From the category archives:
Currently promoting the release of his project A Day in the Life of Modern Day Living, this DMV artist by the name of Ardamus is destined for stardom. With a few albums on the shelf and a few more down the line, Ardamus is packing nearly 10 years of hip hop under his belt.
We had the chance recently to chat with Ardamus and see what he’s all about. Hit the jump to get to know Ardamus…
Living is the truest art form there is – it’s God-given from birth. Therefore, life is the greatest canvas ever given to anyone, and it’s up to you to paint it vividly. Eazy, born “Emmanuel Little”, looks to give the listener glimpses of his life through lyrics. As the son of two ministers, he grew up in Macon, Georgia immersed in southern Black church culture. This background permeates through the soul of his songs as he raps about his own personal struggles – whether it be professionally, financially, or even spiritually. During his years as a college student, he developed a penchant for writing lyrics, starting with poetry and slowly gaining more of a hip-hop influence seemingly with each line. This poetic foundation is evident not only in the style of his verses but also in the spoken word interludes he includes as an exclamation point to the songs. Music is often the best form of catharsis, and Eazy definitely puts the beats to good use as he pours his soul out for the world to feel. Simply put, it’s about the love for the music and the relief it brings. As a firm believer in the power of storytelling, it’s no surprise that he often takes the form of a griot narrating a real-life tale through music – resulting in an intensely relatable experience.
Eazy released his first solo project, The Public Speaker for free on September 18, 2009. Despite being unable to afford the resources readily available to other artists, he decided to create the music anyway to avoid bottling up his passion, resulting in an rewarding musical journey into the soul of a young man with dreams and lofty aspirations. The concept behind the project is that no matter who you are, as an artist you are a public speaker. Whenever you grab a mic and record your vocals for the world to hear, it’s important to make everything count to make an unforgettable mark on those generous enough to listen. Undoubtedly, Eazy plans on making sure you remember every word.
New York producer Tone Spliff is making his mark on the underground hip hop community. Inspired by classic hip hop producers such as DJ Premier and Pete Rock, Tone is currently promoting his new compilation Authentic featuring Krumbsnatcha, Copywrite, Murdoc, Apathy, Royce Da 5′9, Special Teamz and more.
We had the opportunity lately to catch up with Tone and see what he’s all about. Hit the jump to see what went down…
Arkansas emcee, Epiphany, recently released part one of his 4 part Respect series, hosted by DJBooth.net. Just as the name of the series claims, Epiphany deserves every ounce of it. We had the opportunity to catch up with Piph and see what this emcee is all about. Hit the jump to get to know Epiphany…
I’ve been following Abstrakt Soundz since I first heard his beats in one of our first remix contests; dude just has a really polished sound. Since his work on the recent Element album, I thought it was about time we got to know the man behind the beats. Hit the jump to learn a little more about the man known as Abstrakt Soundz…
Saul Devon Arrechea (born June 18, 1991), better known as Nefarious!, is a Hip-Hop producer from Hayward, California. He is known for his laid back instrumentals created through sampling soul records. Nefarious! started out as a rapper and began making beats for himself to avoid depending on other producers. He eventually gave up rapping and took up producing full time. He is one third of Less Than Three and a proud member of the Cosmic Souls Collective.
Nefarious! has been on my radar for a minute so I decided to get up with him and learn a little more. Hit the cut to get to know Nefarious!
When one hears the name Fatso it conjures thoughts of playground taunting, sneers and jeers; the hard knocked consequences of living and learning, birthing self-awareness, self-acceptance, and the acknowledgment of others, flaws and all. As his moniker suggests, Fatso’s personal journey of self-knowledge and self-edification shine through in his music
Fatso’s major break came when he was almost signed to, hip hop group-Lost Boyz frontmans’, Mr. Cheeks Entertainment imprint at the age of 16. However, the agreement was compromised at the hands of former management. The silver lining, fatso was featured on an independent television show as the first artist of Mr. Cheeks Entertainment in 1997.
Fatso has graced stages all along the east coast. He has opened for many artists such as Carmon, D’wayne Wiggins from (Tony, Toni, Toné), Ruff Endz, Cap One and Grenique. One major highlight, his performance with Washington DC’s own Backyard Band courtesy of Big G (Slim Charles) from HBO television series, The Wire. The sky is limitless for this talented arrtist. We introduce to you Fatso.
