They Call Him Dot! Thatboi Dot will be the first to tell you that he's not a drug dealer, thug, or gangster. Dot, as his friends call him, is just a die-hard Hip Hop head who wants nothing more than to share his music with the world. Well, the American-born, Japan-based rapper is doing just that. While Okinawa is home for now, courtesy of a career-related move, Dot's roots go back to the good old Midwest. Growing up, he often moved around. Between his family's financial situation and some poor personal choices, young Dot was forced to live with other people. While six of his siblings remained with his father, he remembers watching his mom work herself to the bone to support his other brother and two sisters. Dot ended up forming his closest bond with older brother Michael, who acted as a father figure. "He knew I was talented when I was young,” Dot says. It was Michael who mentored him, instilling discipline, work ethic, and a sense of honor in the young Dot. As fate would have it, it was also Michael who introduced the soon-to-be rapper to Hip Hop. Throughout his childhood, Dot listened to a wide range of music. However, it wasn't until around 17 that he first tried his hand at rap. One of Dot's earliest attempts was rapping along to Tupac Shakur's “Shorty Wanna Be a Thug”. Inspired by Pac's heartfelt delivery, Dot realized that by injecting his emotions into lyrics, he could touch people with his music. Unfortunately, with his family and friends caught up in the d**e game, he feared a similar life would befall him, should he stay in his neighborhood any longer. So, after turning 18, Dot joined the military and set sail on a new path. Rap would have to wait. Tragedy hit home in 2007 when Michael was incarcerated for drug trafficking. Dot remembers, "My brother would give the shirt off his back for his family, and at the time he felt like there was no other way to provide.” While his brother was away, Dot became motivated to see the world and broaden his horizons. He decided to take advantage of his time in the military by visiting countries like England, Greece, Ireland, and Japan. Inspired by the sounds and sights of various cultures and people around the world, Dot 's love for rap was rekindled. "Music brings cultures together,” he says. "I intend to inspire and unite people with my music". But it wasn't until witnessing his brother's miraculous life change upon his prison release that Dot made the decision to pursue rap professionally. Determined to succeed, Dot perfected his high-speed lyrical delivery and began releasing music commercially in Japan. He dropped two videos: one for “Beautiful Demise”, the other for “NFZ Remix”, a remix of Rae Sremmurd's hit, “No Flex Zone”. Beginning to make a name for himself, he performed at several popular clubs and opened up for Trinidad James, Roscoe Dash, and Dorrough. He also went on tour with Dima Kash and Royce Rizzy for the 2015 Royce Rizzy Japan Tour, which kicked off during “Golden Week” in Japan. Never one to move without a plan, Dot says, “My plan is to make quality Hip Hop. You don't have to dumb down your music to make a hit for the club. I have a few tracks that I'm workin' on right now that will prove this.” To back up his claims, Thatboi Dot recently released a new music video for his debut track, “Ready”. This song is his first official track release for his debut Maxi Single project, “Workin' Real Hard”, which he recently released via Sound Cloud. When asked about his vision and his current inspiration to release this project, Dot doesn't hold back. “Hip Hop is a culture that was generated from the oppressed to serve as an outlet...an outlet that comes in many different forms of expression. I am Hip Hop until the day I meet my maker. That is why you will receive no apologies for the way that I express myself.” Be sure to check out Dot's latest video, “Ready”, as well as his latest project, “Workin Real Hard”. Find Thatboi Dot across social media: HYPERLINK "http://facebook.com/thatboidotofficial" _blankhttp://facebook.com/thatboidotofficial HYPERLINK "http://soundcloud.com/that-boi-dot" _blanksoundcloud.com/that-boi-dot HYPERLINK "http://instagram.com/thatboidot" _blankinstagram.com/thatboidot HYPERLINK "http://twitter.com/ThatboiDOT" _blanktwitter.com/ThatboiDOT HYPERLINK "http://youtube.com/user/Dot3ok" _blankyoutube.com/user/Dot3ok