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 semsters, 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 work 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 form 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 32 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.

     Keith “P-Duble” Scarlett, started rapping at the age of twelve and today he writes and arranges all of his own music through which he expresses life situations, whether good or bad.  But unlike other artists that claim the same reason for racy content, P-dub offers positive courses of action. P-Duble’s online buzz started when he jumped back into the studio after a 7 year hiatus and flipped out a 33 track mix tape titled “No One.”  Because the new promotion of underground artists is now so entrenched in the internet (the last-time he dropped a project, the internet was used primarily for research and e-mail), he had no option but to throw his message into cyber-space and joined the MySpace ranks to see exactly where the Lord would lead. 

     The Lord led him to a point that would solidify his place among the best underground artists in hop-hop; both mainstream and in the newly powerful Christian scene.  From there, the Lord has opened up the door to allow P-Duble to be featured on almost every major hip-hop website such as www.allhiphop.com, www.ballerstatus.net, www.raptalk.net, www.yoraps.com, www.hiphopdx.com, and www.mixtapetalk.com just to name a few.

     Listeners can catch P-Duble at www.myspace.com/pikestreetmusicpduble
and/or pduble.bravehost.com and see why he is one of the hottest artists out there.

Try My Fast URL: http://clik.to/pduble

     When almost forgotten R + B artist Babyface is the biggest artist to represent your city, odds are A&Rs aren’t MapQuestin’ your locale. If Indianapolis (and Columbus, Ohio: read Midwest) advocate P-Duble’s plan succeeds, though, heads will soon recognize.  “Really, the mayor should be paying me,” jokes the 33 year-old veteran MC, born Keith Scarlett.  “It’s definitely a slow-city music-business wise, but my moves are setting a new example. Young kats see me on the web, in the stores, on the streets, at shows, etc… and think, ‘Man, I can get off these streets.’”

     Mixing acute social-perception with a nimble and, at times, rapid-fire delivery, P has started to turn ears towards both the Nappy City and C-town.  Moving city to city from the Midwest to the south and all the way up the Eastern sea-board to New England, the independent hustler has shaken-hands with industry big-wigs and is starting to earn some critical praise for his newest release, My Album About Me.  “The music speaks for itself,” reasons P-dub, who released this album at age 33.  “I’m proof that hip-hop with substance can still make noise.”

     Born and lived for less than a year in Evansville, Indiana; P traveled the globe before settling into his wife’s hometown of Columbus in 2005.  In late 2005, P recorded and released his first mix tape in almost seven-years tilted; No One, a homemade collection of surprisingly mature music. Circulated through almost every major market east of the Mississippi River, the disc formally re-began P-s career.  “I’m old, but I wasn’t talking about the out-of-date stuff that young bucks can’t relate too,” he says.  “To me, music should have a purpose.”

     Six-month after dropping No One, P-Duble restarted his recently defunct Pike Street Music label and began work on My Album About Me, attacking the internet and MySpace has led to his accessible single “No Trouble” generating a word-of-mouth buzz since it’s release on the web in the middle of February of 2007.  With his rep steadily rising every-day, P has decided not to actively pursue the majors.

     “Major label execs have flat out told me how they’re looking for hit singles and immediate sales over the best talent and longetivity,” says P-dub, whose sound has been paralleled to that of both Paul Wall and Bubba Sparxx.  “Now, I know not to compromise myself and service that.  I’m building myself independently, and hopefully, the game’s perspective will change.

Matt Barone

“Undergroundhip-hop.com”

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