You can’t. Think back to the first time someone ever told you that… did you do it? Not think. I mean that thing you were told you couldn’t do. If you’re anything like me, you disregarded that “can’t” and went for it. As kids, that often meant getting into trouble, but what about the first time someone told you that you couldn’t accomplish or achieve something? Did you disobey their warnings, the ones that stop so many of us from reaching our dreams? Did you use their constant I-told-you-so’s as motivation to drive you closer to that goal? Did you reach it? How did it feel? Some words will resonate deep inside of us, but none greater than “you can’t”. No one knows this better than the up and coming rapper Dragnet. Follow What’s Your Strive as we disobey the warning, and dare to touch the cage.

Dragnet

BIO: Dragnet, born Marcus Reece is a native of Dallas (Oak Cliff), Texas. Dragnet’s love for music started at a young age. In elementary school he played the violin, he was also in his church choir. In high school, Dragnet began free styling between classes with friends to pass time. Afterwards he would go on to create his first mix tape “The Dragnet Revisions”. The quality was poor, so he gave it away in Dallas, Irving and Grand Prairie to build his buzz. His musical career took a hiatus, while Drag pursued a career in the military, but he managed to continue networking and doing other mix tapes. In 2005 he hooked up with Nu Age producer, Hump Dizzle, and started working on his first real musical effort “Hook & Verses”. Dragnet dropped that while stationed in Virginia, and then backdoored in 2007 with “Hooks & Verses 2: For Da Love of Money” with Fame of G-Side Entertainment. After getting out the military he returned home to Dallas to start working on his album. Dragnet’s single “Wet, Wet” along with my mix tapes had provided a nice fan base, and now people were asking for the album. So Drag teamed up with Big Sid of Playaz Choice Entertainment, and he guided him through the right steps to get the album going. He did a small cameo in the “Dial Tone (Oklahoma Remix)” video by $parkDawg of Green City and continued to network and focus on his album. By the beginning of November ’07 the album was complete. So he began to focus on getting signed. Multiple turn downs motivated Drag to create his own label, Ak Ryte Entertainment. Dragnet dropped his very first album on Feb. 12, 2008, and followed that up by dropping a number of mix tapes to help build his buzz. Now with a decent fan, he’s working 2 EPs, a street LP and my official 2nd LP.

Pauly: Dragnet, tell me: What’s Your Strive(s)?

Dragnet: I’m just out here trying to make my own brand and bring my own flavor to the music industry. Rapper Genocide to the world…enough of the just add water and you an instant rapper. That right there has to end.

Pauly: Where are you from?

Dragnet: I was born and raised in Dallas (Oak Cliff), Texas….

Pauly: How did you get started?

Dragnet: I started rapping in ‘02 freest lying in the morning before class to pass the time

Pauly: What steps are you taking to achieve your goals?

Dragnet: Last year, I was heavy on dropping solo mix tapes and making mix tape appearances and that was cool, but I wasn’t really getting the looks that I wanted…so in ’09 I had to step my grind up and I have just been really focusing on hip hop websites and radio play. I still do the mix tapes and mix tape appearances but I’m also switching over to doing a lot of EPs too

Pauly: With everybody trying to make it into the entertainment business, what do you do to separate yourself from the crowd?

Dragnet: I do me…really…I try to work with some of everybody from every genre if I can. A lot of artists try to stay in one lane and not take a chance, but they lose sight of the fans that they not reaching for trying to stay true to once specific audience. You can’t do that and expect to make money cause the main core fans that you tryna stay true to are probably the main ones burning your music and not buying it…they say they support your movement, but want everything free. That’s not how the business works. I do music cause I love it, but at the same time, you have to realize that I have to eat too. How can you say that you support my movement if you not willing to do what it takes by buying the music so that I may have the funds to keep giving you more of what you want, like and love?

Pauly: What are you currently working on?

Dragnet: Right now I’m working on 2 solo EPs – “Dragnet’s Block” and “I Tell Tha Truth”, 2 solo LPs – “Dragnet Unleashed” and “Wheatland Rd. Representa 2″, a mixtape with my group Impact, an Impact album – “The Br3ak Thru” and a couple duo projects with Yung O, Fame, C-Riss and Fly Guy

Pauly: Do you feel that your art form is a way to express yourself, or a way of life?

Dragnet: I would say that it’s both because I have respect for every artist and what they are doing, but it’s the music that they are putting out that I don’t respect….Rapper Genocide….that’s all I’m a say about that.

Pauly: What’s your resume?

Dragnet: Ahhh, man…Google “Dragnet the Peacebreaker”…my resume gone pop up (laughs).

Pauly: Do you have a recording deal, or are you currently shopping around?

Dragnet: No contract, not shopping around….Ak Ryte Entertainment…one man wrecking crew.

Pauly: What’s your opinion of the current entertainment scene?

Dragnet: Man, they playing. Real talk, they playing around. I came to do work.

Pauly: What suggestions do you have for other aspiring strivers?

Dragnet: Grind hard…then grind harder….aint nobody in this industry gonna try to help you if they see that you aint tryna help yourself

Pauly: Any other upcoming projects you’d like to mention?

Dragnet: Rapper Genocide…www.peacebreaker.com….all day. I also dropped a number of online mp3 compilations that can still be purchased on my soundclick page @ www.soundclick.com/dragnet.…shout out to baconandgreaseradio.com, Kels at mixtapedaily.blogspot.com, Shod Harris at undergroundfuzion.com, DigiPimp, Ama at musiqworldorder.net, Steph at Celebritymound.com and everybody else who rocking with the movement. It’s too many to name so I’ll catch ya’ll on the EP thank you(s). Real talk

Pauly: Well much success Dragnet, keep striving!

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