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By Naja Cannon
Ismail Shabazz, known by his rapper name, Turbeazy, is one of the many musical student gems at Five Towns College. Shabazz’ fresh contemporary sound brings that energetic, hype vibe to campus. After the 2019 release of his project, A Temporary Wave, things have been going favorably for the up and coming rap artist.
Turbeazy kicked off the 2019 fall semester with a performance at the Veteran’s showcase in the Downbeat Cafe. His hype man and fellow FTC school mate, Obasi Jackson, joined him on the stage for his track, “The Wave.” Turbeazy’s stage presence is undeniable. There was not one person who did not nod their head or sing along to his catchy chorus. He carried the same energy into the Artists Being Artists event, which was put together by Professor Malisa Ali and the Diversity Committee in the Upbeat cafe.
The Uniondale rapper was also featured on Sprite’s Instagram page, for their “Thirst For Yours” campaign. Turbeazy’s track, “Darkside of Hills,” was added to Sprite’s playlist on Spotify. In this track, he speaks about the struggles he faced growing up on Long Island. “Turbeazy is striving to add his name to the long list of legendary Strong Island MC’s,” says Sprite in their Instagram post.
Turbeazy is not only making his mark at school but also building his professional brand. He performed at The Amityville Music Hall, leaving many crowd goers star struck and yelling, “Whole Gang, Whole Squad,” which is a movement Turbeazy heavily invests himself into that focuses on changing the music culture in Long Island. By the end of the performance, he jumped into the crowd while rapping along to his song, “D.P.O.Y.” standing for defensive player of the year. The song expresses his dislike for friends not supporting his shows but wanting to reap the benefits of his hard work. Ironically, he was surrounded at this show by supportive friends who all took the role of being hype men.
Turbeazy has a busy schedule at Five Towns College. “I manage being an artist and student by picking a school that’s focused on music, so I’m always working on my craft,” he said. While music is Turbeazy’s passion, school is still a priority for him. He maintains a healthy GPA as a business management major while also participating in educational diversity events. Turbeazy can be defined as versatile in both his music and personal life. “Be great, then be better than that,” states the artist.
