Virginia Beach - As my photographer and I stood near the 31^st Street Stage on Atlantic Avenue, I saw a young brother walking with another toward the boardwalk.  Immediately I recognized him.  "Patrick!" I shouted.  He glanced over to see who could have possibly called him.  After recognizing me, he walked over.  We greeted each other with a quick, warm hug and set up to begin the interview.  It was unusually hot for that October evening, but he was ready to get down to business despite the sun blinding our sight and heating our bodies to Africa.

I began to have flashbacks of us as kids.  Patrick Stewart (aka Peso Dolla) and I grew up in the same neighborhood.  I envisioned those afternoons when a group of girls stood around talking after school only to suddenly break out running and yelling "Patrick, Patrick!" as he walked across the street.  Yes, he was quite the ladies man, even at those tender school age days.  Here he is now, obviously a man, fulfilling a passion that determines the direction his heart goes.  Where there's a beat he will follow, because music has filled his destiny with much anticipation of making it to the big leagues.  I regain consciousness and slip back into reality, as I am about to interview a man that very much earns the name of a true musician.  He doesn't just make music, he lives music.  It's an undying art form that he will forever chase, even in the event that it keeps running from him.

33: So what's good with you?  What’s new?  Anything you're working on?
Peso Dolla: Everything...actually I got a mixtape coming out called Mr. Go Get It Volume 1.  DJ Strez is hosting.  We’re setting up the mixtape release party for that.  After that Monumentals is coming out - that's the album.  Got a lot of stuff going on.  Shows are coming up.  We're doing Elizabeth City State University.

33: Ok, so I don't know if you mind sharing...who you were working with earlier?  Or do you want to keep that top secret right now? [giggling]
PD: Oh yeah, yeah, we just left the studio with Amil.  You know what I mean, from Roc-a-fella?  We are doing the thing real big right now.  We just trying to get a couple of big features on the album, you know what I mean, like as well as the local artists.  I'm reaching out to everybody, doing work with them, but I'm definitely trying to step my game up and work with some real heavy hitters right now.

33: So what's the name of the song ya'll working on?
PD: "Money and Cars".  It's crazy right now.  It's crazy, see I got this single called "Lookin 4 the Freaks" out right now.  It's getting played all up and down the east coast - Atlanta, New York, Boston, Virginia...it's going crazy right now, and I might release "Money and Cars" with Amil next.  But I got another joint up my sleeve called "Babygirl" for the ladies...

33: So is it a little slow, sexy, sensual?
PD: It's sexy, but it ain't too slow.  It's still a "get 'em up in the club," you know what I mean?

33: So is there anybody besides Amil that you've worked with that's kind of heavy right now?
PD: Um, I haven't actually gotten in the studio with them, but I have opened up for a couple of people like Mr. Cheeks and Gucci.  We’ve done did a whole lot of stuff, you know what I mean...it's just too much right now.

33: Is there anybody local you would like to work with?
PD: Um...I've been doing this for a minute out here so I worked with everybody.  Like shout out Dout Gotcha, One Man, Gate Set, M. Watts, B. Michelle.  Only person I haven't really worked with is Big Steve, you know what I mean?  I've been hearing a lot about him; I'm feeling his music.  I'm reaching out to him now.  Everybody knows about "V-A."  You’re starting to hear "V-A" in a lot of their songs.  We go out there and show them what time it is, you know what I'm saying?

33: You've been all up and down the East Coast, so what is your most memorable moment show-wise?  Where, what happened...
PD: I would say when we opened up for Memphis Bleek and Mr. Cheeks at Elizabeth City State like two years ago.  That was my first experience as like people loving me all crazy.  They actually loved the stuff we were doing.  We rocked out, took pictures, got grabbed and all of that crazy stuff.  That was my first time experiencing something like that.  Elizabeth State University is the shit.

33: Ok, so is there a ritual you have before you go on stage?
PD: No not really.  Just say a prayer and leave it in His hands.

33: So have you ever had anything embarrassing happen on stage?
PD: [thinking, then laughs] Oh yeah, yeah, this was when I was somewhat of an amateur.  I had a cord mic, and I'm walking around stage, and I step on the cord, and the mic slips out my hand.

33: So what did you do to clean that up?
PD: Grabbed it and kept rocking.

33: Are you an aggressor or are you patient?
PD: I'm patient, actually.  I mean, it depends on the situation, [laughs] you know what I'm saying?  But for the most part I'm patient.  I've learned how to be patient over the years.

33: If you had to change careers, you would be...
PD: If I had to change careers, I would own a club.  I would be a promoter or something.  I like the night life.  I've thrown a couple parties and liked the outcome of that, but if I had to stop making music, I would die.  I would die.  It’s my life right now.  I love it, every since I was ye' tall.

33: What was your inspiration, or how did you know you had talent?  When did you realize your talent?
PD: When my homeboy started telling me I go hard.  It would just be him in the studio, and I would come through, lay it down, kick it with them or whatever and murder the track.

33: Is there anything you want to say to your fans before I end this?
PD: Shout out to everybody supporting me, I love ya'll.  Shout out to my haters, I need ya'll, too.  You know what I'm saying, I appreciate, ya'll know the difference.  So keep riding with your boy.  Grind City all day.  

ReverbNation.com/PesoDolla

By Correspondent: Jasmin Jamison

“Confidence is from believing in yourself, and ambition is from your personal strength.”  These are the words spoken from a true go-getter by the name of Jasmin Jamison.  She was born in Olongapo, Philippines, January 6, 1986.  At six months, she moved to Philadelphia and then finally settled in Virginia Beach where she spent most of her life.  A self-proclaimed “Blasian,” she is mixed with Black and Filipino and embraces both sides which she claims define who she is.  She graduated from Old Dominion University in 2009 with a degree in Fashion Merchandising and a minor in Marketing.  Her drive for fashion and music comes from the desire of learning the art and breathing it as if it were her life.  She also gained passion for music from her brother and local rapper, Intalek, whom she claims “is her best friend and the reason why she loves hip-hop so much.”  Her main focus is to bring Virginia music to the forefront and stand tall in mainstream media and claim its mark as a force to be reckoned with.  “Virginia hip-hop is big...why not share it with the world and let it bring forth something spectacular?!”