Growing up in Rochester, New York, Darius Franklin’s mother was a devout and strict Jehovah’s Witness. He remembers her reading the Bible all the time, and he grew up learning all of the stories from the Bible that his mother would share with him. He was always fascinated with the names from the Old Testament, and one in particular that struck him was Azariah. It stayed with him so much, in fact, that when he became older and started pursuing music professionally he decided to adopt the moniker as his stage name. Today Azariah is enjoying a rising wave of success in the music game, and he’s set to release his most recent EP – a project called “AH Phase One Lord of the Underground.” It’s a nine-song EP that he put together with the help of Rochester-based producer Laddie, and it’s something that he said will be the first of a three-part series. “I’m an artist who has something to say,” Azariah said. “I want people who hear my music to feel the real. I’m reality rap. I tell my story. I bring you my ups and downs and highs and lows. I want to be respected as an artist, and I’m painting a picture that will help deliver that.”