“Scutch” was born in Harlem, New York on April 14, 1992. He lived in Harlem in the Lincoln Projects on 132nd and Park Ave with his father, mother, and sister. While he was there he remembers the poverty, street violence, and the issues people of the community faced with the police. As we know, being in such an environment can be very detrimental to the development of a child. His father kept him and his sister in Harlem for a brief moment after his parents divorced when he was 4. The reason his father did that was to make sure James and his sister could see where they came from and become familiar with the culture it could offer. His father wanted him and his sister to remember the possibilities of what they could become if they worked hard and not fall victim to what so many had fallen to in Harlem. When James turned 6 he started playing basketball for a team his father coached in Utica where they ultimately moved to. Once they moved to Utica, New York that’s when Scutch was created. While in Utica, he began to come into his own. He attended grade school, elementary school, and graduated from Proctor High School. As he began to make friends they began to call him “Scutch” because it seemed more fitting and rolled off the tongue better. He was very well known around the community for being a positive influence on and off the basketball court all the while facing hardships of peer pressure and a gang filled atmosphere. As he was growing he began to find another outlet to express himself and that outlet became music. At the age of 15 his passion for writing and wanting to be around music became heightened. He began to take notice of his older brother Berg Obama of A.T.M. (Addicted To Money) who was a predominate artist in the community. He would join his brother on stage when it came time for performances and the recording studio. One day Scutch caught wind of an artist from Philly that he really identified with and that artist we know now is Meek Millz. He studied the style for the wittiness and sharp catchy metaphors all the while making sure not to mimic the specific style of his most influential artist. One day, he and one of his teammates Melz decided to create a squad called FBG (Fly Boii Gang) and since then making music has become one of his lifelong goals. As a child Scutch was back and forth between New York and St. Louis because his mother moved to St. Louis after the divorce. In 2011 he relocated to the city of St. Louis and found himself connecting with a local artist by the name of Ritchie Rich of Stash House Family. They found chemistry amongst themselves and have been making music together since the beginning. With Scutch traveling back and forth as he was growing he began to adopt a Midwest feel while still bringing that New York touch. Other influences include The Diplomats, Jay Z, Young Jeezy, Eminem, Biggie, 2 Pac, Rick Ross, Wiz Khalifa, Jadakiss, and Fabolous. Scutch has a very smooth laid back delivery that can be pleasing to teens down to the most professional housewife. He has a personality of a leader and the outlook of a King. . He currently has a single entitled “Getting To The Money” and is also working on a mixtape. Through the music Scutch makes, it will be sure to give a direct view of his New York influence mixed with a Midwest flavor. For more information, contact: S.O.U.L. Tree Management Group (309) 706-8519 Soultree10@gmail.com