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FYÜTCH

FYÜTCH

Harold Michael Simmons II (born September 17, 1988), better known by his stage name Fyütch (or Fyutch), stylized as FYÜTCH (or FYUTCH)[1] (formerly named Future and Mr. Flattop),[2][3] is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer, best known for his songs "Ballin'" and "I Walk The Line Remix" with Wick-it the Instigator.[1] He changed his artist name from Future to Fyütch to avoid confusion with Atlanta rapper Future.

Fyütch
Fyutch Close up portrait.jpg
Background information
Birth nameHarold Michael Simmons II
Born(1988-09-17)September 17, 1988
Gary, Indiana
OriginUnknown
GenresFyüsion
Occupation(s)
  • Rapper
  • Singer songwriter
  • Record producer
Years active2005–present
LabelsNone
Websitewww.fyutch.com [52]
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Early life and education

Simmons was born in Gary, Indiana on September 17, 1988. At the age of 6, he won the citywide speech contest and began gaining local popularity as a public speaker. He performed his speeches at various events, such as Mayor Scott L. King's campaign banquet and in Washington, D.C. on the steps of the Congress building concerning the National Deficit. When he was 8, his family moved to Nashville, Tennessee. In 2006, he graduated from Hume-Fogg High School, where he played alto saxophone in the jazz band and volunteered for several local youth organizations.[4] He then attended Belmont University, where he became a member of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, and graduated in 2011 from Belmont's Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business.[4]

Career

Biscuits and Gravy

In 2006, at the age of 17, Simmons and a few of his friends started a band called The Legendary Biscuits and Gravy, with him on lead vocals and alto saxophone, Eric Sexton on keyboard, Brandon Holt on drums, and Wesley Winfrey on tenor saxophone and bassist Brady Surface.[5] In 2007 the band was nominated for the Southern Entertainment Awards Best Indy R&B Artist of the Year. In 2008 and 2009, the band performed at the Next Big Nashville music festival alongside other nationally recognized Nashville bands, such as The Pink Spiders and Sam & Ruby,[6][7] and opened for Kanye West, GZA,[8] and Nappy Roots.[9]

Future (the Artist)

In April 2009, Future the Artist released his first solo EP entitled The Sci Fly EP that he wrote and produced.[3] It received good reviews and was nominated for a Nashville Music award for Best Urban Recording of the Year.[10][11] Between September and October 2009, Future the Artist began the Overnight Mixtape series, in which he recorded and released six mixtapes, recording each mixtape during an overnight studio session and releasing it for free download the next day.[3][12] The Nashville Scene spotlighted the Overnight Mixtapes in the 2009 Year in Music issue, stating that Future the Artist dominated the local underground hip hop scene.[13] Overnight Mixtape, Vol. 4 featured live skits from Bun B and GLC.[14] During this time, Future performed local support slots for Wale,[15] Pharrell,[16] Little Brother, and Afroman.[17]

In 2010, Future the Artist began traveling and recording his next project.[18] After graduating college in May 2011, Future the Artist began releasing singles and videos on the college music website GoodMusicAllDay[19][20][21] and other music websites such as MzHipHop and The Smoking Section.[22] Fyutch and Nashville rapper Chancellor Warhol's song "Bonus Lvl/Fly Away" featured on the HBO Canada series Less Than Kind and E! reality show Khloé & Lamar. In March 2012, Future the Artist made a showcase debut at South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival in Austin, TX [23] and sharing the stage with other GoodMusicAllDay artists.[24]

In September 2012, Future the Artist changed his stage name to Fyütch (pronounced Fuetch), explaining the change in his song "Identity Crisis".[25] Sean Maloney from The Nashville Scene commented on the name change: "Clearly, we have hit Peak Rap-Name Status. When you start getting this freaky with vowel placement, when you have to throw around umlauts, you know that things are getting out of control. But then again the Future-formerly-known-as-The Artist-and-before-that-The-Unknown definitely has been eclipsed by the sudden chart-topping success of R&B artist Future, and you can't blame the dude for wanting his own Google hits."[26]

