It would probably be easier if we told you what Hopsin doesn’t do, but Hop is an MC, producer, director, actor, and editor. And his journey has been anything but painless.

Stuck in special education classes, Hopsin did not see much of a future in high school. His teachers did nothing but reinforce the feelings that he wouldn’t amount to anything; especially if he continued to waste his time attending classes where nothing was actually being taught. So with no money and only a few real friends, Hopsin dropped out of school in 2004.

Determined to be one of Southern Cali’s premier MCs Hopsin bought an $8 microphone from Wal-Mart, installed Fruity Loops on his computer, and locked himself in the basement. As time went by he knew that his lyrics and production had surpassed what he was hearing on the radio. He combined his skills with a new image [often seen wearing white contacts] and emerged from the basement. In 2007, Hopsin signed a major record deal with Ruthless Records, and released his freshman album, “Gazing at the Moonlight” in October 2009.

Unfortunately Hopsin was never able to get on the same page as Ruthless, so in 2010 he decided to cut ties, and join his own label, Funk Volume. In November 2010, he released his sophomore album, RAW, and has not looked backed. In 2011 he headlined over 60 shows around the world, grew his Facebook page to over 140,000 fans, racked up millions of YouTube views, and earned a feature on Tech N9ne’s “All 6’s & 7’s” album with B.o.B.

Hopsin’s momentum is only going to continue to build in 2012. His fans are already anticipating the release of his next album, “Knock Madness”. He has described it as a “game changer”, and although he has been doubted before, people know now that he delivers on his promises.