One of the most popular arguments discussed in the Hip-Hop world is the debate on whether or not south rappers can lyrically compete with other coasts. Ignoring the well-known talents of artists such as Outkast, Ludacris and Lil’ Wayne, the south has had a hard time gaining the lyrical respect from other regions. With a prominent shine mimicking the light out-lining Jesus Christ, IDIAZ The Difference may just be the first artist to dig a six-foot hole and permanently bury this stereotype in the battlegrounds of the Hip-Hop industry. Born March 5th, 1990, hailing from South Florida as a real Miami native and proudly carrying a Dominican background, Erick “IDIAZ” Diaz adds new flavor to Hip-Hop. He is surprisingly young, articulate, creative and smart. With the release of his first mix cd in 2005, “Game on Fire Vol. 1”, which was hosted by Heavy Hitter DJ Mr. Mauricio from 103.5 The Beat in Miami, IDIAZ gained the faith and attention of several influential names in the hip-hop game such as DJ Ideal, Domingo, The Notorious DJ Kool G from 99 Jamz and of corse the world-famous DJ Mr. Mauricio himself…just to name a few. When the public listened to the mixtape, they were so impressed that at the age of fifteen he was so lyrically inclined and also appreciated his flow and voice (which is a memorably distinctive voice that stands out for his age). Some try to compare him to other rappers, and after multiple empty “thought bubbles” they notice he sounds solely like himself, IDIAZ. Since birth, hip-hop surrounded IDIAZ’s daily life. With an “80’s baby” father who participated in the b-boy fever as a teenager, the hip-hop culture was embedded in his everyday lifestyle. During his early elementary school years, he began writing simple rhythmical poems expressing his puppy love for female classmates and participated in school choirs and chorus shows. Some of the first signs of his admiration for music were noted when he received a simple Casio keyboard for Christmas and would spend hours trying to perfect one particular piece that he loved: Johann Pachelbel’s “Canon”. He later started carrying a Walkman with him almost everywhere he went. Studying and listening to greats such as DMX, Eminem, Ludacris, Tupac, Method Man, The Notorious B.I.G. and the list goes on. Then, with music already a strong aspect of his life, IDIAZ wrote his first verse in the brink of junior high. As an inexperienced rapper, he kept his verses and music to himself during his first stages of MC’ing with the exception of a few close friends. Writing verses in class and then performing them to his circle right after school for feedback became an addiction. Then in the eighth grade, one of his friends felt it was time for IDIAZ to get out of the shadows and introduced him to a popular rap group known in his school. With one sixteen-bar verse they immediately recruited him, followed by his whole school acknowledging who IDIAZ was the next day. “After that I started thinking that maybe I could actually do this. I mean look at Lil’ Bow Wow, (who is now known as just Bow Wow) youngest rapper to earn such a huge salary, placed in the Guinness Book of World Records and he’s the only kid around my age doing it big right now. Why not be the first to give him some competition?” With a boosted confidence from the reaction of his peers, IDIAZ began stepping his game up from just jotting verses to learning the craft of being an artist and a songwriter and composing full tracks. As a freshman, he officially began marketing himself and producing records with a $10 computer microphone and a basic recording program. He has also performed in various Talent Shows at School and was impressive at the Mike Sherman Show. With the knowledge gained from being an underground hip-hop head, mixtape fiend and student to east coast legends, he started blending that with the music that circulated him in his home town. The creativity grew from there and so did he as an artist. “The Difference” is, to some it seems like he grew abnormally fast. Currently, IDIAZ is working on an album that with out a doubt would be successful with the right type of deal. He is concentrating on making an album that will be known as a classic instead of a few hits that get played out fast. He wants to put out memorable tracks with his taste of originality. Along with some of his high school friends, IDIAZ also created a clan of talented young Dominican Solo Artists, ranging from ages 15 to 17 and named them selves “Ace Deck”. His goal is to get signed to a label that can help him push his artistic career to a level that would be profitable for any label. Besides having the talent that every artist has, IDIAZ brings a new and different taste to the industry that would be appealing to both the young and older generation. This is one of the reasons why his slogan is “The Difference”.