HOME OF THE BRAVE

It’s a good two months prior to the release for his eighth solo album, Category F5 and Carl “Twista” Mitchell is doing what he does best: making music. He is not, however, in some dolled up studio all the way West in Hollywood. Nor is he in one of the million music factory’s of New York, or even Atlanta. He’s at the Crib – literally.

Truth be told, Twista is one of two people that can operate under such conditions. The other happens to be one of music’s most genius talents, despite his controversial ties to underage women. Regardless, either of them has done much to blaze a trail for their successors and put the city of Chicago on the map in the process.

“Me and R. Kelly can do what we do from the Crib (Chicago),” Twista allows from the basement of his Chicago home. “We’re homebodies. We like to stay at home.”

With good reason, Twista can do him from his nest simply because the city of Chicago has accepted and even owned his success. Whether they’ve followed him from the past or currently stand at attention for his Twitter updates, he has a base that looks for him and to him, when others from the same streets don’t have the same luxury.

“Chicago got a whole lot of talent here,” he begins, pausing for emphasis. “As far as on the industry standpoint, we just don’t have it as much as other people have it. When you look at the top artists in the City, everybody moved except for me.”

No doubt, Twista’s reference is meant for Common and Kanye West, both of whom he calls friends and has done work with over the years. However, his purpose in referencing them is not an attempt to admonish their actions, but to emphasize how untapped a market Chicago is in totality. In essence, even as two of Chitown’s own sit atop Forbes 2009 most wealthy rappers list (Kanye #3, Common #8), his City still struggles to find an identity and neither of them reached those heights at home.

While he’s never gained the global recognition that Common or Kanye have, it’s fair to say Twista is a true pioneer for Chicago rap artists. He’s the product and the paradigm, the symbol of success born from ill repute and a glowing testament of what can happen if one truly applies himself. To boot, it probably seems like just yesterday he was shaping someone’s fade and the day after, he arguably developed the rapid fire delivery that has come to define many a Midwest rap artist.

“I move around so I’m able to get it,” he says, offering he’s far from a recluse, “but I’m one of the only artists that can do what I do and have such a voice that it can still move from here.”

Given the idea he may have reached loftier heights had he moved from the city, Twista’s loyalty to Chicago is admirable. But it’s nothing that didn’t feel natural to him.

“Not to say it’s good either way, but Kanye was able to find success because where he got business at, he was able to pack up and move and put a full work ethic into it. Same thing with Common – these guys, as soon as they got the light, they went where the light was and worked hard. Same thing with Da Brat, soon as she got on in Atlanta, she got up, took her ass down there and got it poppin’.”

With respect to his own journey and latest release, Category F5, Twista made a conscious decision to do a little moving of his own. As his days of label dependency have dwindled mightily, he ditched Atlantic for favor of a composite deal that included his own Get Money Gang Entertainment, EMI and Capitol Records. As a result, he scored the number one rap record on Billboard, iTunes and Amazon in his first week after dropping Category F5 a month ago. Fueled by the insatiable lead single, “Wetter,” Twista proved he can make it rain on his own terms.

“I gotta do it this way now because of how the industry is,” he explains, “how they’re not selling music because of the economy and technology. Music doesn’t sell the same when it comes to record labels. They had to change their whole perspective on how they do deals… like 360 deals where they have their hand in everything and get money all the way around.

“But me, I’m like a well established artist before all that came into place so it’s time for me to move from that scene to a more independent scene because I have my own following and fan base. It’s just easier for me to do it like that – partner up with a distributor and get it together like that. I ain’t finna give no label my show money! We can’t do it like that!!”

What he has prepared to do willingly, is continue to learn. As such, Twista is paying more attention to the Internet and how the industry is moving. Admittedly an old soul who would rather see poster boards of himself up and down King Drive, he does realize the power and value of Internet marketing. If nothing else, he knows his new laptop will allow for more time in his favorite place.

“The Internet is changing the whole culture. A lot of times instead of going to different cities and hopping around like that, you can just sit down at the computer and market yourself that way,” he explains. “Me personally, I feel it’s just as important, if not more important to market yourself on the computer as much as you do physically. You gotta be in tune with what these kids is into and they’re in tune with the twitters and myspaces and youtubes and facebooks and everything else. You gotta be involved in all of that.”

And whether he’s actively engaged or not, Twista has bought in completely. He has an active facebook page that he manages and is available on myspace, youtube, bebo, ilike, imeem and Twitter, among other social networking sites.

“I’m not really a tech head [though],” he says admitting it’s been a slight struggle to adapt. “I’m a thinking person. I like to be in my own mind. I like the earth how it was in the beginning, but I have to accept how things are. So I got me a laptop and my manager put me up [on game] and everything I need to know.”

And knowing is half the battle…