The heavy bass and the call-and-response of Atlanta’s signature sound is clearly evident in Dose’s breakthrough single, “Where They Do That At?!” featuring Rick Ross and Fabolous.  Dose’s brash, crystal-clear delivery also makes notice of the 21-year olds key assets: passion, duality, and ambition. “In Atlanta, it’s harder to get on, since they’re so much bubble gum shit going on right now. I’m the voice of the people, the young people, the old people; from the streets to the booth, I’m the new South.”

It was Dose’s unlikely partnership with NY-based Desert Storm Entertainment & Atlanta based label Big Play Entertainment that led to his first major push.  After a few chance meetings with Webb,  the entertainment company’s co-founder, Dose got the support he needed to take his career to the next level. “Webb said he had seen me six months before we met, and I had a record out called “Don Dada” featuring Rich Boy, says Dose. “He heard it, but it just sounded like an average record to him. But it just so happens that I bumped into him again…at a gas station. So I just went in, like, ‘Look, you need to get yo ass to the studio, man!’ Webb’s an aggressive talker, and I’m the same way. So we’re just laughing and kickin’ it. He came over and listened to three records before he said, ‘I’m fixing to get you a deal.’” Within days, DJ Clue, Skane Dolla and the rest of the Desert Storm Crew came down to Atlanta and Dose was signed to his first major imprint.

Life wasn’t always easy for Dose; growing up in Atlanta, he did what he had to do in order to survive. “As a young’n, I seen a lot of stuff that young people shouldn’t see…street life, basically. My mother washed her hands of me so I began selling candy in school to make some extra money, and that led to other things. I caught my first case at 13, so to be where I’m at now, it’s a blessing.”

Dose was rreleased from prison in October of 2008 after serving one year of a ten-year sentence.  “Through the grace of God and lawyers, my case got overturned,” he said. Dose seized the opportunity to start over, taking progressive steps that landed him in the studio, and eventually onto the radio. Off the success of his first single, Dose reflects on his recent strides into the mainstream: ” I don’t let it get to my head. I’ve got bigger dreams. Until I go ‘plat, I’m not satisfied. And when I go ‘plat, I wanna go diamond. I’m for longevity.”

Dose is set to release his debut mixtape, The OverDose, which will spotlight Dose’s ability to create catchy hooks, while displaying a lyrical versatility not seen in the South since T.I.’s prime. Hosted by Greg Streetand produced by mixtape legend DJ Clue, The OverDose is a straight-to-the-core introduction for future Dose fans.

“Before, I was getting love in the South: Miami, Atlanta, The Carolinas. But now, I’m known in Korea, Japan, New York—all over,” saysDose. As “Where They Do That At?!” continues its rise up the charts, Dose is eager to flood the market with more records to capitalize on the urgency of the initial single.

Dose is hoping The OverDosewill serve as the end-all-be-all for proof of his tenacity for music. “I did ‘Where They Do That At?!’ in twenty minutes, in the studio, vibing,” he says. “I knew the song was a hit when I played it, like, 20 times, nonstop. The OverDose—it’s serious. From the streets, to the booth, it’s what the game’s been missing.”

What’s next for Dose? “Honestly, I feel like we [Atlanta] ain’t as hot as we used to be,” says Dose of his hometown. “I’m definitely going to bring the ‘A’ back; I want to make it where someone mentions the ‘A,’ they mention Dose. This summer, we’re gonna bring the ‘A’ back to where it needs to be at.”

FOR MORE INFO ON DOSE VISIT HIS MYSPACE.COM/BPEDOSE

Photo Credit: Thi Chien for By Any Means Marketing LLC.

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