Test Drive Spring 2014 | Page 24

MUSIC MAP LO S A N G E L E S , U. S . A . BE C K Y G FAC T S 2 M IL L IO N + FOLLOWER S O N FAC E B O O K A ND T W I T T E R C O MBI NE D BECK Y FROM T H E BL O C K H A S 9 M IL L IO N + V IE W S O N Y O U T UBE BECK Y G S PR I N G 2 0 1 4 ON THE MAP › LOS ANGELES Inglewood native Becky G is proof positive that a lil ingenuity and a lot of internet can produce a fresh fairytale. Back in 2011, she began to post remix videos on YouTube of her rapping her own lyrics to popular rap jams, sidestepping the typical “cover” approach that everyone and their keyboard playing cat seem to post on the interwebz. Her awesome version of Kanye West and Jay Z’s “Otis” caught the attention of super producer Dr. Luke (the man behind your fave Nicki Minaj, Rihanna and Miley Cyrus ch-ch-chunes) and he signed her to Kemosabe, his powerhouse record label. Talk about a game changer! Releasing the catchy single “Becky from the Block” last year — her choppedup answer to JLo’s “Jenny from the Block” — Becky G hit it big time! Like, we’re talking Katy-Perry-tweetingabout-your-mint-music-video big, and she delivered on the hype by releasing Play It Again, a spirited five song EP just a coupla’ months later. Despite being a fresh-faced 17-year-old, you’d be wrong to write Becky G as a mere teenie bopper. She’s already collabo’d with Wiz Khalifa and Three 6 Mafia’s Juicy J so we’d wager that her upcoming full-length will mix some grit with pop goodness, and become a mainstay on summer playlists! 24 & 2 5