Growing up in Richmond, California, MPTHEUPGRADE learned about life at an early age. Raised in Easter Hill, his childhood changed when the projects were torn down and families were forced to relocate. His family eventually moved to 18th and North Lincoln Ave, next door to his aunt.
For MPTHEUPGRADE, those early years were far from easy. He describes himself as a “badass kid,” and much of his juvenile life was spent in and out of juvenile hall. Some of the cases he faced could have sent him to prison for a long time if he had been older. Fortunately, he was still a kid.
Music became part of his life during those years. At just 13 years old, while in juvenile hall, MPTHEUPGRADE started making music. What began as something to do would eventually become a serious form of expression and a path toward something bigger.
His musical influences came from home and from the culture around him. Mac Dre and the entire Thizz Nation played a major role in shaping his sound and his desire to perform. He grew up watching Trill TV DVDs his brother would bring home, watching artists on stage and imagining himself in that same position one day.
Michael Jackson was another major influence. MPTHEUPGRADE admired his journey from being a child in the Jackson 5 to becoming one of the biggest entertainers in the world. That ability to grow, evolve and leave a lasting legacy stuck with him.
But while music was developing, life was still moving in a different direction.
After elementary school, much of MPTHEUPGRADE’s childhood was spent inside juvenile hall. That is where he says he graduated high school and grew from a little boy into a young man. When he would get released, the freedom rarely lasted long. Two or three months later, he would often find himself back inside because of a new case or a violation.
During those short periods of freedom, he stayed close to Richmond. He would spend time in NARF Richmond with his brothers Leroy and James, or link up with his skating friends at the Richmond Skate Park. Those moments may have been brief, but they were part of the life that shaped who he became.
His relationship with music also continued to grow. As a kid, he taught himself how to record at home using Audacity. Eventually, he moved on to Cubase and began learning how to mix his own music. He wasn’t just making songs anymore. He was learning the entire process behind them.
By the time MPTHEUPGRADE turned 18, he was at Byron’s Boys Ranch. It was there that he was told prison was likely the next step in his life. When he eventually got out at 18, something changed. He decided it was time to calm down and move differently.
That decision became an important turning point.
After serving time in prison, MPTHEUPGRADE returned home with a different perspective and a renewed focus on music. Eight months after being released from prison, he dropped “She Just Wana,” the single he credits with putting him on the radar and introducing people to this new chapter of his career.
His sound is rooted in California. Not just the California people know from the streets, but the California they see in movies—the beaches, bridges and good vibes. That West Coast feeling is at the center of what MPTHEUPGRADE is creating.
Now, he is ready to take that sound further with his upcoming EP, “Black Sheep,” dropping September 5. The project serves as a sample of his new sound, led by “She Just Wana.”
The road to this point has not been straight. MPTHEUPGRADE grew up in Richmond, spent much of his youth behind bars, discovered music while in juvenile hall, taught himself how to record and mix, and eventually found himself facing prison before choosing to change direction.
Now he’s home, focused and building something new.
Along the way, he hasn’t forgotten the people who believed in him. He gives a special shoutout to Viper Beats, Frisco Philly B, Ben Havn, Scamdad and his little brother LCHVPO for always believing in him. He also salutes his longtime engineer Lefty out in Sacramento, who helped him put together his first project, “Man of Business.”
