Ryan Fleming, known to most of his supporters as Hard Target, has been rapping for the last 16 years. Hard Target is currently signed to Dirt Rock Empire and has remained so since he signed just a few years back. Born in Michigan and raised in Florida, all Target ever knew was country living of the south. Where there are bonfires, Patron, Alanis Morrisette vibes, and forever bonds of friendships created.
Let me go back to my Alanis vibes statement, and add that Hard Target shared with me a fun fact about how he used to watch the 1994' VHS of "Jagged Little Pill". Her performance was pure awe-inspiring at his age. Target just simply enjoyed watching her sing and perform. At this time, he didn't know just how much Alanis Morrisette would impact how he performs. Now if you are picking up what he was trying to lay down in our interview, I see it too! If you don't get it, give "Jagged Little Pill" a closer look and compare a live concert by Target!
As God has guided him throughout his career, he became more and more involved in all aspects of the industry. We grow when we face challenges, not when things are easy. The more Target wrote and released, the easier it became to add another challenge to his goal for each one. Soon, he was doing his own graphic designs and videography. Mastering a talent means investing in yourself, no matter how bad you think you may be. Practice is the hope of perfection while learning every aspect of your work to a tee.
Target is a dreamer, and being able to provide for his family doing what he loves, has definitely created a driven man who always wants to do and create more. 2020 did not slow down Hard Target. He released video after video and was most thankful for the time he got to spend with his family. Being on tour with The LACS, Moonshine Bandits or Demun Jones has as many ups as it has downs. Missing Birthdays, Halloweens, and special occasions has to be one of the most difficult pills to swallow in this genre. The conversation I had, after asking about 2020 with Hard Target, brought tears to my eyes. Not everyone has been told these kinds of things, and if they have, they are very lucky and should feel blessed.
Hard Target wanted it to be more than just known, but shown, that the love that he has received from his supporters has left him with no words to describe what that means to him. He goes on to say that Country Rap has fans and supporters that are irreplaceable. They are the kind of people who take care of each other and accept one another. Straight from his mouth, he called all of you "BEAUTIFUL HUMANS"!
Here are the links to some epic videos to songs he put out this year.
Hard Target put out the album called "Joyridin" July 2020, with features from The Stixxx, Whiskey Waters, and OverTime.
2021 has many great things in store for the team over at Dirt Rock! Breadwin Deville will be shooting more videos and bringing his creative ideas to the forefront, as did Hard Target. If there are 4 men in this genre that give me good, wholesome, empowerment vibes, Hard Target, Breadwin, Juice Daley, and DJ Cap have those bonds that build but never break!
-Kelsey Leigh
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