Chicago native Xxtra, son of a fireman and health inspector, and the youngest of five, started performing for the purpose of family entertainment at the age of five and moved on to begin his professional career at 13. His first claim to fame was alongside Oprah Winfrey in the made-for-TV film, There Are No Children Here.
After that, he starred in a number of plays at eta Theater and the De La Salle Institute, where Xxtra attended high school.
His early success resulted in him receiving several young leadership awards and raising the school’s profile as one of the top institutions in Illinois for theater.
During this time, Xxtra and DJ Poncho were a part of the dance group Untouchable Unity, better known as U Phi U, which was well-known throughout the city. The group was recognized for their catchy routines and fast-moving feet, better known as “juking.”
Poncho later went on to take this word and make it famous in Chicago and throughout the Nation, while after graduating from high school, Xxtra decided to part ways with the entertainment industry and pursue a career in computer operations.
He later served his term and graduated from college with a degree in accounting, but felt that there was something missing. Xxtra moved back to Chicago and started carrying crates for DJ Poncho during the time he was co-djing for Dunn Ruff, as well as serving as True Enuff’s hype man.
Sparking his creative spirit again, Xxtra decided to start his own record label, Final Level Records. After establishing a roster and successfully recording the group’s first mix tape, with no marketing or publicity, 5,000 copies of the mix tape were sold.
While recording a second mix tape, tragedy fell upon Xxtra and he could no longer carry the label as he once did, with no support from the original artists. This motivated him to continue his career alone, focusing all of his energy on creating music.
With influences such as 2Pac, Scarface, B.I.G, and Jay-Z, Xxtra only felt it was right to come out with a new single Get That Chop, which was described by deejays such as DJ Phantom and DJ VDub as a “good record,” but not a “good single.”
This led him back to the drawing board with the idea to collaborate with Dat Boy Hot to re-introduce Give It to Me Daddy, produced by Xcel.
Greeted with open arms by WGCI and Power 92, Give It to Me Daddy has received a generous amount of radio play. Xxtra has also been recognized by KC 103 in Kansas City, as well as on blog and talk shows in New Jersey and California
