Chedda Da Connect

As a self-professed “rebel child” growing up on the North side of Houston, Texas, Chedda went against the grain as being, “always the one that was trying to grow up fast.” Though he was avidly into football at the tender age of nine, hip-hop piqued Chedda’s interest. Influenced by Naughty by Nature, Tupac, The Notorious B.I.G. and local legends UGK and the SwishaHouse family, Chedda would record freestyles on his little sister’s karaoke machine just for the fun of it. “We use to drive about 20 minutes away to the Southside,” he remembers. “They use to have this flea market where you go pay five dollars and you freestyle in a booth for about an hour. I just found some of them. I listened to them. I was like, ‘whoa I came a long way.’” Dreams of excelling on the gridiron still held Chedda’s interest, though; especially once he entered high school. But then an epiphany sparked. “When I was 16, 17, I saw everybody rapping and putting their CDs together, selling their demo tapes and stuff like that,” he says. “So I said, ‘okay, I can probably make a career out of this.’” From there, his focus shifted from pigskins and play-action passes to the pad and pen—studying the dictionary and using various methods to perfect his craft. As a member of the group Ski Mask Way, Chedda went by the name Young Black. It was during that time that he realized that the performance aspect of being an artist wasn’t what he wanted. “I did a couple of performances but I didn’t really like how it turned out,” he laughs. “It wasn’t the fact that the people weren’t turnt, it was the fact that I had to get up in front of everybody. I didn’t want to be in the limelight like that. So I started managing.” With a new career path, came a new moniker, Chedda Da Connect. “I got introduced to the streets and different things. Down here in Houston, Texas, my family, we’re half black, half Hispanic,” Chedda says. “So, Hispanics have a lot of access to different stuff. So, my family was big on ‘if you want something, you can get it.’ So a lot of people would say about me ‘oh, he’s connected. That’s the connect, right there.’ And the ‘Chedda’ came from the money side of the situation. You know, young and getting money, so people just put it together—Chedda Da Connect.” Playing behind the scenes, managing artist T-Wayne and promoting the hottest nightspots in H-Town, Chedda’s decision to play the back became a successful one. He would still dabble in music, however, booking studio time, and going H.A.M. in the booth just for the fun of it, just like he did when he first was introduced to hip-hop as a young’n. “In the process of managing T-Wayne, I did help write a couple of songs. So, I’ve been in the studio doing certain things. And I might throw in a track for me every now and then to see if I still got it. Then I got back focusing on my music. And that’s when I came up with “Flicka Da Wrist.” A viral Internet sensation when it released in early 2015, Chedda Da Connect’s introduction in hip-hop transcended music and became a cultural and social media phenomenon across the States. A chart-topper, going as high as the number 10 song in the country, and climbing, the hand gesture that accompanied the track alone broke barriers. Not only could you catch the likes of Rihanna, Lil’ Wayne, Justin Bieber, even Drake’s mother flicking their wrist on their Vine and IG accounts, it wasn’t uncommon to witness sports megastars like Houston Rockets’ own James Harden displaying the wrist motion every time he nailed a clutch three-pointer. Even LeBron James posted Instagram videos of him and his Cleveland Cavilers teammates celebrating a playoff victory with the track playing in the background. Moments like these caught the eye of sports media powerhouses like ESPN who gave a nod to the summertime banger. “I ain’t gonna lie, after I recorded it, and I went to listen to it by myself, I got chills in my body,” Chedda recalls. “I thought this could be that song….It was genuine.” Now, riding a tsunami-like wave of momentum, which included being signed under the eOne label, Chedda Da Connect is out to prove that he isn’t a flash in the pan with his debut, Chedda World The Album, and that Houston still has something to say in the rap game. “Hip-hop is a culture to me,” Chedda says. “It’s a way we can come together and embrace our feelings, the way we feel about society and the world. And it’s the only way people will hear us right now. This is an outlet for us to speak to the people.” With production from Fred On ‘Em and features from Fetty Wap, Lil’ Boosie and Yo Gotti, he plans on speaking to the world through an energy that defines his young life. “The goal is to put the visuals out and brand my name in the game,” he declares. “I’m trying to do songs that has energy to them. A different vibe for people. Some you can ride to and think about things, certain songs for the females, I’m trying to make it totally different from my mixtapes or ‘Flicka Da Wrist.’” "Whippin' Up" ft. Kevin Gates & Scrilla - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTiankzl8SY "Flicka da Wrist" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5D3js33Nk3U "Why Not" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5EHwNpqEo4 "Trapper of The Year" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckeA2ZJ35hI Catchin Playz Seaon