Playdough

"He's the potter and I'm the clay (playdough). I want to be molded into what I was made to be. "

A career in hip-hop isn't the norm for a white kid from small-town Texas. But that is exactly the dream Playdough is living out. "I wrote a rap for a puppet show in the 6th grade," he remembers."Once I saw how easily it came to me, I kept writing. That's when I started the crew that I was in (back then)."

Playdough's first break came when he and his Ill Harmonics partner Blake Knight appeared on a 1997 gospel rap album E-Roc released under the name Rhymes Monumental. From then, the crew ended up eventually signing with Uprok Records and releasing the acclaimed An Octave Above The Original in 2000 and Take Two in 2002.

Ill Harmonics, and most specifically Playdough himself, are also part of the hip-hop mega crew Deepspace5, a group he is still actively involved and represents.

Ill Harmonics disbanded not long after their 2002 release, and Playdough made his solo debut on Uprok Records that same year entitled Lonely Superstar. "The overall message (on the album) is that nothing on this earth is going to last," Playdough said. "Only the things that are spiritual and from Christ have any significance. It's easy to say it and hard to realize it. I just wanted to keep emphasizing it throughout the record. I think that's one of the things that keep us from being free."

Despite critical success and a steady tour schedule, Playdough met some trouble soon after. His record label home, Uprok, went defunct a few years later, leaving the solo emcee to fend for himself.

In 2006, he released his second full-length solo record, entitled Don't Drink The Water, released through a small independent label called 7Spin Records. Most critics and fans believe this to be his best work to date, with interesting beats, tons of musicianship on every song, realistic but upbeat lyrics, and lots of southern soul; Don't Drink The Water solidified the self-proclaimed "starving emcee" to underground legend status.

While touring in Australia, Playdough hooked up with local label Mustard Records to record his 2008 EP entitled Goodonya. He released the effort in the U.S. through Deepspace5 Records.

In 2009, Playdough has hinted at a new Deepspace5 record in the works and more from his solo work in the near future.

Listen to Playdough Here