Millions of people make the pilgrimage to Cleveland to pay homage to the Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame. One of those inspired souls comes in the form of songstress Maclyn (Mack-lyn) Lucille. The singer/songwriter has quickly become the talk of the town after garnering the attention of some of the music industry's best and brightest. Noted talent like Skyz Musik (Keri Hilson, Rick Ross, Kanye West) to Grammy nominated beatsmith Young Yonny all praise the Midwest talent for her ability to craft a hit record.
20,000-plus Cleveland natives can't be wrong, can they? Maclyn, performing as the unofficial Cavs singer, received standing ovations after singing the National Anthem during several of the team's playoff games. Increasing her swagger and visibility with every performance the Berklee alum has taken her rich and powerful four and a half octave range to the elites -- moving both President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's souls.
Maclyn Lucille also recently made her UK debut on the highly anticipated “R&B STREET ANTHEMS VOLUME 1” from the #1 source for new music in the UK Street Sounds ( streetsound.co ). Street Sounds has championed the very best black and street music for almost 30 years and took almost 6 months working and collaborating with the greatest new talents from the streets of America (and Canada). R&B Street Anthems is set to become a major platform for breaking the next generation of R&B superstars. EVERY track has the potential to become a huge radio hit and monster club jam and is distributed though Universal Records.
As the Digital Age continues to bring the masses online -- Maclyn Lucille is the e-Streets champion. By being armed to the teeth with talent you can add another name to the list of legends to add to the Hall of Fame.
From the newest of the new jacks to the most seasoned of the vets, every rapper has something to say about how the game has changed. Will Vill has plenty to say himself, but unlike so many others, hes not here to complain about how so-and-so dropped the ball or how the freshman class isnt real enough. Sure, the New York native wants to make some changes to the landscape, but instead of complaining and hoping for things to change on their own, Will chooses to stick to a simple principle earn respect through hard work and dedication.
Even at the early stages of his career, Will had the kind of success that would make most rappers get lazy. Fed up with the escalation in police brutality he witnessed in New York City, Will crafted the powerful Devil in a Blue Dress. His politically charged lyrics gained the attention of some of the games best-known scholars and paved the way for performances with Mos Def, Dead Prez and The Roots. With tracks like Devils in a Blue Dress and Same Year, Different Number, Wills voice broke through the usual boundaries of Hip-Hop and earned him recognition in Esquire and The New York Times.
Wills debut album, The Arrival, took things a step further as he used the sixteen tracks to show his diversity. He told dramatic tales on Dreams of Getting Murdered and recited poetry on Wishes, all the while reminding the competition of his dominance with Keep it Gritty. Will represents proudly both for the Dominican Republic and Washington Heights, bringing not only his experience and perspective to each track but the spirit of every man, woman and child from those places that created him.
Never content to sit back and relax, Will continued to work at his craft. He came back even harder in 2010 starting with his singles Cop Shot and Man Listen which were college radio hits. Those singles were followed up by the release of the mixtape Hood World Order hosted by DJ Noodles and distributed by Coast 2 Coast Mixtapes. Wills momentum continued throughout the rest of 2010 with the release of the video for Cop Shot and his second mixtape I Came to Bring the Sword hosted by Superstar Jay.
Backed by Barrio Jamz in the office and legendary producers such as Lord Finesse and Sly & Robbie in the booth, Will Vill is in the strongest position hes ever been and hes ready to take advantage. The mixtape Verbal Violence hosted by DJ Young Cee of the G-Unit/Shadyville team, and the singles Ashes produced by Lord Finesse, Not A Game featuring Roc Marciano, Get Fresh and Fahrenheit 451 featuring Avery Storm are on deck to usher in the new album Mangattan and help him burn through 2011 and beyond.
A lot of emcees talk about going for the crown but its usually pretty hard to tell what makes them think they deserve it. Will Vill knows hes not there yet, but he knows how hes going to get there and better yet, he has the integrity to respect Hip-Hop the way he wants Hip-Hop to respect him. Line by line, track by track and album by album, Will continues to cement his position and display the kind of work ethic thats become too rare these days. Plain and simple, Will Vill is serious give him your attention or he will take it.
