Unsigned Entertainment

     From his early days on the streets of Pike Street, Indianapolis,

rapper Lil' Pookie has been on a mission to change people's

perspectives of the Midwest hip-hop scene.  When his first album,

Bootshakles 4 da' Shorties which came out on Indianapolis based Little E Records back in 1995, didn't sell, the self-professed "ROG (Re-born Original

Gangsta') could have easily done what many aspiring rappers do

and pack it in, but he didn't. Instead, he decided to go for broke on

his own, forming Pike Street Music and getting busy on the

mixtape circuit, dropping three before 1999.

 

     With the consistent influence of his parents and his church

community, P-Duble; born Keith Rae Scarlett in Evansville,

Indiana and moved to the Shelbyville area of Indianapolis when he was one year of age, eventually became deeply rooted in the gangsta' lifestyle,

specifically with the Folks Nation and in the decade of the 90's

when the gang-wars between the Chicago-based "Folks" and

"Peoples" occupied almost every municipality east of the

Mississippi River, Lil' Pookie; as he was coined, would rise higher and

higher in the rank eventually reaching the status of a Lieutenant in

the Indianapolis-based Folks set "Balsam/Tre' Nickle."  However,

as he grew older he felt the pull of the Lord and began to realize

the life he was living was leading him nowhere. After the drive-by

shooting death of whom he claims was his best-friend before

meeting his wife and the "blessing from God [as he calls it]" of

meeting his wife, Lil' Pookie fought hard and sought a way out of

the lifestyle he had become so accustomed too.

 

     College was the immediate answer, but after three semesters,

he found himself dismissed for poor academics and disciplinary

issues...so back to the streets it was...at least for a few months. 

After sitting-out a semester, he transferred to Greenville College in

Southern Illinois and enrolled in their "Contemporary Christian

Music" program, with a curriculum which would allow him access

to the school's top-notch recording studio where he began to

perfect his craft and begin using his rap skills that he had

developed on the streets of Indianapolis for the Lord.

 

     Unfortunately, the Christian music world didn't seem ready for

the "harshness" and "realness" of his lyrics and after his 1999

underground release, Birth Uv a G didn't create much street buzz

or credibility in the Christian music community, P-Duble [he had shortened his name

from "Lil' Pookie" as he grew and matured] stepped out of the

studio and focused on finishing his undergraduate and graduate

degrees, as well as spending time with his family; wife Jodie, son

Brayden and daughter RaeAnne. All the while, he was still writing

and putting his thoughts and experiences down on paper and still

felt the calling to minister to today's youth through the medium of

Christian Hip-Hop.

 

     Before the end of the year 2005, he decided it was time to

step-back into the ring and put the previous 6 years of silence

away.  So, he did...and dropped his first project in 7 years in

August of 2006; titled No One, which instantly hit almost every

major-market east of the Mississippi River and had moved more

than 10,000 units by the turn of the year.

 

     Since then, he has been hard at promoting his newest release;

My Album About Me which hit the streets on April 1, 2007.  This

project is bound to take-off more than the last-one did, especially

with production from the Toledo, Ohio; Quite Stankable crew and

help from the Columbus, Ohio; Stay Beat Camp...featuring guest

appearances from Ty Wills, Noel, T-Huzzie and Akron, Ohio native;

Freeze.

 

     He's 33 years-old and has been in and out of the game

longer than many of today's youngsters have even been alive. 

Nevertheless, his past, his redemption, his family, education

and even his time-off have allowed the Lord to groom P-Duble

into a servant and pure vessel that He can use for His works.

 

 

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