Hip-hop and sports share a lot in common. In both cases, the hungriest competitor always gets the ring. Driven by a similar hunger, MOE rhymes with verbal athleticism, undeniable charisma, and fierce individuality. Posting up nearly 10 million streams independently, and landing a high-profile placement in NBA2K20, the Orlando rapper brings an unbreakable work ethic and the spirit of competition from the court to the culture on his 2020 debut for Epic Records. “I’ve played basketball my whole life, and I put the same hunger into music,” he affirms. “I don’t stop. Once you get to know me, I’m one of the most resilient, determined, and focused individuals you will meet.” He developed that focus as a kid in Orlando. Basketball initially called to him, but music surrounded him. Dad was a DJ in the military and amassed a huge collection of thousands of vinyl records and cassettes. Meanwhile, his Uncle Big Moe made moves as a DJ. During 2018, he hit his stride with the independent No Regrets project. Around the same time, he met GRAMMY® Award-winning producer Ayo [Lil Wayne, Drake, Cardi B] at Marcus Jordan’s sneaker store. Shortly after, they hit the studio together for the first time. “We cut a lot of records,” he says. “I treated rap like college. It was coming up on my fourth year, and I needed to make the league. On the day I got fired from the gym, I was like, ‘I’m never going back again. I’m going to push this music’.”