Originally formed in 2006 as the Hard Hitters, the trio officially switched to the enigmatic moniker Travis Porter in 2008. MC’s Ali (Lakeem Mattox), Quez (Donquez Woods), and Strap (Harold Duncan) grew up together in Decatur, GA, and got together with the hope of taking over the rap world from the underground up. The irreverent group began to cultivate a strong internet presence, releasing videos through their YouTube page and releasing four mixtapes, Who Is Travis Porter?, I’m a Differenter, I’m a Differenter 2, and Streets R’Us in 2009. The group caused some controversy that year when they inadvertently released a Roscoe Dash single they did a guest spot on, “All the Way Turnt Up,” on one of their own tapes. Dash eventually re-recorded the song with Soulja Boy and released the new version the following year. After releasing three more mixtapes, Proud 2 Be a Problem, I Am Travis Porter, and Differenter Gang, in 2010, the band found themselves being courted by labels hoping to bring them to a larger audience. Travis Porter eventually decided to sign with Jive, where they felt they would get the most attention, near the end of 2010.
Originally formed in 2006 as the Hard Hitters, the trio officially switched to the enigmatic moniker Travis Porter in 2008. MC’s Ali (Lakeem Mattox), Quez (Donquez Woods), and Strap (Harold Duncan) grew up together in Decatur, GA, and got together with the hope of taking over the rap world from the underground up. The irreverent group began to cultivate a strong internet presence, releasing videos through their YouTube page and releasing four mixtapes, Who Is Travis Porter?, I’m a Differenter, I’m a Differenter 2, and Streets R’Us in 2009. The group caused some controversy that year when they inadvertently released a Roscoe Dash single they did a guest spot on, “All the Way Turnt Up,” on one of their own tapes. Dash eventually re-recorded the song with Soulja Boy and released the new version the following year. After releasing three more mixtapes, Proud 2 Be a Problem, I Am Travis Porter, and Differenter Gang, in 2010, the band found themselves being courted by labels hoping to bring them to a larger audience. Travis Porter eventually decided to sign with Jive, where they felt they would get the most attention, near the end of 2010.
His cool is undeniable; it evokes a calm and settled speech. His charm is contagious; it fills an otherwise bleak room with joy. He alleviates unwanted tension and his spirit simply put, is godly. He is truly a gift born from unceremonious circumstances. He combines the musical crossover success of Sean Paul, Shaggy and recent pop breakthrough Sean Kingston, while consistently delivering his own signature call and response that devout fans pine for. Even deeper, he incorporates the storytelling elements of R&B King R. Kelly and has been likened to a masculine adaptation of hip-hop soul Princess Keyshia Cole. Royalty aside though, he is the determined international pop wunderkind, KC Jockey.
KC Jockey's musical dexterity is second to none, which is in part how he came to be artistically. His capacity to attune his vocal delivery to any beat, in any genre, has indefinitely catapulted his star and naturally birthed success abroad. His forthcoming album (untitled as yet), sparked by the Kenny "Smoov" Kornegay produced "Rub Your Body," is a testament to his proverbial skills and indefinable style. A fresh, unique blend of honesty and reflection, "Rub Your Body," hits a nerve and doesn't stop tingling until the very last bar.
"When they classify me as a reggae/dancehall artist, it's cool, 'cause that's my people and that's my culture; but I am more of an international artist," he explains. "I got so much international stuff within me. I'm more than just that."
Previously, KC Jockey proved it by churning out chart topping installments that made noise in the states and abroad. "SHAKE," an explosive collaboration finds KC Jockey pairing with pop sensation Santalina. The contagious track earned over 200,000 myspace plays and the equally sexy video found its way to BET.com. Moreover, it was played in 40 European countries in over 120 million homes in a single month.
More recently, "Runway Bounce," was the subject of six internationally recognized record pools, toppling the UK Reggae Charts multiple times, as did "Talk of the Town." Additionally, "Runway Bounce" reached No. 9 on the Yacast France Charts.
The bouncy "Don't Go Baby," which is shaping up as a second single from KC Jockey's imminent offering, is a classic message that transcends all races and genres. The chorus finds KC pleading for forgiveness and begging further throughout. "That's about a girl that's literally fed up and can't take no more," he offers. "Like men always do, you got something at home that's fantastic, a ride or die chick You go outside, see something that's nice and you're right at it."
Born in Kingston, Jamaica, KC Jockey moved to New York prior to junior high school to live with his parents. As a child of Brooklyn, he found reason to side with both the positive and negative energies of the most populous city in America. From music to hustling and everything in between, he divided his time so as to fit in all of life's luxuries, good and bad. The negative side of KC's hustle came to an abrupt end when his mother passed away in a car accident in 1997. "After I brought her back to the United States to bury her, I started looking at life way, way different," says KC.
Knowing his mother wanted to see him do some good with his talent and realize his lifelong dream of music, KC committed himself to the studio, sometimes 18 hours a day. "The main thing I keep in front of me is my kids and my mother," he says. "If I keep them in front of me, I'm able to do positive stuff. I'd rather lose that way than any other way."
