BTB, aka Zachary LaPeter, was born in Yonkers- the home of top-level rappers such as Jadakiss, DMX and many more - but quickly switched scenes to Greenburg - where he launched himself into the rap/hip-hop scene at a very young age. Since he was 12, Zach has been sharing his music with family, friends, and eventually, fans! From spitting over beats to recording his music at home - he developed a passion for rap that was not going away. The only question left at the time was how he was going to share his music.
BTB was no shy teenager; growing up in Yonkers/Greenburgh, he learned to have thick skin, and not let other people knock him down.
“It’s only hard when you let people try to take you down.”
This pushed him to continuously promote himself, share his music, and even walk up to strangers to have them listen and check him out. However, BTB soon discovered there was a lot more to music than just lyrics and a beat.
His world turned into a business as BTB had to develop into his own manager and swim through a plethora of deals, laws, and contracts. “I was so used to the creative side until I learned the industry was mainly business...I was almost ready to stop.” With the pressure of adjusting to a new mindset in his career, BTB struggled to identify if this redesigned path was the one he wanted to wander down. Until then, BTB was just a young kid trying to make it, but after learning about the importance of self-management & business - he turned into a rapper with a plan.
BTB went on to pursue his dreams by working on his flow, image, and fanbase. The more he shared his music, the more his following grew. One of the pivotal moments in BTB’s music career was his performance at the Apollo theatre- one of the biggest stages to step onto. Apollo theatre hosts ‘amateur night’, where they bring on many talented musicians from all genres (Most of whom are NOT rappers). Pressure mounted as BTB heard song after song, one after another until it was finally his time to take the stage. However, he did not let the fact he stood out in the line-up bother him. Almost immediately, a crowd of 1,500 unsuspecting audience members rained hate down on BTB. Boo’s amplified by the architecture of the Apollo muffled out any support from family and friends. Still, BTB walked on and waited for his track to start.
“It was the craziest thing, to have so many people booing me, but then I realized, they’re not booing me because of my music- I haven’t even started yet- they just wanted to boo.”
It was with this realization that BTB gathered the courage to move forward with his song rather than turning around and walking offstage. “A whole crowd booing you is a lot to take - even for 15 seconds, imagine a 4-minute song!”
BTB played his music, every breath aimed at quieting the haters and turning them into fans. The energy he projected settled a few of the loud ones and just like that, with the end of his set, came the beginning of a NEW BTB. “Seeing all the hate showed me I’m doing something right.” He came back from that night with a newfound desire to stand up against the hate and overcome it. His energy has motivated him to pursue more shows, gain more fans, and create better music.
Recently, BTB finished a performance in California where he was on stage for Juneteenth. Flying coast to coast made him hungry for more, so BTB set out to release a complete tape. He is currently wrapping up the production of his debut project ‘Ravenous,’ the young rapper’s first studio project, set to launch in early Fall. With the rise of digital music, BTB remains true to his old-school mentality by preparing a physical copy to give away to lucky fans. He and his team are now set to hit the streets and become recognized as one of the forces in the Westchester Rapper scene worth looking out for. He understands the importance of patience with every move he makes and is willing to put in the work to get the results. BTB’s project ‘Ravenous’ will be the first of many. Like many around Westchester, we await the Yonker native’s project with high expectations and wish the best as he shapes his vision into music for us to experience.
Written By: Max Civils