Lil Keke at SU Student Union

• By MICHAEL FARRAR
• Special to 2theadvocate.com
• Published: Nov 4, 2008 - UPDATED: 3:02 p.m.

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Lil Keke is a hip hop artist who has invested heavily in his lyrical talent since he was 16 years old, but don't look for him to show you his rhyme book -- because it doesn't exist.

"I have no raps written down. Every rap I do, I do it straight from my head the same way I always did. No tablets with old raps in them. I do all my music right there on the spot," Keke said.

Now more than a decade into his career, Lil Keke (born Marcus Edwards) not only continues to rap about a plush life with hot cars, but also the rough life he led which he believes gives authentic insight for fans.

"I try to take them through life experiences, because I've seen both sides of it. I always try to give my fans a perspective that I'm not too far from them. Basically, what I'm saying is, 'I know you are struggling, but you can turn it around.'" Keke said.

Life has certainly changed for Lil Keke, who grew up in the Herschelwood section of Houston under tough circumstances. His neighborhood experiences inspired his song "South Side" in 1997, which hit the Top 30 of Billboard's hot rap singles.

Now, he has a solid career in music and his new release, "Loved by Few, Hated by Many," marks his 12th solo CD as he continues a legacy that sprang from the Houston hip hop scene of DJ Screw.

Lil Keke feels that his Houston roots extend throughout the South, and he enjoys performing for Southern audiences.

"I bring a Southern presence,” he said. “We know what kind of music the South likes. I'm real popular (over) this way. I like to come out and excite the young people."

There's little doubt that Lil Keke will stir up excitement as part of the BET Black College Tour coming to Southern University's Smith/Brown Student Union Friday, Nov. 7.

He understands that some younger hip hop devotees might not be fully aware of his long career.

"A lot of young people in college haven't been turned on to Lil Keke, because (I'm) from before their time, but I'm still here, so they know my new songs. So, I'm going to take them back and bring them up a little bit." Keke said.

Lil Keke is certainly aware of the strong hip hop cultural ties between Baton Rouge and Houston, which makes him confident that a fair number of SU students will know his Houston legacy. He claims to have sold more than 800,000 independent records within his home town.

As proud as Lil Keke is of his past music success, he is focused on the future by pushing to make a bigger national splash with his "Loved by Few, Hated by Many" CD.