 years old. He began recording all the songs he wrote and he liked what he heard on recorded tracks.

Fast forward six years later, the now-22 year old is on his grind—for real. Dude has gone on tour and performed on the same bill as Hi-Rez, King Los and Cory Gunz. He recently dropped Forever Doubted, his third mixtape project. Available for download on iTunes and datpif, B.D.G., is proud of his current body of work. He’s also working on his fourth mixtape.“I can’t release the name yet until I know it’s 100% perfect and the exact way I want it to sound,” he said.

According to B.D.G. It won’t be released until mid July or early August, Once released, that will create steam for his forthcoming EP. Nevertheless he’s excited and you should be too.

“It’s gonna be epic man,” he said.

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In between writing and recording, B.D.G. caught up with The Source and shared some insight on his career and his future.

The Source: You were raised in South Florida but spent some time in Queens. Where do your sports allegiances lie?

B.D.G: Like I said I’m originally from Queens, New York. I’m a die hard Jets, Knicks, Yankees and Rangers fan.

The Source: What do you love most about hip hop?

B.D.G:I think my love for music definitely gives me the most joy in what I do. Because if I love it, I know that this is what I’m gonna want to do for the rest of my life and music will never do me wrong or stab me in the back. So that’s how I know this love is real. I just want to be heard by the world in a positive way.

The Source: What inspires you?

B.D.G: I get inspired by seeing my good friends succeed in life and by seeing both of my parents happy. I’m one who will get very inspired from some things that aren’t too big because I also love to stay humble. But I definitely get inspired by people who I see that are working hard in this industry and who have made it far because I know one day, soon I want to be in that spot that they’re in right now. I want people to look up to me as a role model. We’re all role models in some way for the next generation of kids growing up. I want to set a positive example for them and everyone else who follows my movement. And of course people who hate on me inspire me the most every single day, because if you don’t have haters then you’re just not doing something right.

The Source: What makes you different?

B.D.G: This is probably my favorite question in this interview! What makes me different, man I can sit here all day and give you a million things that make me different. But the main things are my attitude and mentality that I have for working hard and wanting to be successful! I’m hungry and I feel like I want it more than everyone else does. That’s what really keeps me going and focused. Also, my positivity definitely stands out to me the most! I believe in the phrase “Anything is possible” and I’m extremely optimistic. If you dream about it, think about it and work hard, you can achieve it. That’s the message that I want to stand out to everyone who follows me and my movement and for people who are going to join me along the way.

The Source: You are always in the studio. What do you do when you are not rapping?

B.D.G: In my downtime, I like to chill with my homies, Gus and Bryan who I just met and currently live with in Orlando. They are like family now, so shout out to them. Also I love to play sports, basketball and football the most though. And my favorite thing to do on my downtime is, is just sit in my room alone when its dark, with a beat on and my headphones on and write lyrics and kill a track.

The Source: You seem to be a student of the game. What is your take on the current state of hip hop?

B.D.G: Now a days this “hip hop” industry is so watered down and less appreciated and respected than how it was back in the day. I’m a huge hip hop head who’s into the lyrics and the content, not all that swag and popping Molly bullshit. But there are a few relevant artists that I do like right now who do inspire me. Those artists are Kendrick Lamar, J Cole, Eminem, Wiz Khalifa, Curren$y and even some on a smaller scale like Cyhi The Prince and Isaiah Rashad, who are still up and comers but are great lyrical artists that I enjoy listening to.

Make sure to follow BDG on Twitter @BDG0716

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