24: Introduce yourself to the world and let them know where you representing.

SP: They call me SPARK aka SPARKDAWG aka Da Lone Star Kid. I’m reppin the whole SOUTH by way of Killeen, TX aka Green City.


24: You are no new comer to the game and it’s well documented .When did you first get into music?


SP: I’ve been a fan of rap & Hip-Hop since a youth but I Think I actually took it serious around 2000.


24: Last year you were apart of a group named “Green City” together you and the  group dropped an album entitled “Brand New Money” backed by legendary rapper Scarface. Let me know how that situation came about? And what was the biggest thing you learned from that experience?


SP: Well “Green City” was always a highschool click/rap group. I wasnt always a member of Green City, I actually joined the group around 2003-04 when I came back to Texas from my 2 yrs stint in ATL as a member of Lil Scrappy’s “G’$ Up” Click. Me & Green City put out an underground mix-album called “1st U Get The Money.” About  a year or so later, Scarface heard a guy from our hometown working out to that mitape in a Houston gym. The music had him so motivated that he approached the young man & ask him where he could buy that cd. The guy workin out told Scarface that the cd was actually from a local group from his hometown. Scarface immediatley had  the guy get us on the phone & offered us a deal on the spot. I’ve actually learned alot from that situation, some good & some bad. But all in all it was a great learning experience and it gave us a lotta respect & exposure. Face is a living legend so we’ll ALWAYS be greatful that he introduced us to the world as “The New Sound Of TX Music.”


24: You have been featured on approximately 100 mixtapes. How do you think the mixtape game helped you through out your career?

 

SP: The mixtape game helped solidfy my GRIND & work ethic. Mixtapes  are the reason why my name is poppin in cities & states that I’ve neva been in before. I love the mixtape game. It’s been good to me.

 

24: I’m aware you are working on a solo album self titled “Spark aka Sparkdawg”. Tell me a bit about this album and what you expect to accomplish with this project?

SP: “Spark aka SparkDawg” is actually my self-titled EP. Its the set up for my album “Da Lone Star Kid”. The EP is gonna be a worldwide digital release distributed by Orphan. My homie, D-Rocc (the producer of J-Kwon’s “Tipsy”) is actually the person who reached out & offered to set the digital distribution deal up for me. I plan on using the EP to create the buzz needed to release ‘Da Lone Star Kid.’

 

24: In you’re opinion what separates Texas Music from other states?

 

SP: In my opinion, Texas artists were never really concerned with trying to “fit in” or cater to other regions. For the longest, Texas artists were content with just selling major units thru out the state. I think that why alotta cats fuck with our music now. Its cuz we’ve always been on our own shit & could care less about what others thought. Now the whole world is “Screwed-Up” & I’m lovin it mayne. Lol.

 

24: I’m aware you have many things’ you are involved in and look over such as a record label, TV show, and Cartoon series. Tell me a bit about the moves you have been creating and establishing for yourself.


SP: Well one of my proudest accomplishments is makin Spark-A-Lot Records, LLC an official label. Now I have an oppurtunity to help others SHINE if they GRIND as hard as I do. As far as the “cartoon” situation, theres a Dallas based shoe company by the name YUMS that recently reached out & asked me to provide my services as far as voice-overs. I’m really excited about that & I’m looking forward to it. 


24: What producers are you currently working with?

 

SP: To be honest with you, I’m actually STILL fuckin with the same producers that hae helped me create my sound over the years like Da Champ, Tha Franchize, 2Much/BTP, Noki Swazay, G-Ni and just recently I’ve been messing with a few newer cats like The Pornstarz, Beat Flippaz, Scotty Wu & G.Wilikurz. There was a big name producer that reached out to me & offered to produce my entire album. He sent me 4 tracks to start of with but ended up selling 2 of those beats to da homie Slim Thug. That experiance left a pretty bad taste in my mouth & it taught me that “if it aint broke, dont fix it.” So I’ma just keep workin with the same producers that I know have my best interests at heart. 


24: How did the situation with YUMS clothing line happen for you?

 

SP: I have to thank my homegirl Dj Princess Cut for puttin me on to YUMS before anyone else. She was the first person to bring the company to my attention. From there I met the actual Designer of the shoe, Big Tex. He’s grown to become a real good friend of mines; almost like a “big brother” if you will. Him & JP (1 of the CEO’s) make sure I’m freshly YUM’d up from head to toe.


24: Your 2006 hit record “Hit me on the Sidekick” exploded on the scene and caused a huge frenzy. You were practically the spokes person for the T-mobile Sidekick that year. Did you ever see any money from them? How did it feel to have people coming up to you everyday telling you “Spark because of you I had to go buy a Sidekick”?
And are you still rocking the Sidekick or have you switched phones?

 

SP: I had a business partner of mine by the name of Leroy Jones who reached out to T-Mobile to see if we could make an official endorsement go through but I guess they were scared to make a move on an unsigned artist at the time. It’s unfortunate because they have no idea how many people came up to me telling me they went out & bought a Sidekick as soon as they heard my record. It’s all good though. Everythang happens for a reason so I ain’t tripping at all. I still keep my T-Mobile Sidekick strapped 2 my hip like a pistol. Lol.

 

24: Of all the magazines you have been featured in, which magazine feature would you have to say is the most important to you and why?


SP: Ozone Magazine is prolly the most important to me because I’ve been featured in so many times and I know they’re atually genuine & they’ve been supporting my grind since day one, waaaaay before Scarface ever came around. The Source & XXL were cool too but they didn’t come around until after the Scarface situation. But at least now I know what Biggie meant when he said “She loves to show me off of course/Smiles everytime my face is up in the SOURCE”. Lol.


24: What can the fans be on the look out for?


SP: Definetley look out for Team Spark-A-Lot: Q.Beezy aka Quinton Brown, Real Talk, Young Boro, & Lil Neechie. SPARK-A-LOT: We ALL Shine. That’s the motto ya dig?


24: Before we check it out let the fan’s all over the world and on 24hourhiphop.com know where they can check out more about you and stay in touch with Sparkdawg.


SP: I got over 100+ songs on www.SPARKDAWG.com You can follow my on TWITTER my user name is SparkDawgMusic. My myspace url is www.myspace.com/DaLoneStarKid & I have a new site where you can enter ya email address to automatically be placed on the list to recieve all my new music before it goes out to other DJs. Its www.SparkalotDjs.com.