T-REX-BIO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When your father dies at seven years old and your mother raises you all alone as a young man along with three boys and one girl to attend to, life can be very lopsided growing up in the ghetto.  The unbalanced realities of Randy Sullivan better known to the world as T-Rex has always been a rocky road of surviving the course of life with one arm tied behind his back.  “My life growing up was hard, my daddy died when I was young so my moms had to play my pops.  She had to raise four boys on her own and my mom didn’t really want me to follow in my brother footsteps because they were all in the streets but I just became a product of the environment.”

 

As the youngest of five, Robert and Juanita Sullivan gave birth on August 30th 1985 to one of Hip-Hop’s illest battle connoisseur but it was in the mid 90’s where T-Rex pegged his name in the streets.  “When I was kid I use to sing this Ice T song and everyone use to call me Ice T but I couldn’t be Ice T so I dropped the Ice so I was trying to find out how I could play around with the T and that’s when I found out that the most deadliest dinosaur was a T-Rex so that was it, I stuck with that because I wanted to kill all competition or whoever stood in my way.”

 

Choosing music to occupy most of his time, T-Rex hustled in the streets to get by, but focused all of his attention on making it as rap artist from day one.  As a child most children grow up with the mentality of being a doctor or a lawyer but for Rex it was holding a microphone, performing in front of a crowd, and recording songs for the masses.  “When I was a kid I wanted to be a rapper plain and simple.”

 

Growing up on 112th and No fear known as St. Nicholas Avenue, Rex cousin of legendary Hip-Hop figure MOOK (better known as Murder Mook), lead the charge within the family with all musical influences but the two of them paved the way for Harlem in the battle circuit.  SMACK DVD’s made Rex and MOOK but as history goes to show Rex and MOOK made SMACK.  Taking battle rap across the country and around the world on internet websites and DVD’s, Rex held his own and made noise as a force or more of a threat to those who opposed him.  With hard lyrics and witty punch lines, Rex was buzzing throughout the industry but no one knew that he was a true artist that made real music.

 

Passing up on a solo recording deal at the age of 16 with Def Jam Records, Rex was a hot commodity that refused to be bought without the involvement of the Dot Mob movement.  “It was in 2001 and we walked in to Def Jam together as a crew and we left as a crew.  I felt I was doing the right thing at the time; I was 16 years old so I was young.  If I had the right representation to guide us in having a plan for me to break open the door so we all can win maybe things could have been different.”  Although Def Jam played out, many others like Rockafella, Murda Inc, Koch, Universal and Virgin Records followed with meetings and offers but nothing manifested from it leaving Rex to maneuver his talents elsewhere.  “I wrote songs for Akon as a kid at the age of 17, 18 years old.  I worked with Web Star, Jim Jones, Big L (rest in peace), Ron Browz, Mook, Fred the God Son, Remy Martin, Dot Mob and the late Stack Bundles along with many others.”

 

As a teenager with music on his mind 24/7 focusing on school was out the window for Rex.  “I wish I finished school but unfortunately I dropped out in 11th grade and I regret it to this day.”  Attending Wadeigh High School was a stretch for Rex because he admits that he wasn’t a good student but he found a way to pass his classes throughout the years.  Making his way in the streets Rex saw it all and pretty much did it all.  Educating himself in the street life and survival, gave Rex a PHD which no school would ever give.  “Hip-Hop saved me for real because ever since I was three years old before I can remember I been listening and chasing this Hip-Hop shit.  All my brothers were listening to it and as I recall the first group I remember hearing as a kid was between NWA and The Ghetto Boys.”

 

Hip-Hop being a true love for Rex wasn’t the only thing that grabbed his attention because his love for basketball, drawing (mainly dogs) was just as important.  “I really love dogs and I still do till this day.”  They say dogs are a man’s best friend and for Rex this seams to be true.  Rex relationships with dogs is mind blowing but just like dogs on how they can be playful and instantly be just as vicious Rex approaches his life and music the same way.  “My personality is pretty much out going, I’m mad cool but when it comes to my talent, this music shit I’m cocky and arrogant.   Yeah I like to joke around and have fun but I’ll switch in a minute because I’m damn near bi-polar.  To be honest I don’t want any other friends, just the Mob and I’m good.”

 

As one of the fearful leaders of Dot Mob Rex is a lyrical juggernaut with a big heart along with a true understanding of a win or go home but where he’s from there are no losers in his circle.  “My cousin told me whatever you going to do, be the best at it!”

 

Studying some of the best like Big L and 2 Pac, Rex has his mind set on showing all the non-believers that he’s not good at one thing, he’s talented overall when it comes to the culture of Hip-Hop.  “My goal is to show the world that we (Dot Mob) can do more than battle rap, my goal is to show them how much more we can really do.”  So before Rex leaves this earth he has a little son to live for, therefore he strives for excellence to provide for himself and his family by way of using Hip-Hop to do it.  “As one the hardest working artist, lyricist, battle rappers, whatever, I learned how to record my self and make moves on my own because I refuse to lose, it’s this rap shit or else…”