By Andrew Rausch

With the anticipated release of his solo debut album, "Boom!!! Midwest Ballaz," Kansas independent artist Ridiculous Beats hopes to put his home state on the hip-hop map. The up-and-coming producer/emcee first began to recognize his talents at a young age.

"I could beatbox and rap almost any Fat Boys song, [and] that impressed my friends," he remembers. "When I found I could rap or sing nearly any song I listened to with the ability to entertain my friends, I knew I had to go for it."

Unlike most hip-hop artists, Ridiculous Beats is equally as gifted singing and producing other artists as he is rhyming. This unheard of versatility may be a direct result of his wide-ranging influences, which include Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Master P, Snoop and Dre, and comedian George Carlin.

In fact, Ridiculous Beats' production talents cannot be confined to only one musical genre as he is also preparing to release a techno album titled, "Eclectic: Technotica."

"What first inspired me to rhyme was realizing the gift of music in general," Ridiculous Beats explains. "Music can take you anywhere you wanna go. I've listened to such a variety of music throughout my life ... I simply try to create music that will make listeners feel the way I felt when I wrote each of the songs."

Listeners in the Midwest first caught a glimpse of this emcee/producer's many talents in the late nineties when he was a member of the group 8UP. Now, with a more expansive distribution plan firmly in place for "Boom!!! Midwest Ballaz," listeners across the nation will finally have the chance to find out what all the fuss is about, and experience the music of this unique artist.