Pepperboy Music was founded on the idea that hard work sets people apart. Growing up in rough parts of the city like Memphis, the goal of Pepperboy Music was to provide a chip off the old block to help promote Memphis and showcase influential rappers who were at risk of being overshadowed by riskier and flashier counterparts.
‘Pepperboy’ learned about making a name for themselves the hard way.
“Pepperboy” learned about making a name for themselves the hard way. The foursome, consisting of Jordan “Pepperboy” Thomson, Jesse “The Banker” Dorman, Spencer “Spencerpros” Dahl and Keenan “Keengasm” Klimchuk, met through the game Fornite and quickly became friends. However, when it came time to cast their votes for Player of the Year during the inaugural Player’s Club Awards Showcase in January 2019, they were informed that they would have to compete against each other to be nominated.
Despite their best attempts at working together, Pepperboy and The Banker were voted out in week two of the competition. Keenan and Spencerpros made it to the finals, where they faced off against each other in a final round of voting. In the end, Keenan emerged victorious and was given the award on stage.
Though they ultimately lost, Pepperboy says that experience was invaluable and taught them how to work together better as a team. And from then on, they made sure to create a name for themselves – not by chance but through hard work and determination.”
Four years in the making
2012-2013: Pepperboy auditioned for and became a part of the covers band “The Train Wreck.”
2014-2015: Pepperboy write their material and independently releases 2 EPs
2016-2017: Pepperboy signed with Crush Music and debuted their first official single, “Outta My League.”
In 2012, four years before signing with Crush Music, Pepperboy auditioned for and became a part of the covers band “The Train Wreck”. Guitarist/vocalist Parker Swayze recalls being impressed by their energy on stage. “I was like, these guys are legit,” he says. At the time, The Train Wreck was a popular cover band in the Omaha area playing songs by artists like Bon Jovi, Journey, and The Black Crowes.
Playing alongside experienced musicians helped Pepperboy hone their skills and learn how to play their instruments fluently. However, being in a group where everyone had their way of doing things was also difficult. “Everyone is super competitive,” Swayze says. “It was hard trying to fit into that.” In addition to learning how to play together as a band, Pepperboy also developed their sound separately while working on their material. They wrote around 20 songs before releasing 2 EPs independently in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
In early 2017, after years of gigging around Omaha playing covers music, Parker Swayze met.
“4 years ago, Pepperboy (a.k.a. Jesse Boykins III) and his partner Flipvoodo were just starting to make a name for themselves in the underground hip-hop scene of Philadelphia. After coming up through the ranks together, they had finally solidified their spot as one of the city’s most respected crews.
However, conflict within their group led to a rift that has yet to be healed. This eventually led to Pepperboy fleeing Philly entirely, never looking back.”
Since departing Philadelphia four years ago, Pepperboy has constantly been travelling and working on new music. His latest release collaboration with producer Statik Selektah is titled “The Return”. The two have been working on this project for over a year, and it showcases their growth as producers and songwriters.
Why they became PepperboyMusic
For many young artists, making a name for themselves can be difficult. Unlike pop stars or celebrities with an agent and team of professionals behind them, most up-and-coming musicians must carve their own path in the music industry. PepperboyMusic was no exception.
The band started as just four friends who loved musically taking things to the next level. They wanted to create something special that would be remembered long after they were gone. But carving a successful career in music isn’t easy – it’s a competitive industry where success is often determined by how much money you can make rather than your talent or reputation.
The boys had faith in their ability to make it big, but they knew they had to start somewhere. So they put together some demos and sent them out into the world, hoping for the best. And even though the response was lukewarm at best, they pressed on because they knew something special about their sounds.
Slowly but surely, the band started making a name for themselves in their local circuit. They played sold-out shows and developed a passionate fan base that followed them wherever they went. It seemed like everything was going perfectly until disaster struck one fateful night. The lead singer lost his voice during a performance, and it was all over for PepperboyMusic as we know them.
Since then, the band members have pursued different interests and occupations, but they always keep an eye on PepperboyMusic because they know that someday, they’ll reunite and take their music to the next level. In the meantime, they continue to tour and record new material, hoping that one day, their message will reach a larger audience.
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