J. Cole Helps His Old Pal 360 Leave The Streets Behind

Fire Starter: 360
There was a time when 360 was running around in circles, simultaneously chasing his rap dreams while being pulled by the streets' centrifugal force. Those days are over, however, and now the full-time MC is on a linear path.

"Everything that I've done it's all just come back to music at the end of the day," the Queens, New York, newcomer told Mixtape Daily. "So this time I was like, 'I'm staying. I'm not doing nothing else but music now.' "

6-0's debut EP, Everywhere and Back, which was released as a free download on his website at the top of April, is a collection of 10 original tracks. The promising rap rookie displays a consistently fluid flow, clever wordplay and a refreshing sense of humor.

Throughout, 360 holds his own collaborating with little-known producers, but he does get one major assist on the boards from Roc Nation's J. Cole. When 60 released YouTube footage of him and Cole in the studio back in February, many wondered how the newcomer hooked up with the platinum producer. It's a Queens thing, 360 explained.

"Cole, I knew him from way back. I knew him from when he was in St. Johns," he said, recalling Jermaine's college days in New York. "Basically, when it was my time to come up, he reached out while I was doing my thing and was like, 'Yo let me help you.' "

It was a crucial assist. The result is "What Goes Up," one of Everywhere and Back's standout tracks. Another is "Woulda Kid," a track that pokes fun at those who exaggerate their street bravado to impress others. "It's basically somebody that talks and never comes through, ever," 360 explained while laughing.

Now that he is no longer chasing his tail in the streets, 360 is focused on a productive career in rap. It's an age-old story, but one that never gets stale. "I really sat down and planned this. This wasn't like I was just putting songs together," he said. "The ultimate goal at the end of the day is to make a real change."

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