Mr. Flattop

On September 24, 2012, Fyütch released the mixtape Mr. Flattop.[27] It contains 12 songs and begins with an intro from executive producer and DJ Robb 'Sir' Lazenby. Music City Interactive journalist Shad Reed compared it to J. Prince's intros on Rap-A-lot records.[28] Mr. Flattop has features from rappers Mike Stud, Futuristic, Mello Rello, singer Whitney Coleman, and production by G-Pop, Wick-it the Instigator, and The FANS. Sean Maloney from The Nashville Scene wrote, "Mr. Flattop, the first release under his new nom de plume, is a well-executed post-collegiate party-rap tape with plenty of pop hooks and big bumping Down South bass." He adds, "the real gem on Flattop is "Set Me Free," produced by longtime collaborator and P&B favorite Wick-It. It's got a gorgeous hook and a deep, mournful groove that you might not expect if you hadn't been watching both of these artist develop over the last half-decade."[26] Fyütch began his promotional tour for the album at the A3C Hip Hop Festival in Atlanta, GA.[29]

Peace, Love & Fyütch

In April 2013, Fyütch released a 5-song hippie/psychedelic concept EP Peace, Love & Fyütch. All 5 songs are produced by G-Pop and are full of world percussion and obscure samples. The EP also features original cover art by Bonehead (Christina Maycann). Fyütch released the EP online via HotNewHipHop, Live Mixtapes, and Good Music All Day; and hosted the release party at Nashville clothing boutique Love Is Earth. The EP is available for purchase on iTunes and streaming on Spotify.

The Other Future

In March 2014, Nardwuar interviewed Atlanta rapper Future. Narwuar asked Future if he knew of any other rappers named Future before him, then informed him. "There was another Future that was out there. Started in 2003. It was this gentleman right here, Mr. Flattop, from Nashville, TN. And he originally was called Future, then he changed his name to Mr. Flattop, and now he's called FYÜTCH. He actually was called Future in 2003 but he had to change his name because you got big."[30] Nardwuar handed Future a copy of Fyütch's album Mr. Flattop. At that exact moment, their parallel universes intersected and altered the course of the "future" forever. A week after the interview, Fyütch released a remix of Future's hit single "Move That Dope," and titled it "The Other Future (Don't Sell Dope)."[31] HipHopDX debuted the song and called it a "Future, YG, and Migos Diss."[31][32]

Freestyle Champion

August 2015, Fyütch moved to New York City and began competing in freestyle rap competitions. He won the Supreme Bars MC and Producer Tournament in October, December, and January 2016.[33][33] Fyütch won End of The Weak MC Challenge in April.[34] December 2016, he won the Supreme Bars Tournament as a producer, becoming the first person to win the competition as an MC and a Producer.[35]

Country Kendrick

Summer 2017, Fyütch began filming a weekly web series called Fyütchology, part humor and part social commentary. The series gained national coverage on Episode 12 "Country Kendrick," where Fyütch remakes Kendrick Lamar songs in a country style. The skit quickly made it to the front page of Reddit Videos and appeared on Worldstar shortly after.[36] MTV featured the skit on Total Request Live hosted by DC Young Fly, Erik Zachary, Amy Pham, Tamara Dhia, and Lawrence Jackson. Mass Appeal (media) covered the success, "nothing is currently quite as thought-provoking as watching the artist in a leather vest and cowboy hat belting out his own honky-tonk rendition of “Humble.”[37]

Awards

  • 2016 Winner of Supreme Bars Producer Tournament in New York City (December) [35]

  • 2016 Winner of End of The Weak MC Challenge in New York City (April) [34]

  • 2016 Winner of Supreme Bars MC Tournament in New York City (January) [33]

  • 2015 Winner of Supreme Bars MC Tournament in New York City (October, December) [33]

  • 2009 Nashville Music Award Nominee (Best Urban Recording of the Year) [38]

  • 2007 Southern Entertainment Award Nominee w/ Biscuits and Gravy (Best Indy R&B Artist)

  • 2007 and 2008 Belmont University Urban Showcase winner

Discography

EP

  • Philosophy of Love[39]

  • Peace, Love & Fyütch[40]

  • The Sci Fly EP[41]

Singles

  • "Funked Up" (2016)[42]

  • "Worship Song" (2015)[43]

  • "Questions Vs. Answers" (2015)[44]

  • "Soul Searching'" (2014)[45]

  • "The Movement'" (2014)[46]

  • "Living In The Darkness'" (2014)[47]