In 2000, KC Jockey made his dreams and his mother's wishes official when he established his own independent record label. Fittingly, he named it Sweet Sadie's Production, in her honor. Attached to a four year contract with VP Records, the first single KC dropped under his new umbrella where he currently acts as CEO, rapper, actor and producer was "Step To Me."
"Diggy Diggy," ironically the song that instigated the KC Jockey/VP Records' marriage, was arguably one of his most successful, spending a year and a half on BET's now defunct "Uncut." He continued the course of cutting hi-definition videos, in time surfacing as the first independent reggae/dancehall artist to break into the market with such fury. At the height of his promotional/video assault, KC Jockey erected a full size billboard on the streets of Kingston and in turn, arranged for one half of the coinciding video to be filmed there even in his absence!
However, KC Jockey has endured a long legal battle to obtain his naturalization as an American citizen due to his past mistakes. "November 4, 2008 was not only the biggest day in American history, its was the biggest day in my career. I'm promoting my new record "Rub Your Body", my new video is finalize, I just completed an amazing photoshoot and now after fifteen years, I have finally received my passport. God really has his hands on my career." states Jockey. KC Jockey is currently looking forward to visit his birthplace Jamaica in a few weeks to promote his new single "Rub Your Body", and to visit his Jamaican fans who will finally meet him in person after seeing him in videos and billboards across the country.
Lastly, with an assortment of film credits to boast over the past two years, blockbusters I Am Legend and American Gangster included, KC Jockey is on the verge of becoming a household name. More recently, he starred in the soon to be released independent movie, What Goes Around and an online film depiction entitled, Where The Girls At and EGO starring Eve. KC Jockey's debut album is set for a early 2009 release. The very definition of a "star," KC Jockey's lifelong journey is literally the stuff dreams are made of.
KC Jockey is now poised and ready for the world in 2009!
In November 2005, Chris Brown’s Scott Storch-produced “Run It!” — a rewrite of Usher’s “Yeah!” — topped the Billboard Hot 100, making the 16-year-old singer the first male artist in over a decade to top the chart with a debut single. While there was nowhere to go but down, at least in terms of chart positions, the pop-oriented R&B vocalist was only getting started. By the end of the decade, he was one of the biggest active pop stars, with a clutch of Top Ten singles and platinum albums to his credit, along with constant comparisons to Michael Jackson and several acting roles on the side. His momentum slowed little when, in 2009, he pleaded guilty to assaulting girlfriend Rihanna — one of the year’s biggest celebrity news stories.Brown came from a small Virginia town called Tappahannock. Like a lot of kids born since the early '80s, he was initially into his parents' favorite music but eventually fell under the spell of hip-hop. Around the time he reached puberty, he discovered his singing ability and switched his focus away from MC'ing. A move to New York led to being discovered by Tina Davis, a Def Jam A&R executive who became the singer’s manager shortly after losing her position to the Sony-BMG merger. The Jive label, due in part to its track record with younger artists who had established longevity (like Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake), won the bidding war for Brown and lined up several production and songwriting heavyweights, including Jermaine Dupri, Bryan-Michael Cox, Dre & Vidal, Sean Garrett, and Storch, for his self-titled first album. An immediate Top Ten hit when it was released in 2005, Chris Brown not only featured the number one “Run It!” but two other Top Ten singles in “Yo (Excuse Me Miss)” and “Say Goodbye.” Exclusive, released in 2007 and a bit of a departure from the squeaky-clean image displayed throughout the debut, was even more successful, featuring the number one single "Kiss Kiss" and two other Top Five hits. Yet another Top Five hit came with “No Air,” a duet with Jordin Sparks that appeared on Sparks' own self-titled album.In March 2009, Brown was charged with felonious assault of Rihanna — an altercation that had prevented his then-girlfriend from taking the stage at the Grammy Awards. Brown was scheduled to perform as well, but he did not appear and maintained a low profile for several months. A fairly substantial backlash resulted in Brown’s songs being pulled from rotation on several radio stations. Ultimately, however, it had little bearing on the progress of his music and acting careers; the week prior to the December release of his third album, Graffiti, the single “I Can Transform Ya” was already nearing the Top 20 of the Hot 100, and his acting roles — which had already included spots in Stomp the Yard and a recurring role on The O.C. — hadn’t shown any sign of drying up.
