HIS STORY
Vic knew he was destined for success early on in life. A natural-born hustler and bona fide artist, Vic Da Baron exhibited signs of unusually high intelligence and gained a reputation for his talents at a young age. Dealing with a loss as a youth introduced him to the harsh realities of inner city Oakland where he grew up. Profoundly affected by the brutal murder of his mother, Catrina, a soul and gospel singer and Vic's most enthusiastic supporter, he worked twice as hard to keep pushing and striving for excellence in his artistry. His brother, Vitani Teflon, also brought him along to local studio sessions and helped introduce him to the scene.

In November 2007, Vic released his first solo mixtape 12-02-81:The Beginning and also has features on The Comrades: Street Album, Hustlehauliks: Jak'n Beats Volumes 1 & 2 and Nexus: The Connection. But it is his debut album, History In The Making, that brings serious heat. The first album off his label, Grindstone Entertainment, features Bay veterans E-40, Turf Talk, Numskull of Da Luniz, and Southern rapper, Prince Bugsy. It also features top-notch production from 6Fingers, Jallah, Frank Stacks, A. Rishwain, Kevin Bedford and Insane.

His killer combination of lyrical intensity and raw delivery is reminiscent of some of his strongest influences Redman, Rakim, 2Pac, and De La Soul. Vic is also largely inspired by the talent of his late mother and the sounds he grew up on: Reggae, Gospel, 70's Soul, 80's Synth-Funk, and the grunge of the 90's. A true showman with the swagger of Frank Sinatra on and offstage, Vic Da Baron engages his audience like a seasoned pro. Evidently, Vic Da Baron has garnered respect from hip-hop artists and fans alike and is continuing to create a buzz in the industry. History In The Making maintains the heat, voracity, integrity and pure skill he has demonstrated since, "THE BEGINNING."

AN INTERVIEW WITH VIC
What can we expect from your debut album "History In The Making?"
can expect a new sound, you know, non-stop, no break, all the way through, top-of-the-line music. With some great features, including E-40 and Turf Talk, this album is a high quality product, a classic. It's a rap album but it's got a hip-hop feel on it. A universal sound and a wide variety of songs, somethin for everybody to like.

What do you think separates you from other Bay artists?
I feel like a lot of bay artists are one dimensional…I can rap about anything I try to be very diverse, not just a one-sided kind of music…not just club music, not just shoot 'em up music, a little bit of everything. It don't hurt that I'm really speaking from my perspective instead of sitting in the passenger's seat.

How did you choose your features?
E-40 & Numskull , I grew up listening to them. I did some for Num's album too. As far as Turf Talk, he's one of the hottest in the bay. Prince Bugsy is an up and coming artist. Basically, up and coming people I felt I needed on the album.

Explain the concept behind this album.
When you break it down its really "his story." It's basically about my life, my story in the making. I'm just tryin to introduce myself to the world.

How has the response been so far? It's been nothing but complements on it all diff types of ages. I can tell everybody I let hear it comes back already a big fan. Some people already heard about it, they heard the name or from a friend and now they wanna pick up a copy, then they like the pics on there.

What other projects are you working on?
Promoting and marketing this album, a new mixtape, my Video Vixen Search contest, touring, the Vic & L-$ Project, some branding ideas.

Who are your biggest influences?
My mom, of course, never let me give up and pushed me to go for what I wanted, my sister, my brother, Vitani, showed me it was something I wanted to do. I would watch him and I knew that's what I wanted to do, I love to create. Also 2pac, Biggie, De La Soul, Redman, Wu Tang, Outkast, E-40, Da Luniz, Jay-Z…

What are the most important things you've learned this far?
The most important things are watch the people you do business with and the people you surround yourself with. You gotta put your music out…It does no good to make music and sit on it. Keep it real with yourself, keep it solid. Don't change your style because you like Jay-Z. It's one thing to be influenced, but rap about the things you really doin. When it is time to present yourself, you're not presenting somebody else, you're presenting yourself.