Though he currently hails from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Butta Verses (a.k.a. John Cullen), is New York through and through. A “lyrically conscientious” rapper, Cullen was raised in the Boogie Down Bronx, in 10465 – where he picked up hip-hop from freestyle rap battles and local ciphers. Uncertain if this was the life he wanted, Butta relocated to Florida – to pursue surfing. As fate would have it, Cullen fell in with local MCs and realized he could no longer battle his destiny. He banded together a collective of prospective artists and DJs, who christened themselves the “Glee Club Detention” and got a mix tape to DJ Maseo of De La Soul. Maseo was so impressed he signed Butta to his Bear Mountain Records label. “As a kid that’s what I used to say to myself,” explains Cullen. “If I could be in any crew, I would be in Native Tongues with De La and Tribe.” Butta’s official debut came in 2004, on the track “No” for De La Soul’s “The Grind Date.” Following this success, things became smooth as you know what. Butta began opening for John Legend, Common, and of course, De La Soul. His career has been steadily picking up steam ever since. With the new single “Jones in Ya Bones” in his pocket and De La Soul’s endorsement under his belt, Butta’s verses are likely to be heard for some time.
