Sean Rose
Las Vegas, NV | Hip Hop/Rap
“You can never keep a Rose out the sunlight…”
Las Vegas is known as the city of sin which allows individuals to indulge in vices that you cannot partake in anywhere else in the world. But if you look beyond the neon lights that illuminate the strip you’ll find a living and breathing city that has always existed but is rarely talked about. When tourists are done divulging in the carnival of peccadillo and return to their lives elsewhere, the rest of the city still deals with its own issues ranging from teenage prostitution to a fledgling economy that struggles to keep its inhabitants employed due to its reliance on tourism. Unfortunately, that story is rarely told…until now.
23-year-old emcee Sean Rose represents the other side of Las Vegas through his music. Tales of struggle, survival, hope and success are painted on a canvas of soulful production. Rose isn’t here to preach, he’s here to shed light on the Vegas way of life that is often kept in the dark.
As a military brat born in Fort Riley, Kansas, Rose relocated to Las Vegas in 1996 and learned that the bright lights of Vegas weren’t exactly what were portrayed on television. The struggles of everyday life were happening all around him. With his father feeding his ears a healthy diet of Rakim, Big Daddy Kane and Naughty By Nature and a mother that kept everything from The Isley Brothers to Elton John in constant rotation, Rose had a diverse palette of music that helped him escape the trials and tribulations of real life while helping shape and mold his current style of music that marries raw rhymes with the essence of soul. Those influences led to Rose penning rhymes as early as the age of 11 and by high school his peers began to recognize his talent as an artist. However, the difficulties of living in a city that has never had a mainstream hip-hop star kept him from pursuing a career in the music business full-time. That, coupled with living with a single mother who had to raise three children, proved to be trying to the youngster and Rose resorted to hustling to put food on the table. Although hustling in the streets was part of his life, he never allowed it to define who he was.
“Like others, I took care of my family through high school the best way I knew how,” Rose says. “I never really speak about it because I don’t want to brag on that lifestyle. You do that because you have to not because you want to.” With music taking a backseat to real life issues, a string of incidents would prove to change Rose’s life forever. In 2007, the streets took the life of his best friend Charles Washington. The loss was a reality check to the young Rose, who was still in the process of figuring out what he wanted to do with his life but had his eyes opened to the harsh reality of toiling in the streets. Rose began to focus heavily on music but was grounded for several months due to a torn Achilles tendon while playing a pickup game of basketball. With his inability to do anything but work on music, Rose would again be struck with difficulties as a computer virus caused him to lose every bit of music that he had been working on. Rose had a choice to make, either press on and create new music or give up and forge his way through life as a employee. It would be during this time that a good friend presented his music to Senior Vice President of Island Def Jam Music Group and the Executive Vice President of Def Jam. Stewart immediately recognized Rose’s talent and met with the young rapper in August of 2008 to advise him that his art — which represented the everyday struggle for dreamers from a Vegas perspective — could open the door to a career in the rap game.
That affirmation was all Rose needed to realize what his career path would be moving forward. Unfortunately, before Stewart could sign Rose, tragedy struck as the music executive committed suicide on November 1st, 2008. Although their relationship was brief, it changed Rose forever. He also realized that in order to make a career out of music, he would have to take his craft to another level. “I’m glad that the deal with Shakir didn’t happen because I wasn’t ready for it,” Rose reflects. “I wasn’t mentally nor musically ready for that to happen. It wasn’t my time yet.”
Timing is everything and Rose came to grips with the notion that it wasn’t his time just yet. As Rose contemplated whether or not to continue creating music, things began to fall into place to help him prepare for when his time finally came. He met his team, which included producer Cameron Osteen, who would help structure the soulful soundscapes that have become his canvas to paint lyrical portatins upon. The dynamic duo would trudge forward and create Rose’s formal introduction to the world Rose To The Occasion EP. The EP, which released on 10/10/10, was chock full of ambitious rhymes that represented a Vegas lifestyle that could be universally appreciated coupled with the production that simply could not be denied. Listeners realized that this was something different, something intricate and something special. Acclaimed blogs including 2DopeBoyz.com showed love to the project while others praised it for its positivity and its aesthetically pleasing sound. Although most expect a Las Vegas emcee to glorify the overwrought clichés of hustling and partying, Rose has excelled by telling the story of what a real Las Vegas resident goes though.
“I don’t make music for ignorant people. Every line and every instrument is placed there for a reason. It tells a story just like you were reading a book,” Rose says. “I wanted to make the kind of music that influences the city to do better. People that aren’t from here only know the lifestyle shown on television. They don’t know that a real city exists and, although the negative aspects are present, the other side is Vegas is what influences me to make the music I create.”