  • "Pull Your Pants Up'" (2014)[48]

  • "The Other Future'" (2014)[49]

  • "Ballin'" (2011)[19]

  • "Rainin' Money" (2011)[21]

  • "Street Life" w/ Wick-it the Instigator (2011)[50]

  • "In the Morning" (2012)[51]

References

[1]
Citation Linkclutch.mtv.comLandoli, Kathy. "6 Examples Of Rappers With The Same Names". MTV.com. Archived from the original on November 8, 2011. Retrieved November 3, 2011.
Sep 24, 2019, 6:33 PM
[2]
Citation Linkwww.goodmusicallday.comWebb, T. "Future The Artist – All About the Money". Retrieved July 3, 2012.
Sep 24, 2019, 6:33 PM
[3]
Citation Linkwww.nashvillescene.com"Hip-hop is dead? Don't tell that to the Nashville underground". Nashville Scene. Retrieved 2015-12-05.
Sep 24, 2019, 6:33 PM
[4]
Citation Linkbelmontvision.com"The Beat 'n' Track with Future the Artist". belmontvision.com. Retrieved 2015-12-05.
Sep 24, 2019, 6:33 PM
[5]
Citation Linknashvillesundaynight.wordpress.com"Happy Salmon Presents – Rock The Block @ Exit/In 1/26/10". Nashville Sunday Night. Retrieved 2015-12-05.
Sep 24, 2019, 6:33 PM
[6]
Citation Linkwww.nashvillescene.com"Next Big Nashville Bands Announced". Nashville Scene. Retrieved 2015-12-05.
Sep 24, 2019, 6:33 PM
[7]
Citation Linkwww.nashvillescene.com"Next Big Nashville". Nashville Scene. Retrieved 2015-12-05.
Sep 24, 2019, 6:33 PM
[8]
Citation Linkwww.nashvillescene.com"GZA at MTSU, 3/31/10". Nashville Scene. Retrieved 2015-12-05.
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[9]
Citation Linkwww.nashvillescene.com"Nappy Roots w/Biscuits and Gravy". Nashville Scene. Retrieved 2015-12-05.
Sep 24, 2019, 6:33 PM
[10]
Citation Linkwww.nashvillescene.comMaloney, Sean L. "Black Market at Exit/In". Nashville Scene. Retrieved 2015-12-05.
Sep 24, 2019, 6:33 PM
[11]
Citation Linkwww.musicrow.com"Nashville Music Award Voting Begins". MusicRow – Nashville's Music Industry Publication – News, Songs From Music City. Retrieved 2015-12-05.
Sep 24, 2019, 6:33 PM
[12]
Citation Linkwww.hiphoppress.com"Overnight Mixtape vol 4". www.hiphoppress.com. Retrieved 2015-12-05.
Sep 24, 2019, 6:33 PM
[13]
Citation Linkwww.nashvillescene.com"The Year in Music: Ear to the Ground". Nashville Scene. Retrieved 2015-12-05.
Sep 24, 2019, 6:33 PM
[14]
Citation Linkwww.pynkcelebrity.com"Future Releases Vol. 4 of the Overnight Mixtape Series".
Sep 24, 2019, 6:33 PM
[15]
Citation Linksmokingsection.uproxx.com"Event Recap: Wale's Attention Deficit Tour". uproxx.com. April 21, 2009.
Sep 24, 2019, 6:33 PM
[16]
Citation Linkwww.fabglancenashville.com"This Weekend: Pharrell, Wale, and Eric".
Sep 24, 2019, 6:33 PM
[17]
Citation Linkwww.nashvillescene.com"Weekend Round-Up: The Cream Is 3 Style! Part 2".
Sep 24, 2019, 6:33 PM
[18]
Citation Linkbelmontvision.comCarson, Erin (March 31, 2011). "The Beat 'n' Track with Future the Artist". belmontvision.com.
Sep 24, 2019, 6:33 PM
[19]
Citation Linkwww.goodmusicallday.com"Future – Ballin' (GMAD Exclusive)".
Sep 24, 2019, 6:33 PM
[20]
Citation Linkwww.goodmusicallday.com"Future – Rainin' Money (Behind The Scenes Cover Shoot – Track Preview)".
Sep 24, 2019, 6:33 PM