Watkins moved to Los Angeles, California in 2016 to pursue her music career. While living in LA, Watkins gained a new support system and better opportunities. When Watkins isn’t recording or performing, she’s a humanitarian. Watkins “Glow Movement” is a non-profit organization that encourages people to excel in life and become their best selves. Having a positive platform is one of the reasons why Watkins has gained a large support system throughout the years. The path she took could inspire other Arkansas musicians who want to expand their horizons.

Madison Watkins can’t be labeled as just a singer, she can also play the piano, guitar, reach high notes and dance. To get her name out, Watkins released song covers on YouTube to hits like “Light up the Sky” by Christina Aguilera and “Hold On, We’re Going Home” by Drake. After a couple of years, Watkins signed with Mad Wat Productions, surpassing all expectations placed upon her. 

In March 2016, Watkins released her first EP “Glow,” which reached the top 20 album chart on iTunes. In July, Watkins made her first appearance on season 11 of “America’s Got Talent.” Watkins received a standing ovation after her “Let It Go” performance by James Bay. Although she didn’t make it to the quarter-finals, Watkins did not give up on her music career. In April 2017, Watkins performed the national anthem at the LA Clippers playoffs. In 2018 and 2019, Watkins released music videos to her notable singles “Movin,” “Crazy,” and “Curls,” gaining over 10,000 views per video. 

Madison Watkins released her most recent EP “Rooted,” Sept. 25, 2020. On Oct. 4, Watkins released the music video to her new single “Worthy,” which has accumulated over 2,000 views despite COVID-19. Watkins has made many achievements throughout her career. Notably, during the pandemic, Watkins has been working on new music and new content for social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube. To stay updated, follow Watkins on Instagram at Madison Watkins.

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Little Rock native, Freddie Gladney, who is professionally known as “Bankroll Freddie” is one of the hottest and most-streamed music artists from Arkansas.

Bankroll Freddie was born in Helena and moved to Conway at a young age for better opportunities. At the age of 25, Bankroll Freddie is one of the most successful public figures from Arkansas and has opened the door for other Arkansas music artists to obtain a major record label deal. In June 2019, Bankroll Freddie was discovered by Atlanta Native, CEO Pierre “P” Thomas, after releasing his “Act Up Challenge” to current label mates, The City Girls hit song “Act Up”.

In Sept. 2019, Bankroll Freddie made history by becoming the first Arkansas rapper signed to a major record label. Signing to Quality Control Music and expanding his brand in Atlanta are the best decisions Bankroll Freddie has made so far in his career. Ranking in over 200K monthly listeners and 8 million streams on Spotify, Bankroll Freddie was born to be a star. In October 2019, Bankroll Freddie released the video to his hit song “Drip Like This” from his first mixtape “Saved By The Bales” and gained over 30 million views on YouTube in less than a year, making him the most viewed and highly requested rapper from Arkansas.

In Nov., Bankroll Freddie performed his hit single “Drip Like This” at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, opening up for the highly anticipated rematch between Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder and Luis Ortiz. 2019 was just the beginning for Bankroll Freddie, judging by his accomplishments and work ethics, he’s just getting started. Back in Jan., Bankroll Freddie released his second mixtape “From Trap To Rap” and showed versatility in his sound, hits like “Street Love” and “Backend” went viral on social media platforms during the global pandemic. In March, Bankroll Freddie was featured in XXL magazine as a candidate for the 2020 Freshman cover, which is a major accomplishment in the Hip-Hop community.

Expressing his struggles and success in music has allowed Bankroll Freddie to gain fans from around the world and more international publicity. Despite COVID-19, Bankroll Freddie is still booked for performances, interviews and collaborations. In July, Bankroll Freddie recorded his first interview with “VladTV” and discussed numerous topics such as his upcoming project, signing to Quality Control, childhood experiences, finances, relationships, living in Arkansas and the death of former label mate, Lil Marlo. Bankroll Freddie has collaborated with notable music artists in the music industry such as Moneybagg Yo, Young Dolph, Renni Rucci, Lil Baby and YFN Lucci.

By collaborating with different music artists with a large fan base, Bankroll Freddie’s social media followers, radio requests and YouTube views have increased tremendously. In just one year, Bankroll Freddie has raised the bar and accumulated prominent achievements in the music industry, which is impressive and inspirational to all Arkansas music artists who aspire to have a successful career in the music industry.

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