The debut project led to Rose receiving praise from the likes of R. Kelly and Kanye West while esteemed local boutiques including Fruition, Stussy and UNDFTD threw their support behind the young rhymeslinger. In April of 2011, Rose welcomed his daughter to the world and quickly realized that his music was no longer just for him, it was for his family. That’s when his drive to succeed kicked into overdrive.
In Fall of 2011 Rose released the collaborative project with Gilbere Forte titled SUMMRTME, SUNSHNE, NGHTFALL to critical acclaim. That project opened more doors for Rose as opportunities to perform across the country at festivals including A3C came about. The lead single for the project “Downtown” was shot by Coodie & Chike, who may be best known for directing Erykah Badu’s “Window Seat” and Kanye West’s “Through The Wire.” Media outlets including Las Vegas’ biggest weekly publication Vegas Seven pegged him as “one to watch” and it all led to perhaps the most significant moment in his young career. Upon hearing SUMMRTME, SUNSHNE, NGHTFALL, MTV invited Rose to participate in its web based show MTV Rapfix’s one-year anniversary show; which also featured established artists including Consequence and Lloyd Banks. Rose impressed the MTV brass as well as the millions that tuned in with his rhymes and set the stage for his upcoming project titled Overdrive.
With Cameron Osteen handling the bulk of the production and collaborations with Marsha Ambrosious, Gilbere Forte and Shawnna lined up, Overdrive is the moment that Rose has been waiting for. The album is a continuation of the long path that Rose has taken to be a successful artist. He continues to verbalize the aspirations of the dreamers on songs like “Passport Music” while remaining loyal to his Vegas roots on “Hometown Heroes,” which features local emcees SeDrew Price, Trade Vorhees and S-U-preme. Rose has waited a long time for this. Throughout all the trials and tribulations placed in front of him, Rose has persevered and his diligence is an inspiration to anyone who has dreamed to climb out of a hopeless situation.
“If your time hasn’t came yet it doesn’t mean that it’s not going to come. It means that when it does come, just make sure you are prepared for it because it may not ever come again. That’s what I’m all about. You have to keep preparing yourself for that moment.”
And when it comes for Sean Rose, best believe that he’ll be ready to seize it.
Las Vegas is known as the city of sin which allows individuals to indulge in vices that you cannot partake in anywhere else in the world. But if you look beyond the neon lights that illuminate the strip you’ll find a living and breathing city that has always existed but is rarely talked about. When tourists are done divulging in the carnival of peccadillo and return to their lives elsewhere, the rest of the city still deals with its own issues ranging from teenage prostitution to a fledgling economy that struggles to keep its inhabitants employed due to its reliance on tourism. Unfortunately, that story is rarely told…until now.
23-year-old emcee Sean Rose represents the other side of Las Vegas through his music. Tales of struggle, survival, hope and success are painted on a canvas of soulful production. Rose isn’t here to preach, he’s here to shed light on the Vegas way of life that is often kept in the dark.
As a military brat born in Fort Riley, Kansas, Rose relocated to Las Vegas in 1996 and learned that the bright lights of Vegas weren’t exactly what were portrayed on television. The struggles of everyday life were happening all around him. With his father feeding his ears a healthy diet of Rakim, Big Daddy Kane and Naughty By Nature and a mother that kept everything from The Isley Brothers to Elton John in constant rotation, Rose had a diverse palette of music that helped him escape the trials and tribulations of real life while helping shape and mold his current style of music that marries raw rhymes with the essence of soul. Those influences led to Rose penning rhymes as early as the age of 11 and by high school his peers began to recognize his talent as an artist. However, the difficulties of living in a city that has never had a mainstream hip-hop star kept him from pursuing a career in the music business full-time. That, coupled with living with a single mother who had to raise three children, proved to be trying to the youngster and Rose resorted to hustling to put food on the table. Although hustling in the streets was part of his life, he never allowed it to define who he was.
