THE SON of a 1st Sgt. in the U.S. Army, Young Lungs was born on a military base in Lawton OK called Ft. Sill moving a month or so later with his family to (Panama.) By the time Lungs was three years old he lived on military base in Germany then moving to spend his Elementary in Junction City, Kansas. It was there he and his homeboy Marcus would trade tapes of L.L. Cool J., Slick Rick, Too Short, Beastie Boys and many others. After family problems arose, Lungs and his sister moved to Vincennes Indiana to stay with his Grandma. Lungs ( or even known to some as LungzIlla from the 2003 mixtape "SUMMERSCHOOL 03') got into yoMTV RAPS and HeadBangers Ball... N.W.A. and Guns n Roses were his favorite tapes he knew all the words to. By 6th grade when Lungs moved back to Germany to live with his pops for a year, Lungs had learned to write rap flows. Battling classmates with his crazy raps got Lungs recognition as the the class clown type. Then to live with his momma again a year later back in Indiana by 7th grade, our hip hop phenomenon known most for his contributions to graffiti and rap (also a worthy beat craftsman) stumbled upon how to loop a beat by recording from the T.V. onto a handheld cassete recorder and then using a dual cassete tape recorder to loop the beat!!! he figured out how he could get loops and make his own instrumentals to flow over.... Lungs wrote to his first instrumental over a Too Short beat called The Ghetto in which he choppily spit some really basic metaphors referencing gunplay. He was into Public Enemy and Cypress Hill and Hous of Pain as well. By the middle of 8th grade he was sent back to live with his Father who was still in the Armed Forces and stationed now in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was there where he formed a crew notorious in Colorado Springs. Including members from Colorado Springs, Denver, Pueblo, Las Vegas, and L.A. This crew actually branched off into a bigger cliqq which included other crews from surrounding cities in the 719 and was most known for their hip hop activism. (275 and 375 also known collectively as TSFK.) During this time period he was heavily influenced by artists such as Notorious B.I.G. (R.I.P.), O.D.B. (R.I.P.) Wu Tang Clan, Snoop Dogg, Mobb Deep, Nas, Hieroglyphics, Boot Camp, and many many more.. After being expelled from Sierra High School he was forced to go to school with the hippies in the nearby district. Psychedellic substances seemed to intensify his dreams of becoming a world renknowned mc as well as inspire his graffiti art creatively. Lungs soon failed out, do to lack of focus, and got a job. "This is a path I would NOT recommend to anyone. Graduate first you will thank yourself." Lungs obtained an arsenal of studio instruments and recording equipment and started dropping grey tapes in 1997. Making his own beats on drum machine and layering them on 4 track tape with keyboards. Recording alongside many great local rappers (HGC, Big Swisher, All Hands Crew, TSF) and performing with a live local metal band, some of his main influences in this time period were Esham, Bone Thugs, DJ Screw R.I.P., Fat Pat R.I.P. among others. After multiple life threatening events, severe drug overdose, and a growing sense of infamy, it was in October of 1999 Lungs older sister came to CSP and convinced him to join up with the rest of her metal band where they had moved to, hoping Lungs could make a change. (lol) ... In the "Live Music Capital of the World." Lungs has been living in Austin Texas longer than any other city he has resided. It is in the Capital City ATX that Lungs has produced and released: OPEN 1 aka LUNGS- SKELETON KEYZ (2000) LUNGS- ONE HUNDRED LEAVES (2001) NIKKAGE AND LUNGS ARE CONTRAST- BLUE FLAME (2002) CONTRAST- SUMMERSCHOOL '03 (2003) CONTRAST- VS. THE INDUSTRY hosted by DJ KNOWLEDGE (2004) MEANSTREETS III- the MIXTAPE (2005) OPEN 1 aka LUNGS- INSIDE EDITION (2005) LUNGS- LUNGSFOURHIRE the MIXTAPE hosted by DJ KNOWLEDGE (2006) LUNGS- LUNGSFOURHIRE 07: QUALIFIED (2007) FFULLKONTAKTT V.I: LEGENDS OF THE BOOTH hosted by DJ FLIPCYIDE (2009) Some Texas venues LUNGS has performed at are: TRAVIS COUNTY EXPO CENTER THE CONROE EVENT CENTER THE BOBBY BONES SHOW THE BACKROOM CLUB NUNO's CHUGGIN MONKEY DIRTY DOG KICK BUTT COFFEE THE ACC EASTVIEW HAITI RELIEF CONCERT RUTA MAYA's When asked what he sees in his future in Hip Hop, Lungs responds; "Hip Hop is like an addiction like a thought process for me. Its the one thing I have that never left that will never leave and even if I wanted to quit I couldnt. I would be haunted if I tried. I never was in this for the fame. Even as a graffiti writer it was for the fame but no one really knew what you looked like. Just your skills and how much work you put in. I really wish success to anyone who has the talent to make it. I have my preferences but I try to keep an open mind as far as not judging others because my mama taught me better than that. When I hear good music, it keeps me alive and motivated, and that in itself is priceless. Right now im just going to keep dropping mixtapes, keep writing, keep freestyling, keep upping my game. I have a few other plans that will be revealed in due time, but right now im trying to learn the business so I can position my self better financially and be able to put on all the artists that I know deserve the opportunity." STAY TUNED TO FOR NEW RELEASES FROM LUNGS AND CHECK BACK WITH US AT www.myspace.com/lungsfourhire FOR UPDATES, NEW ARTIST RECOMMENDATIONS, AND BLOG REVIEWS!