You may not have heard of Mac & Thai yet, but they've got a CD that's set to drop later this summer on local label Jungle Records. Mac (Marcus Davis) was born in Rock Hill and has been in Charlotte since age 10, while Thai (Tyrann Grier) is a Charlotte native. The New South duo's been together since 1998, citing influences of Tupac, Biggie, Jay-Z and Scarface. They sound as comfortable spitting over crunchy beats as they do with their more soulful side that leans toward R&B. Some of their smooth rhymes and beats are reminiscent of Dr. Dre's "The Chronic." Keep your ears open for them at local shows and soon on CD.
Brooklyn native Pop Gages (Tyran Hicks) and L.A. native Bulletz (Terell Fischer) have relocated to Charlotte. As the duo Pop N Bulletz, they released Real Recognize Real on April 26, featuring Choppa City and G.A. Boy. Choppa City may be familiar to those who watched Making the Band on MTV a few years back. The CD was released through N-V-US Entertainment, based in the Queen City by CEO Tavarus Logee. "Drip My Paint" has a Mike Jones vocal style to it, while the duo is getting noticed with their first single, "Whip It Real Hard" featuring Rick Ross. The CD is 23 tracks, including some short skits, intro and outro tracks. PNB say they have more than 200 songs waiting to be released. This could be the start of a long career.