'Dice is "Diddy Bop'n"

'Dice is "Diddy Bop'n"

Monday, January 14, 2008

By Branden Johnson, Allderdice High School (City of Pittsburgh Schools)

Joe Sinclair, a senior at Allderdice, has recently dropped a new single called "Diddy Bop'n".

Both "Diddy Bop'n" and the dance that goes along with it are recognized by most Allderdice students. As he came to school one morning, Sinclair noticed a group of girls singing his song.

"I knew "Diddy Bop'n" was going to be blown up; I had a feeling," said Sinclair, who recalls being passed by a car blasting his song as he walked home one day. "The WAMO station played it a few times, especially at 'The Jumpoff'. Kiss FM has played it as well."

Currently, Sinclair spends 8-10 hours a day working at the I.D. Lab with other Pittsburgh MC's such as S-Money (da Gov.), Wiz Khalifa, and Kevda Hustla. He hopes to release a single after Christmas, and a mixtape, which will feature fellow Allderdice student Will Smith, shortly after that..

Sinclair has wanted to rap since 6th grade. "[Sometimes] I stayed at home and sat on the steps and listened to my older brother and his friends rap." Aside from his brother, Sinclair's influences include 2Pac and Biggie Smalls.

Sinclair, whose versatile rapping style is comparable to Twista and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, believes that rap nowadays is "messed up", and that most new music just repeats old music. He refuses to rap about "stuff [he doesn't] have"; to Sinclair, rap is another way of expressing "how you feel, and what you think".

Although his father has passed away, Sinclair continues to pursue his music career with the support of his mother.

He hopes to continue pursuing his rap career with future songs and publicity.