Born December 16, 1986, in Los Angeles, California, Element (Jeremiah Sojourney) is the consummate rapper. As the son of an avid R&B singer, Elemen tgrew up in a household that influenced and nurtured his passion for music and rapping. At the age of 15, Element was well on his way to perfecting his rap style by writing, listening to music, and rapping incessantly. By 2001, Element was making his presence known in Los Angeles’s hip-hop underground scene by free styling and battling at every event he could attend. That year, Element also entered the World Rap Championships where he competed against some of the best emcees in the world. This would eventually lead to the formation of Custom Made, which is comprised of Scoobs, Six, Aneek, Bluff, and Element.
In 2005, Custom Made signed their first record deal with BabyGrande Records. Shortly thereafter, Custom Made released their debut album Side Walk Mind Talk. In 2007, Custom Made signed with Rawkus Records to release their second album Truth Be Told. Element’s debut solo project is Great Expectations [review]. His solo project features production by Abstrakt Soundz and they have formed a solid partnership with their latest release A Long Story Short.
Element appreciates the power of music. He wants to use his music to unify people of every race, social class, and nationality in order to make a better world. With such a selfless goal, Element is certain to leave a musical mark on the world. Hit the cut to get to know Element…
One of the things that I’m thankful for this Thanksgiving, is getting turned onto the new album from WEB and I.D.e.A, God’s Favorites [review]. After reading Deez’s review and previewing the tracks, I had to check it out. Upon first listen, I realized that it was the best $8 I had spent all year.
So quite naturally, I had to hit the guys up and tell them how much I loved the album. I got to chatting with WEB, who turns out is quite a character and I felt it was only right to do a spotlight. Hit the jump to get to know WEB…
Al Great is a talented emcee from Baltimore looking to breakthrough worldwide. The Maryland native has been grinding in the hip hop business since 2006, releasing a couple of mixtapes and his debut album. Al has recently released his latest work The Heist, an album showcasing his personal & heartfelt lyrics with matching production from Heist. Here’s your chance to learn more about this gifted artist after the jump.
Earlier this week we introduced you to a new hip hop duo, Phase One & Asa Buchanon, with an exclusive leak from their up coming album Bugnanas. The album is simply that… bugnanas! Until I’ve been given permission to leak more material from the album, I figured we’d catch up with the emcee known as Phase One and the producer Asa Buchanon. Hit the cut to get to know these cats…
C.B. News reps the Bay but isn’t in the hot spots of San Francisco or Oakland. The Fairfield native is looking to put his city on the map. Inspired by the likes of Wu-Tang & Rakim to Bay Area legend C-Bo, C.B. has learn his lessons from the greats. C.B. dropped his debut solo album [available for free] and turned heads with the guests & producers involved. With elite talent like Supastition, Skyzoo and Fashawn as well as top producers like Khrysis, Keelay & Zaire, and Cookin Soul behind him, C.B. is poised for nothing but big things. Check out our interview with C.B. to get to know the talented emcee.
When you hear the name JFK the first thing you think about is the assassinated president or the airport in New York. Today we are gonna introduce you to JFK aka Jay Fre$h Kick$. The kid has went from local producer to the dude supplying hot tracks for some of today’s hot artists, such as EPMD, Eve and Julez Santana. With artists like this under his belt he is definitely an artist to look out for. He’s a humble cat that will never tell you “I told you so” but he’ll show you so… JFK aka Jay Fre$h Kick$ is in the building!!!
While I was out in Cali a few months ago, I had the opportunity to meet this cat by the name of E Reece. The hard penetrating, self-reflective vocals of this MC poignantly illustrate that true school hip hop is alive and well. Born in the Midwest, raised in Maryland, and schooled in the business in NYC, E Reece is unlike any artist you have ever heard or seen. This talented and hard-working lyricist, songwriter, poet, and musician keeps your attention at every turn and will make you challenge yourself. His music speaks of love, life, and staying true to yourself.
His latest album, L.I.S.n 2 This Live.In.Studio, with his live band Core Elements is everything jazz hip hop fans are craving. Hit the cut to get to know E Reece and check a preview of the album…
Inner Loop Records recording artist, J-$crilla, recently released his first solo production album, Culture of Honor. With big name features such as Oddisee, General Steele, JR Writer, Cassidy and more, it’s definitely an album worth checking out.
We had the opportunity to catch up with the producer and find out more about him and his work. Hit the jump to get to know J-$crilla…
