Music is extremely influential in the life of rapper  YockieJoe. Born in Oakland, California Emile Carriere Jr. came to Shreveport’s Allendale neighborhood at the age of six. His parents introduced him to what he calls “Real music (of the 60’s, 70’s and early eighties)”, at an early age. That real music included hip-hop. “Hip-hop is a culture, a lifestyle; basically, it’s the future,” says Louisiana’s newest breadwinner.  Yockie Joe gives the credit of opening doors to rap pioneers like Grandmaster Flash and Melly Mel whose revolutionary song, ”The Message” was introduced to him by his mother. Yockie Joe regards “The Message” as “A work of art.” He says, “ The reality of the song was almost like I was living in the verse and I feel like that’s why my mother stressed the song’s importance to me.”  It was in high school that he began rapping and recording in the studio and continues to do so, slowly but surely turning his dreams into reality. In 2003 he teamed up with his Go Getter label mates, to form “Usual Suspects”. The group won first place at the New York City Music Festival at Madison Square Garden.