[THUG OR NOT?] ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: TEF POE
In order for a place to truly be a staple in the rap game, there has to be someone to represent that hood’s streets. In St. Louis, there’s no question that Nelly is the city’s trailblazer. However Tef Poe, hailing from the Pine Lawn neighborhood, will be the voice that speaks for the streets of St. Louis. As many others Midwesterners, Tef Poe pulls ingredients from multiple different kitchens to create his own special hip hop recipe. Take a listen to his remake of Kanye West’s “Gorgeous” and you’ll understand. Poe combines the emotion and political consciousness of Tupac, the storytelling of Nas, and a lil of that T.I. southern swag to create a deadly combination for industry competition. So deadly, in fact, that his name is well known in St. Louis for destroying other wannabe rappers in freestyle competition. As such, Poe has been able to perform in front of 29,000+ occupant crowds, as he’s opened for Lupe Fiasco, Dead Prez, Murphy Lee, and even the Steve Miller Band. There’s no denying Tef Poe will be a force to reckon with, and with his upcoming project War Machine slated for a 2012 release, it may be in your best interest to get on the winning team or get ran over. Thug.com, are you ready for war?
Tef Poe: THUG OR NOT?
Written by B. Woods
