Carl Parker, Jr. of Hampton is a 13-year-old "positive" hip-hop artist known as Lil'Old C. His songs speak about keeping out of trouble, staying in school and being true to himself and his faith. Carl has been singing his youth-friendly lyrics for the past seven years locally and in Richmond and has taken his message as far as Chicago. This year, he released his fourth CD, "Carl Parker Jr. aka Lil'Old C." Past releases include "Never Too Young," "A Kids Life," and "Play Ball." July kicked off a busy schedule for the young rapper, who is performing more than 20 shows in his summer concert series. "We're going over songs every day and rehearsing every other day," he said. *What inspires you? My Message. Being able to rock a crowd but know that I'm leaving them with something positive.
*What was the best live show you ever saw? A ventriloquist named William Salaam. I performed with him at Portsmouth City Park.
*What's the best and worst thing about the Hampton Roads music scene? Not a lot of opportunities for young independent "positive" hip-hop. The good thing is we created our own with the Summer Concert Series.
*If signed to a record deal, how would you spend the advance? I wouldn't. My dad teaches me about saving my money.
*If you could write your own headline, what would it be? Lil'Old C. does a benefit concert for thousands of kids from our area.
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Carl Parker, Jr. has released his fourth CD- quite a feat for the 13-year-old 7th grader who attends Eaton Fundamental School in Hampton. The NEW CD is titled "Carl Parker, Jr AKA Lil'Old C. Parker was 5 years old when he released his first single, Never Too Young." His latest disc released on Tru-Talent Records out of Hampton, features nine tracks and showcases a variety of musical styles although the primary focus is a positive rap message. His father, Carl Parker, Sr. manages his son. "He has his annual tour, Summer Concert Series 06," says Parker, Sr. "We go to Boys and Girls Clubs, community centers, and now military bases to perform for the youth. We do about 40 shows every year from June until November."
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Thirteen-year-old Hampton hip- hop artist Lil'Old C released a nine- song CD of positive rhymes and bangin' beats. The self- titled album sparkles with such jams as "My Calling," "Standing On a Cloud," and "Still Here." C's confident studio performance comes across as if he's an ol' pro, who could argue? This is his fourth album. He debuted in 1999 with "Never Too Young," which followed by "A Kids Prayer" (2002) and "Play Ball" (2004). All recordings were produced on his father's TRU-TALENT RECORDS.
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