Seven the General

Background

Seven the General is a Detroit, Michigan lyricist, songwriter and actor whose Discogs profile lists his real name as Burke Bardwell and notes a Bachelor of Science in Music Business. His work is rooted in the city’s west side, a point made plainly in the title of his song “I’m From 7 Mile.” The same profile notes his inclusion in the Detroit Institute of Arts’ permanent collection through photographer Jenny Risher’s “Detroit After Dark” project.

Work with K’Jon and Nick Speed

He first worked with Detroit singer K’Jon on the song “On Everything” from K’Jon’s album I Get Around. The two followed with the mixtape The Detroit Connect, made for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game in Dallas and mainly produced by Nick Speed. Its track “I Get It In,” featuring K’Jon, led WJLB to name Seven one of its 11 “Hottest Local Talent.” He also appears on “Caught Up” from K’Jon’s MAN album on Up & Up Records, and in 2011 the label brought him on as an executive producer and consultant for its rap division.

Albums

The Sanctum Sanctorum (2012) gathered a long list of Detroit guests, including Esham, Marv Won, Big Herk and K’Jon. A.R.T. the DIA project, released in May 2015 and produced entirely by Nick Speed, features Guilty Simpson, Bizarre and Nate Paulson. It won Best Full Length Project at the 2015 Detroit Underground Hip-Hop Awards and was nominated for a Detroit Music Award, and its track “Detroit City Blues” served as a promotional anthem for the Detroit Design Festival. A companion short film, A.R.T. the DIA Project: Seven the General, is listed on IMDb for 2014. In December 2015 he released #7, produced by Silent Riot, with Guilty Simpson and MJ Robinson as guests.

Recognition

At the 2016 Detroit Music Awards he was nominated for Outstanding Rap MC and Outstanding Rap Composer, and his posse cut “Detroit vs. Everybody,” featuring Big Herk, Cheddaboy Malik and Awesome Dre, was nominated for Outstanding Rap Recording.