During the 2010s, Julian Miner -- a rapper, singer, songwriter, engineer , and producer -- emerged from the Virginia Beach -area underground with dozens of independent features and mixtapes , all of which were made freely available as downloads. Inspired by the classic rock he absorbed as a youngster, the Texas-born Miner gradually rose to prominence in the underground scene with his first project “ The Focus“. Consecutive mixtapes ( “ I’m A Planet Not A Star “ , “ Between The Starz “ both in 2011 , “ Fluffs World “ , “ In A World Of Gray “ both in 2012 , “ America’s Asshole “ and “ The Good and The Evil “series in 2013 , “ Rebel “ in 2014 ) After a period of shows at Peabody’s and features later , Marz established Blackwater Gang ( stylized BLVCKWVTXR GVNG ), a collective and label. With childhood friends and family the collective began to rise in early 2013s. His prolific output switched between swaggering modern hip-hop anthems and head banging aggressive lyrics, with plenty of braggadocios hooks the common element in both modes. He gradually gained a significant following through word of mouth and exposure from alternative weeklies and major rap publications. In 2015 , his career really picked up with his last mixtape “ Forever “ with cuts like "Down," "Sack," and "Know ft General Booth," which were among his most popular recordings to that point.