Graffiti bomber, skateboarder and emcee, Mantis One represents the gritty side of San Francisco hip-hop. Raised in the Tenderloin, one of the the seediest sections in the city of fog, Mantis has been immersed in the culture since birth and has grown up with a hustlers mentality. An honest writer and a vicious freestyler, Mantis is also cursed with a rare disease that is slowly causing him to lose his vision, but that hasn’t stopped him from continuing to perfect his sound. Em Dub had a chance to meet up with Mantis One over at his new studio in the Mission District, and they talked about how he got into hip-hop, the origin of his name, how where he lived affected his style, his latest album Don’t Come Knockin Volume 1 and more. He also busted a dope verse and an ill off-the-top freestyle. Check out more of Mantis One’s music at http://mantisoneskazone.bandcamp.com/!
Stay tuned for part 2, featuring Mantis One’s freestyle, coming Thursday!
