He’s worked with legends, represents three cities, and drops lyrics rooted in intellect, faith, and fire. B.Eveready’s new project The Crab Season EP proves once again he’s one of the most respected underground emcees on the East Coast. We caught up with him to talk about his roots, his evolution, and his mission to inspire and elevate.
1. The Foundation
Q: You were born in Boston, now living in Baltimore, and rooted in Barbados. How have those three places shaped your identity and your sound?
That’s a great question to start us off! Those are special places in my life & music. That’s the soil that nurtured & threatened my talent & future. I’m a first-generation Bajan immigrant, Black man from Mattapan — 02126 specifically. I love dancehall & battle rap, soca & synth wave, and everything in between. God gave us music, it’s never done me wrong.
2. The Crab Season EP
Q: Your new project The Crab Season EP just dropped—what’s the story behind the title, and what do you want listeners to take away from it?
I started working on this project back in 2021 — in the middle of COVID. I wanted to reach out & make some joints with the dope emcees in Baltimore that I hadn’t worked with yet, but always respected & was a fan of. Gentlemen like MC Bravado, Jay Royale, Ill Conscious, John Wells & Lonnie Moore. And I would be remiss to forget the Queen that is Jai Ivy! She does her thing on “Apocalypse Now” — it’s reminiscent to me of Rihanna on “All Of The Lights”. I want listeners to take that we take our craft seriously, & we can go toe-to-toe with any area that’s been blessed with more commercial success than Baltimore (and Boston & Pittsburgh).
3. The Craft
Q: You’ve worked with legends like Talib Kweli, Cappadonna, and The Last Poets. What have you learned from those collaborations, and how have they pushed your artistry?
I learned firsthand at an early stage in the game that you will get what you put into this. We opened up for Kweli in ‘03-‘04, and I saw 500 people levitate when he did “Shock Body” after “Get By”. You could FEEL the music. So I strive to bring the passion that will create that type of experience for my audience.
4. Lyrical Standards
Q: You clearly hold yourself to a high lyrical bar. What does being an emcee mean to you in 2025, and how do you stay sharp in a world that often favors quantity over quality?
Real talk, I mostly listen to the classics. The things that inspired me 20 years ago still do today. But there are some standouts. You’ve got the standard bearers like CyHi, King Los, Joey, Ab-Soul, Ray Vaughn, Daylyt, Royce, Lupe, Mickey Factz, Skyzoo, Action, etc., and then you have folks on the come up like myself. We just stay true to what got us in position in the first place: focusing on the bars & the music.
5. Soul & Substance
Q: Your music pulls from both soul and street—Stevie Wonder to Wu-Tang. How do you balance grit and grace in your sound?
It’s what I was raised on. You don’t play the same record in the club that you play when you want to think about life. So if you’re an emcee (in the real sense of the word), you have to be able to do it all. That’s literally what makes you an emcee. You can’t master the ceremony if a DJ can put on a beat that you can’t flow over or get the crowd moving to.
6. The Faith Factor
Q: As a Christian and a graduate of Carnegie Mellon, your faith and intellect both show up in your music. How do those parts of you influence what you create and how you move?
It’s really been about my growth as a Black man in America. I’ve always been very conscious of our challenges & our perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds as Black people. So that intellect piece is really from my parents. My mother & father poured into me for years — making me do book reports in the summer, pushing me to a private high school, and always telling me that I could do anything I wanted to if I was willing to work for it & put God first. They’ve been together for 47 years, and they really set the example that I try to live up to.
And then my girlfriend at the time (who is now my wife) introduced me to the Church of Christ, where her family has worshipped for 40+ years. And it made sense to me because they had a Bible answer for any Bible question I had. We base our lives on our understanding of God’s Word, and we do our best to do what God wants us to do. So that informs my music, but I am who I am because of who I was & who God is molding me to be.
7. Legacy in the Making
Q: You’ve got years of releases behind you—from The C.P.T. Mixtape to #GrindSeason and now The Crab Season EP. What do you think has changed most about you as an artist over time?
I think my ear for beats has improved a lot. I know what I want to express emotionally & I can search my archives or reach out to one of our producers (or make it myself) to communicate that correctly. Earlier, I was more concerned about what a beat made ME feel. Now I’m more interested in what it makes YOU feel.
8. Future Vision
Q: You’ve said you’re aiming to be one of the greats, and also want to help develop the next generation of artists. What does that mission look like to you in action?
I’ve always been about community action. I do my best to keep my ear to the streets for the next spitters, and I’m just starting to get back involved with the Baltimore Peace Movement (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qClPZqc6UEc) & Beats Not Bullets (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yqCZoTXToY). I’ve been taking care of my wife for the last 4.5 years, so I’m just getting back outside, but you will definitely see a more active B.Eveready in the next 12 months. Our record label, Checkmate Entertainment, is actively cultivating a group of producers, and then we will start scouting for singers, songwriters & emcees in Baltimore, Pittsburgh & Boston. Nobody outside of those cities cares about the artists who are striving to make an impact in the culture, and my job is to amplify those voices & provide opportunities where I can. Essentially, if we link & can do good, above-board business, you have met The Plug.
9. For the Record
Q: When someone presses play on a B.Eveready track, what do you want them to immediately recognize or feel?
This ain’t that weirdo rap you summa-summas used to, word to our brother Nipsey.
10. Closing Words
Q: What’s one message you’d give to artists trying to balance purpose, skill, and staying true in today’s rap game?
I realized that I needed to pursue music while I was listening to “Reunited” by Wu-Tang in 2000. 25 years of blood, sweat, tears, & THOUSANDS of dollars later, this is what you see. If you’re not willing to essentially do a bid for this music, get out & do something else. Because the money isn’t what it was, and there’s so much trash in the game, they take up almost all of the oxygen for the real artists. If you’re willing to grind for YEARS with no promise of anything, and you have something to say, welcome to the best & worst time of your life. Keep God first, stay out of the way, and always take your vocals from every recording session — it’ll save you a lot of heartache later.
Peace to HipHopsRevival for always rocking with me — this was from 2017 (https://hiphopsrevival.com/sponsored/b-eveready-drippin-swagu-ft-emilio-rojas/)!!! Over here, we respect the real & we get it off the #SlowGrind — word to Isaiah Thomas (#4 not #11). Thank God for life, love & all these blessings. Check out Crab Season if you want a soundtrack for your summer.
Follow on IG: https://www.instagram.com/b.eveready/