Born and bred from the streets of New Orleans, Louisiana, enter into the game, 20-year-old August Alsina...

With the love and hustle of the Crescent City running through his veins, August is eager to follow in the footsteps of the NOLA music legends that paved his way. His recently inked deal Def Jam Recordings looks to be a great step in the right direction, but music wasn’t always in his future. 

August learned at an early age that drugs and money could make you, or break you. With both his father and stepfather battling crack addiction, August’s mother moved their family to Houston, Texas in search of a fresh start. But Houston provided no happy ending. For years a young August endured a home life plagued by drugs and violence. At just 14, he got word from New Orleans that is father, August Sr., lost his battle with drugs and alcohol. 

In an attempt to escape his reality, August took to Youtube, where he posted dozens of homemade performance videos. His clips covering Musiq Soulchild, Lyfe Jennings and others went viral, generating millions of views in just over a month. It seemed that he was finally taking his first steps toward a bright future in music, but just a year later, reality hit home when his best friend was shot and killed in the streets of Houston. As quickly as August appeared, he vanished form Youtube, back to the real world. With tensions mounting at home, 16-year-old August was kicked out. Alone, he returned to New Orleans and took to the streets, selling drugs as a means of survival. 

With his older brother also in the streets hustling, it wouldn’t be long before August learned that the addiction to money could be as deadly as the addiction to drugs. Just days before August’s 18th birthday, his older brother was gunned down in New Orleans East, another unsolved murder in one of the nations most dangerous cities. “I never expected them [the police] to find his killer”, August explains. “People die everyday in the streets of New Orleans. Unfortunately, death has become a way of life,” but not for August. His brother’s death became his motivation to not become a statistic, but to pursue his musical aspirations on an entirely new level.

Under the guidance of Noontime Unlimited (management and production company), August relocated to Atlanta in 2011 to begin carving his own musical path with his life experiences at the center of his artistry. He recently teamed up with Hoodrich/MMG’s own DJ Scream for the release of his debut mixtape, ‘The Product’, which spawned the internet and radio buzzing anti-love single, “Sucka” which features fellow New Orleans crooner Lloyd. 

Yet to reach 21 years old, with already a lifetime of experiences behind him, August is living proof that your past doesn’t have to dictate your future, and that life’s hardships can be the motivation required for success. With Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter The Dream prepping August’s debut project for release through his Radio Killa/Def Jam imprint, the path to success has been laid. Look for August to make 2013 his official coming out party.


Even their name is unique.

But that’s not the only thing that sets Pretty Ricky apart from the rest of the pack.

From their configuration – one singer and three rappers – to their image –
handsome, young and sexy – Pretty Ricky has been in a league all its own since
they first hit the scene in 2005 with “Grind With Me,” the smash single from their
platinum debut CD, “Bluestars.” Says member and resident producer Diamond
Blue Smith, “In a time where record labels are generically making bands on
reality shows, Pretty Ricky is the last of a dying breed.”

With a sound that is one part hip hop, one part R&B, Pretty Ricky practically
invented and single-handedly mastered the art of combining melodies,
harmonies and dope raps. They took their signature sound and injected it into
a predominantly hip-hop marketplace during a time when crunk music ruled the
airwaves. The result was the birth of an exciting twist on both genres that would
be imitated – but never duplicated – by their successors.

Adoration for Pretty Ricky caught on early. Their debut CD spawned two of their
three top ten hits and set the stage for their sophomore CD “Late Night Special,”
which topped the charts and owned the number one spot for five consecutive
weeks. Pretty Ricky mania erupted as reports of fanatical fans fainting at
concerts and standing in interminable lines at record stores ran rampant. Atlantic
Records COO Craig Kallman likened it to Beatle-mania.

As a group, Pretty Ricky is known for their sexy, sensual (borderline raunchy)
music and stage shows. But there’s much more to these Miami natives, known
individually as Diamond, Spectacular, Lingerie and Slick’em, than meets the eye.
It’s safe to say these guys really do mean business. Julie Greenwald, president
of Atlantic Records, once proclaimed, “Diamond Blue is the new Puffy in the
making.” (Diddy himself referred to the band as “the new Jodeci.”)

These music impresarios know that Pretty Ricky have all the traits that
superstars are made of: business sense, vocal innovation, showmanship and, of
course, dynamic personalities. Says Diamond, “The various personalities of each
individual member is what gives the band diversity. Spectacular brings the sex-
appeal, Slickadelaphante brings out the wild and crazy side of the band, Lingerie
provides the charismatic, R&B, sultry side and I’m the business man; collectively,

We are the Kings of the Bedroom!”

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