In New Orleans, Louisiana, a local scene bursting with Hip Hop talent is bubbling, but few have emerged out of the shadows cast by giants coming out of the No Limit and Cash Money Records camps. With artists like Curren$y spearheading a new generation of the city’s Rap phenoms, younger artists are looking to make similar headway, and Alfred Banks is one such MC. Having worked with fellow NOLA native Pell as well as G-Eazy and Mickey Factz, Banks has created a life mantra inspired by his quest for recognition in today’s Hip-Hop industry.

He describes his “UnderDogCentral” mantra as representing “the place where the overlooked go to hone their skills, to return and become the admired.” Thus far, he’s made considerable headway in his pursuit of greatness, including a starring role as featured artist for a Volkswagen ad campaign.

Hear more music from Alfred Banks on SoundCloud.

Now, he is showcasing a double feature on Ambrosia for Heads with “A Beautiful Song”/”Bless You,” two CZA-produced songs from Banks’s recent EP, A Beautiful Prelude, inspired by the loss of his older brother who suffered from schizophrenia and committed suicide on March 20, 2014.

After sharing such a personal struggle of triumph over tragedy, is this UnderDog ready or not to be the people’s champion?

About Ready Or Not: “Ready Or Not” is Ambrosia For Heads’s platform for showcasing new videos and having you, the people, decide whether they are ready for primetime. Each week, AFH will showcase music from artists on the verge, looking for their seat at the table among Hip-Hop’s elite.