OurStage Blog

**Special Note: In honor of the last day of Finals Week, we (Alyssa, Julie, and Quinn) are profiling the artists who made it to the number one spot in their respective channels.

It’s rare that I find myself writing about Hip-Hop and Rock artists in the same post. But it’s impossible to ignore a connection between two of this month’s number ones: Overcoming difficult times.

It starts with five-time(!) top-ten artist Dean Silva, who teamed up with Brian McKever to record “Kiss Another Day Good-by,” a song he admits he wrote during a very difficult time.

“I wrote it when I was deep in heroin addiction and could find no way out. At that time, my life seemed hopeless and the song ‘Kiss another day Good-by’ became a way of life. Today I am 18 months clean and have a new chance in my life and with my music.”

Congrats Dean on staying clean. It’s clear the fans identified with your struggle and appreciate your song. It’s certainly no small feat when you end up #1 in a channel of 1,363 entries!

Another artist who’s turned struggle into success is the Rap Channel’s number one artist Mixture, the Florida based MC who made it to the top with “Invicible,” an autobiographical walk through a life full of obstacles.

From his opening line, Mixture sets the tone:

I will not lose
’cause I choose to live by my rules
I’ve paid my dues
Walk a mile in my shoes
Lil’ n***a lied to
So now I don’t even know
Even if the sky’s blue
So I left high school

From there, with spitfire intensity, he embarks on a chronological journey through a troubled life. But like Silva, Mixture turns his dark time into a source of strength. By the end, he returns to the line that started the whole song: “I will not lose.”

To find out more about Dean Silva, check out his profile and join his fanclub.

For more on Mixture and Knight-Time Productions, go to his profile and do the same.

To judge either of these artists to the top (and the grand prize of $5,000!), start judging now!