Download “Above The Weather” right here: http://www.datpiff.com/Beedie-Above-The-Weather-mixtape.383845.html
Directed by ANTUKS
Animated by Stereobreed Media
Music in his blood: Beedie
by Rory Webb
Pittsburgh rapper Beedie has the artistic pedigree — but the road to success for the young MC hasn’t been an easy one. Still, maybe being born into a line of musicians and actors suggests a little bit of destiny at work as the 24-year-old is poised for next-level success.
Born in New York City, Beedie (real name: Brian Green) spent time living in Washington, D.C., and Oklahoma, as his father’s career as a sports announcer required the family to move around a bit. In 2001, Beedie and his younger brother moved with their mother to Pittsburgh, a city where his mother and grandparents had quite a history.
Beedie’s mother, Marina Posvar, is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon’s School of Art; she acted in commercials and television, including a role in the NBC soap Days of Our Lives. His grandfather, Wesley Posvar, served as the Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh from 1967 to 1991. Grandmother Mildred Miller was a famous opera singer in the mid-20th century. After graduating from the Cleveland Institute of Music in 1946, she landed leading roles at the Metropolitan Opera from the ’50s through the ’70s. She founded Opera Theater of Pittsburgh in 1978.
Beedie began experimenting with his art-form of choice at a young age.
“I wrote some rhymes when I was 12, and then again when I was 15 and 16,” he says. “But when I turned 18, I actually got kicked out of my parents’ house.”
He’s critical of some of the decisions he made during his teenage years, such as dropping out of high school.
“There was a period where I was making some negative choices in my life,” Beedie explains of his absence during what would have been his senior year at Taylor Allderdice High School.
Out of school and kicked out of his parents’ house, Beedie stayed with a friend and took courses at CCAC to obtain his GED. The experience strengthened his thoughts about a career in music.
Last year, Wiz Khalifa and Mac Miller became breakout stars, but is there room in the vast hip-hop universe for another rapper out of Taylor Allderdice?
Beedie (@beedie412), whose real name is Brian Green, is confident that there is.
“I don’t see it as something that matters whether or not I went to Allderdice. I know there is room for me simply because I’m me,” he says. “Growing up in Pittsburgh, specifically the east side, means Wiz and Mac and I were definitely inspired by a lot of the same things and surroundings. But I wouldn’t know what I would be doing or where I would be if I weren’t doing music. I have my own story to tell about my own experiences, and that is what makes me unique.”
The 24-year-old, who was born in New York, certainly has a unique ancestry for a rapper. His grandmother is Mildred Miller (no relation to Mac) Posvar, who was a famed opera singer and founder of Opera Theater of Pittsburgh.
Beedie is prepping the release of his Above The Weather EP on August 13th. The first single comes in the form of the Buckwild produced “Robert Marley”. After bumping into each other at shows and events, Beedie and Buck built over the past year and started to work on some tracks. This anthem is a product of their hard work, expect more from them in the future. Make sure you check out Beedie’s brand new website BeedieLand.com and follow Beedie on Twitter @Beedie412.
Directed by Ben Fredette Productions @BenFredette
Song produced by Reese Jones @SupremelyBased
From Treejay’s “The Grow Op” Mixtape released 4/20/12
Download Beedie’s “The Beat Bully LP” here! : http://www.mediafire.com/?8ry2cy7gni3zyy8
Beedie’s new project Above The Weather dropping Summer 2012
http://www.BeedieLand.com
follow @beedie412 @benfredette
“I am absolutely next in line!” said Beedie (real name: Brian Green), who plays Saturday’s huge Benchers Union 2 Hip Hop Showcase at Crooked I with Detroit stars Clear Soul Forces and Erie’s Hectic, among others. “I feel things are definitely coming together great.”
He has a lot in his favor: A strong flow, total self-belief, charisma and a unique background.
Beedie’s grandmother, Mildred Miller, was a major opera star who sang 23 consecutive seasons at the Met and later founded Opera Theater of Pittsburgh. His parents were both actors.
“It kind of made sense, since everyone’s an entertainment figure, it was a perfect platform for an MC to come out of that,” Beedie said.
The vibe and energy of hip-hop appealed to him; he was first drawn to Biggie Smalls. “I didn’t understand the lyrics or content of what he was talking about. But I could hear that hunger. That’s universal. You can hear it. You don’t need to know the words to know what he’s saying, to know that drive. That’s something that really inspired me.”
One of Beedie’s first musical ventures was Ill Spoken, a duo with Mac Miller in 2007.
“We started out together, pretty much,” he said. “I heard him freestyle one time, and we started goofing around. And it was like, ‘Hey, let’s goof around and make a track.’ We ended up making a group.”
They released one CD together before parting ways amicably.
“We’re both solo dudes at the end of the day,” Beedie explained. “We’re individual artists and have our own vision, so that’s what we wanted to do. But we have some new s— on the way. We got a couple jams.”
After Ill Spoken, he joined Jon Quest in Varsity Squad, which won a 2011 Pittsburgh City Paper award for best new hip-hop act and has played Erie several times.
But Beedie still has a beat on a solo career. “Above the Weather,” a new EP, drops June 4; it’s the follow-up to “The Beat Bully EP.” Both favor boom-bap — hip-hop inspired by old-school artists. In fact, his next single is titled “Old Soul.”
“I feel like my music embodies that old-soul flavor, that old-school sound,” Beedie said. “It’s based upon the music I grew up with, the grimy New York rap. Between that and me being young and also listening to Lil’ Wayne and whoever else, it gives you both sides of the table.”
This much is true: No one bats an eye at white hip-hop artists anymore, not after the success of Eminem, Everlast, Beastie Boys, Mac Miller, Asher Roth and Cleveland’s Machine Gun Kelly. Beedie say what matters most is having something to say.
“As far as inspiration, it’s just everyday life, just things on my mind, and the only way you can say it is in a song. It’s like they say, there are no original ideas. So, it’s not what you do, it’s how you do it. Every person’s going to put their own twist on things. They’ve got their own life and experiences. So, rap is a beautiful expression of the way you view the world.”