“Like others, I took care of my family through high school the best way I knew how,” Rose says. “I never really speak about it because I don’t want to brag on that lifestyle. You do that because you have to not because you want to.” With music taking a backseat to real life issues, a string of incidents would prove to change Rose’s life forever. In 2007, the streets took the life of his best friend Charles Washington. The loss was a reality check to the young Rose, who was still in the process of figuring out what he wanted to do with his life but had his eyes opened to the harsh reality of toiling in the streets. Rose began to focus heavily on music but was grounded for several months due to a torn Achilles tendon while playing a pickup game of basketball. With his inability to do anything but work on music, Rose would again be struck with difficulties as a computer virus caused him to lose every bit of music that he had been working on. Rose had a choice to make, either press on and create new music or give up and forge his way through life as a employee. It would be during this time that a good friend presented his music to Senior Vice President of Island Def Jam Music Group and the Executive Vice President of Def Jam. Stewart immediately recognized Rose’s talent and met with the young rapper in August of 2008 to advise him that his art — which represented the everyday struggle for dreamers from a Vegas perspective — could open the door to a career in the rap game.
That affirmation was all Rose needed to realize what his career path would be moving forward. Unfortunately, before Stewart could sign Rose, tragedy struck as the music executive committed suicide on November 1st, 2008. Although their relationship was brief, it changed Rose forever. He also realized that in order to make a career out of music, he would have to take his craft to another level. “I’m glad that the deal with Shakir didn’t happen because I wasn’t ready for it,” Rose reflects. “I wasn’t mentally nor musically ready for that to happen. It wasn’t my time yet.”
Timing is everything and Rose came to grips with the notion that it wasn’t his time just yet. As Rose contemplated whether or not to continue creating music, things began to fall into place to help him prepare for when his time finally came. He met his team, which included producer Cameron Osteen, who would help structure the soulful soundscapes that have become his canvas to paint lyrical portatins upon. The dynamic duo would trudge forward and create Rose’s formal introduction to the world Rose To The Occasion EP. The EP, which released on 10/10/10, was chock full of ambitious rhymes that represented a Vegas lifestyle that could be universally appreciated coupled with the production that simply could not be denied. Listeners realized that this was something different, something intricate and something special. Acclaimed blogs including 2DopeBoyz.com showed love to the project while others praised it for its positivity and its aesthetically pleasing sound. Although most expect a Las Vegas emcee to glorify the overwrought clichés of hustling and partying, Rose has excelled by telling the story of what a real Las Vegas resident goes though.
“I don’t make music for ignorant people. Every line and every instrument is placed there for a reason. It tells a story just like you were reading a book,” Rose says. “I wanted to make the kind of music that influences the city to do better. People that aren’t from here only know the lifestyle shown on television. They don’t know that a real city exists and, although the negative aspects are present, the other side is Vegas is what influences me to make the music I create.”
The debut project led to Rose receiving praise from the likes of R. Kelly and Kanye West while esteemed local boutiques including Fruition, Stussy and UNDFTD threw their support behind the young rhymeslinger. In April of 2011, Rose welcomed his daughter to the world and quickly realized that his music was no longer just for him, it was for his family. That’s when his drive to succeed kicked into overdrive.
In Fall of 2011 Rose released the collaborative project with Gilbere Forte titled SUMMRTME, SUNSHNE, NGHTFALL to critical acclaim. That project opened more doors for Rose as opportunities to perform across the country at festivals including A3C came about. The lead single for the project “Downtown” was shot by Coodie & Chike, who may be best known for directing Erykah Badu’s “Window Seat” and Kanye West’s “Through The Wire.” Media outlets including Las Vegas’ biggest weekly publication Vegas Seven pegged him as “one to watch” and it all led to perhaps the most significant moment in his young career. Upon hearing SUMMRTME, SUNSHNE, NGHTFALL, MTV invited Rose to participate in its web based show MTV Rapfix’s one-year anniversary show; which also featured established artists including Consequence and Lloyd Banks. Rose impressed the MTV brass as well as the millions that tuned in with his rhymes and set the stage for his upcoming project titled Overdrive.
With Cameron Osteen handling the bulk of the production and collaborations with Marsha Ambrosious, Gilbere Forte and Shawnna lined up, Overdrive is the moment that Rose has been waiting for. The album is a continuation of the long path that Rose has taken to be a successful artist. He continues to verbalize the aspirations of the dreamers on songs like “Passport Music” while remaining loyal to his Vegas roots on “Hometown Heroes,” which features local emcees SeDrew Price, Trade Vorhees and S-U-preme. Rose has waited a long time for this. Throughout all the trials and tribulations placed in front of him, Rose has persevered and his diligence is an inspiration to anyone who has dreamed to climb out of a hopeless situation.
“If your time hasn’t came yet it doesn’t mean that it’s not going to come. It means that when it does come, just make sure you are prepared for it because it may not ever come again. That’s what I’m all about. You have to keep preparing yourself for that moment.”
And when it comes for Sean Rose, best believe that he’ll be ready to seize it.
Discography
Albums / EP
Collaboration Projects
