By Traci Angel
First Nelly and the St. Lunatics, then Chingy. Could Vice Versa be the Lou’s next hip-hop sensation? We’ll soon find out. Mr. Versa, known as Sedrick Martin to his friends and family, is set to release his first album, VICE, on June 21. But don’t expect to see him dressed in Cardinals and Rams threads like his predecessors. Vice Versa prefers suits rather than jerseys—”still casual but kind of like Miami Vice,” he said before a media event at a local sushi restaurant. Versa claims his sound is “a different vibe, more smooth” than the St. Louis hip-hop sound. His business style fits his music background as founder of indie label Eclectic Records, and his computer programming degree from Southeast Missouri State comes in handy with music-making’s technical side. Versa can’t lose his roots, though. His résumé includes a co-write of Chingy’s “One Call Away,” many of his lyrics mention city landmarks and his video features Vault, a club in the Central West End.
