HE’S GOT BEALE STREET CRED: MEMPHIS BASED RAPPER ROXXELL BRINGS THE INEGRITY OF REAL LIFE EXPERIENCES—NOT TO MENTION AN EXPLOSIVE BLEND OF ROCK, SOUL AND HIP-HOP--
TO HIS GROUNDBREAKING
NEW RELEASE ‘DEVASTATOR’

Launching In March With A Radio Campaign For The Single
“I Can’t Go For That,” Devastator Features Production By
Famed Hip-Hop Producer Ron G (2Pac, Notorious B.I.G., Jennifer Lopez), Who Helmed Roxxell’s Gritty, Grass Roots 2006 Indie Hit ‘The Robbery: The Mixtape, Volume 1’

Prior To These Recordings, Roxxell Was An Underground
Sensation on Memphis’ Mixtape Circuit, Circulating Over Five Projects Of His Own and Appearing On Over 20 Others


    Aside from selling millions of records, what does classic pop duo Hall & Oates have in common with Notorious B.I.G and 2Pac? They’re all on the fascinating creative radar as influences behind the groundbreaking vibe of Roxxell, the popular Memphis-based rapper who’s gone from “mix-tape” legend to budding crossover star over the past few years.
That’s right, Memphis isn’t just about Elvis, Johnny Cash and Stax anymore—although those, too, have played a huge role in the young performer’s life. To say he’s got “Beale Street” cred is barely scratching the surface of what this unique and versatile talent has to offer. 
    The first single from Devastator, Roxxell’s upcoming CD on SMB, Inc. is a funky, cutting edge hip-hop reworking of the Hall & Oates song “I Can’t Go For That,” which will ship to hip-hop and urban radio outlets in March at the same time the album drops. The song, like many others on the disc, was produced at Atlanta’s Outback Studios
by platinum selling hip hop and R&B producer Ron G, famed for his innovative beats with Tupac Shakur and Biggy Smalls, as well as more mainstream artists like Jennifer Lopez. The multi-talented Roxxell produced the album’s second projected single, “Shake And Bake,” himself. The collection was engineered by Scott Sawyer.
Boldly asserting his powerful ambition, drive and commitment to honesty and integrity in his music, the rapper called the project Devastator as a definitive way to break the sophomore jinx that plagues so many artists after a hard-hitting breakthrough.
He received a great deal of notoriety (and thousands of sales at both the street level and via online outlets like CD Baby) for his first SMG Inc. recording, The Robbery: The Mixtape, Vol. 1.
Released in 2006, the hardcore hip-hop project—which Roxxell proudly boasted “delivers like a Domino’s Pizza Employee on Crack!”--was also produced by Ron G.   Ron G is also one of the rap industry’s most in demand mixtape producer; he first met Roxxell—real name real name Sean Harrell, who copped his professional name from a reference in Biggy’s song “Everyday Struggle”—when Roxxell was becoming big on the underground rap scene in Memphis with over five of his own mixtapes and inclusion on 20 other compilations. 
“The Robbery was my raw and gritty grass roots street album that reflected a love of hardcore rap that goes back to when I was first listening to it as a kid in 1989,” says Roxxell. “But Devastator has me putting it all on the line, coming up with my best work yet and dropping anchor as a rapper who goes beyond the typical boundaries of the genre. True to classic hip-hop, whose rhythm grew out of instrumental reggae beats, I’m excited about the pop elements here, the cross into the club scene with some very danceable joints. The first project was all one take, and in low fi, just getting my feet wet as an artist. On Devastator, Ron and I really went all out to make this a first class production.”
Roxxell is one of the few rappers who, despite building his cred on the gritty streets, keeps his integrity and reality intact even as he widens his commercial prospects. His song “To Whom It May Concern” is largely autobiographical, taking the listener back to the days when he was living, not just listening to the first hip-hop records. He and Ron G bring an international vibe to “She’s A Freak,” which paints an edgy, metaphorical portrait of rap as his true soul mate. “A lot of cats get with rap music because they think it’s an easy roll in the hay,” he says. “But I really believe I was meant to be with ‘her.’” In “We Got It And You Don’t,” Roxxell shows he’s not shy about touting his ability to transfer real life into his art, while so many others just talk about it or have to make up stories to keep listeners entertained.
“I’ve noticed that a lot of up and coming rappers write great stories about themselves that are basically lies about all the girls and money they have,” he says. “They rap about things they’ve never done,” adds Roxxell, who grew up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, once ranked as one of the worst cities in America due to high crime, a major drug trade and low employment. “But I’m always reflecting on my life, the ups and downs, telling it like it is and being real. Sure, there’s some exaggeration in the details, but I’m all about real experiences.  The title The Robbery had many meanings for me. One of my favorite rock albums ever was Sublime’s Robbin’ The Hood.
“Once I committed to my future, I moved to Memphis, where I am completely in my element. The reason I live in Memphis now is that it’s the only town I ever left and came back to. My music is a unique mix of the reality that Memphis is where my head rests now but that I also grew up in an East Coast state of mind. And this is where my career started taking off. Aside from making music, I’m also involved in side projects like making DVD documentaries about people like Ron G and their experiences in the music industry. I’m really excited about the way things are going and all of the great opportunities that are opening up.”