b. Ronnie Ray Bryant, 18 October 1975, Vallejo, California, USA. At the start of the early twenty-first century, a new hotbed for US hip-hop talent seemed to be blossoming, the Latino rap scene in Houston, Texas. One of the prime movers on this scene was Baby Bash or Baby Beesh. Originally from Vallejo, California, he was raised primarily by his grandmother, since both of his parents were incarcerated at the time. It was his uncles (who he describes as ‘homeboys’) who turned the youngster on to classic hip-hop and funk, resulting in an appreciation of artists such as E-40, Too $hort, Con Funk Shun, and Sly And The Family Stone. It did not take long for others to pick up on the rapper’s fast emerging MCing talents, as he sharpened his rhyming skills by performing alongside outfits such as Potna Deuce and Latino Velvet (the latter of which featured former members of the pioneering Chicano rap group N2-Deep).
Baby Bash began working with Houston rapper South Park Mexican (b. Carlos Coy), and after witnessing the thriving hip-hop scene there decided to relocate to the lone star state. He signed a solo recording contract with the indie label Dope House, issuing two releases, 2001’s Savage Dreams and 2002’s On Tha Cool under his Baby Beesh moniker. After a compilation of collaborations appeared in early 2003, The Ultimate Cartel, the rapper began work on his third album. With an ever-growing buzz surrounding him, Universal Records intervened and signed the rapper, releasing his major label debut, Tha Smokin’ Nephew, later the same year (the first to use the Baby Bash moniker). Produced by Happy Perez (known for his work with chart-toppers such as Master P and Mystikal), the album spawned the crossover hit, ‘Suga Suga’. The 2005 follow-up Super Saucy featured the US hit ‘Baby I’m Back’ (with Akon), but its success was overshadowed by the rapper’s collaboration with R&B vocalist Frankie J. on his hugely popular single ‘Obsession (No Es Amor)’.
