Imagine everyday that you are faced with the undeniable truth that you are barely surviving, and at a young age, you had to tap into your survival instincts. Meet SPADE KOSTA a.k.a. ICY originally from Chattanooga, TN and now a long time resident of Atlanta, GA. At the age of 25, Spade Kosta claims both cities as his hometown, and he says it clearly with this statement, “Chattanooga raised me, and Atlanta paid me! So I’m from Chatlanta!” Spade Kosta became an entertainer because he wants to spread his story of struggle. He plans on letting everyone know that no matter what you are going through and where you are from, nor whatever your age or race is, there is always someone in a worse situation than you. Spade Kosta is the spokesperson for the reality of life. He has an older brother serving two-life sentences, plus 15 years; so his music is not only about his struggle in life; it’s about the struggle of everybody else. Spade Kosta says, “In order for me to tell you my struggle, I have to tell you everybody else’s struggle first. Then I will show you how I overcame all of that to live a positive life!” Spade Kosta realized that he had a chance to become a notable artist in the ninth grade, but he knew he had to work at it hard, because he wasn’t a natural. Spade Kosta says, “I didn’t have pure talent, I had to bust my a** for this!” What you see today of Spade Kosta comes from a lot of dedication and persistence. He says, “I had to get to the level where people could hear my day to day struggles in my lyrics. I use the same combination for success in the studio (the ‘Yo’), as I did in the streets. Some of the people that inspired him to become a great artist include Tupac and Biggie. Spade Kosta took note of Tupac’s passion and Biggie’s bravado and storytelling. Spade Kosta has completed a 5-day run as WHTA Hot 107.9 FM Atlanta, GA’s BattleGroundz Champion, and he is preparing to release even more music and perform for people around the world!