When we talk about the Maine brand we tend to focus on things that are well-crafted, unpretentious, authentic and original. And among all of Maine's great cultural exports, rap music is generally not on the list. So what do you do if you're a young rapper growing up in Maine who makes well-crafted, unpretentious, authentic and original rhymes and you want to get heard in the big time? Give up? Choose a new career path? "Quit the beats, retreat to the cubicle?" Wells-born rapper Spose has another idea. He's already scored one national hit with his self-deprecating rant, "I'm Awesome," but now he want's to be taken (a little) more seriously. On a song from Happy Medium (his upcoming major label debut album) called Can't Get There from Here, he announces, "I'm going for the gold as if that isn't obvious/and stopping Spose? That's like trying to handcuff an octopus." He acknowledges that it's an uphill struggle and "the chances of succeeding are slimmer than a bulimic." To the chorus of "haters" who taunt, "Rapping from Maine? You must be insane," he persists: "Still I put my life in rhyme form and recorded it/on my debut and stay true to my coordinates." We talk about the positive aspects of the Maine brand in terms of working in Portland, but Spose goes right at the challenge, "It doesn't matter what your zip code is, just do the work." So, Spose, for all of us here doing the work and defying the zip code, keep rapping from Maine, you're not insane, you can get there from here.

Tags: Media, music, video