The era of hip-hop music is constantly evolving. Nowadays rappers can't just get into the entertainment field with the notion of, 'I can rap,' they have to have a total package of exemplified characteristics. Such a group that's finding its niche into hip-hop with a multitude of skills in the game is St. Louis rap group DABANGGAZ314. The Mid-West crew, which is comprised of three emcees-- two being male and one female, have gone far and beyond to bring "The New St. Louis" to the forefront.
For members Tydrae "Iklips" Moody (23), Donesha "Envee" Miller (22), and Nicholas "Looney" Evans (22) the street was a way of life. The fusion of the three styles makes DaBanggaz314 stand out from the various other rap cats out in the Mid West. Whether it's the deliverance of grimy hard freestyles from Iklips, Looney's conscious lyrical bars, and Envee representing the ladies point of view— DaBanggaz314 are sure to participate in re-sculpturing the new age landscape of what hip-hop has become. They took the valuable lessons learned on the streets with standard life experiences and poured their all to bring their talents from the 'hood to the stage. In just the short amount of a year's time span, DaBanggaz314 have come along way, from hustling in the streets to chopping up verses in the studio.
A chance performance at a local St. Louis club called The Arena is what began the trickling effect towards stardom for DaBanggaz314. When they performed their smashing hit "Ain't No" is what caught the attention of Todd and Karrie Butterfield, co-owners of 7Fourteen Entertainment, the home imprint of the St. Louis rap crew. Just four days later DaBanggaz's "Ain't No" was the number one requested song on St. Louis' The Beat 100.3 FM on DJ Shorty's call-in segment. The group remembers, "When we heard our song on the radio, number one – that was it right there for us, it was like, 'You know what, we got a sound y’all,' and we was number one for four weeks."