Local hip-hop group breaks routine of life with music
By admin in 32-6, Expressions on September 10th, 2008
By Vanessa Scaduto
Contributing Writer
Get Fresh Entertainment, a local hip-hop group, gave an intense and exciting performance Sept. 5 at San Marco’s Endo Exo.
The group consists of rappers William Heard (a.k.a. Just Will), Reggie Magpusao (a.k.a. Tha Antagonist), Alfredo Ladiana (a.k.a. JStahr), Phillip Beaver (a.k.a. Phil Banks) and producer/beats creator Jason Stokes (a.k.a. J), who is also the owner of John Dough Produqcions.
Heard leads Get Fresh Entertainment, which features members who have been performing in Jacksonville’s local hip-hop scene collectively for seven years.
“Our message is just to be, just really do music, do music as life,” Magpusao said. “We want to break genres. We want to make music where it’s not routine like our lives mostly are.”
John Dough Produqcions has not only worked with the Get Fresh group but has also worked and produced beats with many major artists in the area such as Flo Rida, T-Pain, Rich Boy, Ying Yang Twins and Swordz, who is backed by a full metal band.
Get Fresh Entertainment’s recent performance was done to get the word out about its new single release, Freshtro, which will be performed at its single release party. The party is scheduled to be held Sept. 13 at Aqua, which is located near Beach Boulevard and St. Johns Bluff Road.
Heard was excited about the turnout at Endo Exo, “considering the weather,” he said. He also plans on a much bigger turnout at Aqua since it’s a larger venue than Endo Exo.
Heard has received two consecutive Hip-Hop Hell local freestyle awards and was featured in The Florida Times-Union. His past lyrics convey a sense of consciousness where he speaks about responsibility to his community, family and friends, which most Southern rappers are not recognized for as much as their Northern counterparts.
After receiving his last Hip-Hop Hell freestyle award in 2006, Heard told Christy Whitehead of the Florida-Times Union he would be getting out of the rap game and either heading to Los Angeles or
New York.
At this point, he could never really get out of the music scene since it’s a major part of his being, but he still plans on moving to Los Angeles next year to further pursue his passion of music, he said.
“My ultimate goal is to obviously be successful [and] creative,” Heard said. “Make music that transcends time. Genuine music. The message we’re trying to get out is to be fresh in everything you do. Have a fresh outlook in life; don’t be stale. We want people to dance and holla.”
E-mail Vanessa Scaduto at features@unfspinnaker.com.
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