It takes a lot to get noticed in the music industry. When hip-hop and rap artists are a dime a dozen, breaking into the industry takes talent, good business sense and a little bit of luck. These are lessons local rap group, Da Future, is starting to learn.Already with a large fan base in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Da Future is working to break out of the South and into the public spotlight, all while trying to stay true to its roots in music, friendship and LSU.”We are definitely looking toward that next step,” said Eron “Eazy Money” Rousell, human resources education graduate student. “We get our business done, but at the end of the day it’s just friends getting together to make music.”What started out as a hobby amongst four friends at LSU soon gained notice around the University, New Orleans and as far out as Atlanta, giving the group a chance to do more with their music, Rousell said.The group began in 2003 when Tony “Too Smooth” Smith, Jeff “Tiga” Martin, Brain “Business” McCollum and Rousell would get together in Smith’s Pentagon dorm to pass the time by recording music.The group began with no aspirations in mind, but Smith began to play the recordings for people in the Quad and Student Union and received a lot of positive feedback, Rousell said.”There was really no solid moment that we decided to make something out of this,” said Martin, also a former employee of The Daily Reveille. “A lot of people heard our stuff and said, ‘Hey, y’all are good, go for it,’ and it just kind of changed into something more serious.”Now with four mixtapes, the latest, “Delorean Muzic,” released in October, several local hits, including “Lolligag” and a new LSU-themed song, “Tiger Bait,” the group has gathered a large following around the University and New Orleans.”I saw them live my freshman year at the LSU-Southeastern college reunion,” said Melissa Brown, kinesiology junior. “They play ‘Tiger Bait’ at some of the tailgates whenever the buses drive by and everybody gets hyped up for the game. I think it may be the song that puts them on the map.”Inspired by a wide range of music, including rock, rap, hip-hop and jazz, Da Future works to make its music accessible and positive for their audience. Inspired by Lupe Fiasco and Kanye West, the group mixes dance beats with more upbeat lyrics, Rousell said.”A lot of rap is about murder and drug dealing,” Rousell said. “We aren’t like that, so we talk about our lives growing up in New Orleans and the things we’ve been through.”Da Future will perform as special guests at 9 p.m. tonight, at the “Bayou Blackout” Homecoming Step Show at the Huey P. Long Fieldhouse.Follow Jake Clapp on Twitter@TDR_jclapp—-Contact Jake Clapp  at [email protected]