Billboard-charting rap artists and Fulton are not typically synonymous with one another.
Fulton resident Brandon Baker is the exception. His latest album, "Derrty Joe," made the the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Sales chart.
Behind the microphone and on the stage, Baker goes by the pseudonym REACEYUNG. Baker explained this was a combination of all of his previous nicknames and has been using it since 2007.
"I've always been an open book and people who know me know that," Baker said. "People who just see me probably wouldn't know that."
With his roots in writing going back to 1999, he describes his music as "positive hip-hop," and he garners much of his influence from past icons such as Big Pun and The Notorious B.I.G. He always aims to shed a positive light on himself and his genre through his music.
"My favorite place to perform is The Mission in Jefferson City," Baker said. "Before me, the owner, Jenny Babcock, wouldn't allow rap artists to perform there anymore because they would tear the place up. I've been able to show Ms. Jenny that not all rap artists are like that and help build that trust."
Baker has quietly been living in Fulton for four and a half years and has not been able to actually spend much time in his home community.
"I'm just always so busy with work and my performances that I'm constantly either in Columbia, Jefferson City or St. Louis," Baker said.
Baker is a native of North St. Louis and has described the move to Callaway County as a "pleasant surprise," a change in scenery.
"I love how convenient it is living in Fulton. The convenience of St. Louis and the convenience of Fulton are two different things. Having a three-minute drive to Walmart has been one of my favorite parts because in north (St. Louis) that can be up to a 45-minute drive," he said.
As for his day job, Baker works as a mental health specialist at Woodhaven, a nonprofit in Columbia for people with disabilities. Mental health is what originally brought him to Fulton.
"What brought me to Fulton was the Fulton State Hospital working as a forensic rehab specialist," he said.
With his music career spanning more than a decade, Baker has learned many of the ins and outs of the industry and has come to learn the business isn't as vast as many would think.
"Being able to spend time in L.A. really opened my eyes to how small the industry really is, and I was able to have interactions with a lot of big name people like Kendrick Lamar's engineer, MixedByAli," Baker said.
Last year, Baker spent time at AES, an annual conference for audio engineers in San Francisco, and was able to stand out in the crowd of tech-savvy audiophiles.
"Not only was I the only music artist in the room, but I was the only person from Missouri," Baker said. "During a panel, I let everyone know who I was and where I come from, and you could see how impressed everyone was. They asked if anyone else at the conference was from Missouri and not a single hand went up."
Baker's most recent success has come from the May release of his album "Derrty Joe." He estimates the album had 570 pre-orders. The album charted nationally at No. 40 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Sales chart and regionally at No. 2 on the Billboard Heatseekers, West North Central, charts.
Baker attributes this success to building a loyal fan base around Columbia and Jefferson City. Garnering respect from many others he's rubbed shoulders with in the music industry has also helped.
"I've met millionaires in L.A. who've heard my story and believe in me and have bought 70 copies of my album to try and help support me," he said.
Baker gained additional attention when his song "Jumpstart" was featured in the internationally trending short fan film "Static" by David Kirkman.
Though Baker has performed in most major cities in regions in the United States, Fulton is one city that he has yet to find an opportunity to showcase his talent.
"I would love to find a way to be able to connect more with the community I live in," Baker said. "I love meeting people and I love talking to folks. I love getting to know who different folks are."