The antidote to the current state of hip-hop just happens to hail from Columbia, South Carolina. The rapper/producer, P.Watts, is back with another chart topping banger entitled, Later. Produced by super-producer Zaytoven, Watts also enlisted the help of Rasheeda, Lola Monroe, and Kaleena . With the past success of the anthem Grown Man, which gripped the attention of the nation by the video being placed on MTV Jams and MTV2 On Demand, P. Watts plans for expansion look promising. The upcoming project Mix Album The Element of Surprise which is mixed, hosted, and produced by DJ Burn One, Ed Roc, and Zaytoven is saluted soon. With a clear understanding of the business of music, one thing is clear: P. Watts is about to make the rap fans of South Carolina very proud. And make Hip-Hop history at the same time.
Born into a Jamaican-American family in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, Shawn Mims grew up influenced by the rappers just south of him, in Harlem. Despite the fact that he lost both parents by the time he was 13, Mims focused on music (his mother had given him his first set of DJ equipment shortly before she died) and school to keep himself out of trouble. Though he briefly attended community college, Mims decided if he truly wanted to make it as a rapper he needed to drop out, a move that paid off career-wise: he was soon featured on the song "Love Em All" by Canadian group Baby Blue Soundcrew, which was nominated for Best Video in the 2001 Much Music Awards. "I Did You Wrong" came out in 2003 thanks to help from the Miami-based production team the Blackout Movement, and in 2006 the rapper, who was now going by MIMS, independently released the single "This Is Why I'm Hot." The song did well enough on local radio stations, including New York's Hot 97, to garner attention from major labels, including EMI/Capitol, which released MIMS' full-length debut, Music Is My Savior, in 2007.
Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio Biondi 'Show Bizz' Stephens started writing and rapping at age 10. Inspired by Biggie, Tupac, Jay Z, Nas and Lil Wayne, Show Bizz believes that they all have a few things in common, a love for what they do, confidence, presence and motivation. When it comes to the business of being a rapper there are artists, there are stars and there are phenomenons, Show Bizz is all of the above.
This is her video SUGA DADDY that we are currently working as well.
And we also dropped a new video for "Feel Ur Beat" that hasn't been seen like that.
Also, we just dropped a mixtape last week called "OPENING ACT: THE WISHTAPE" which is 13 original songs without any talking, DJing, nothing. Straight music.
It is not so often that true talent graces lyrics over music. We are very blessed to listen to WATER DA TRUTH grace the microphone with pure talent and a passion for "FEEL GOOD" music that we can relate to or imagine. Look for this STREET MUZIK RECORDINGS (SMR) artist TO BE ON THE SAME LEVEL MUSICALLY, AS THE DRAKES' AND LIL WAYNES' of the music business!
all it takes is one listen and you will agree..
WATER DA TRUTH WILL DO A COMPLIMENTARY CUSTOMIZED DROP FOR YOU.
CONTACT US WITH YOUR NAME AND YOUR SCRIPT . FIRST COME FIRST SERVED.
WATER DA TRUTH IS ALSO AVAILABLE FOR RADIO AND INTERNET INTERVIEWS
When he's doing business, Cash Money Records CEO Bryan Williams uses his real name, but when he grabs the mic to spit Dirty South raps, Williams goes by the names Birdman or Baby. Williams formed Cash Money in 1991 with his brother Ronald "Slim" Williams. Releases by B.G., the Hot Boys, Juvenile, and many others built the Cash Money empire into a Dirty South powerhouse. Williams himself displayed his vocal skills on the Hot Boys albums, but it was with Cash Money's in-house producer, Mannie Fresh, that he really made his mark. The two formed the group Big Tymers in 1997 and made of series of albums that became Dirty South favorites. He broke out on his own with Baby aka the #1 Stunna in 2002. After the album's release, he oversaw an urban footwear collection for the Lugz company, narrated the video game Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition, and appeared in the 2005 movie Beauty Shop. Three years after his solo debut, Birdman released his second solo album, Fast Money. In 2006 he teamed with his "surrogate son," Lil Wayne, for Like Father, Like Son.
Ajani (uh-jon-ee) Asante (A.K.A. "AJ") has been singing professionally around the world, performing lead and background vocals, for and with some very notable artists/groups for over two decades.
His impressive work has included recent background vocal work on "Praise the Lord (Skate Mix)" featuring Rollah & Full Assurance (which appeared on John Redmon & Friends: Faith, Love & Unity, Vol 1). The project garnered a nomination for a 2009 Independent Gospel Award. He later performed on a bonus track for the re-release of the same project, performing one of Stevie Wonder's ballads, "I Can Only Be Me", which is a cover tune from the sound track to Spike Lee's movie, "School Daze".
Currently, AJ is taking center stage and is burning up the charts with his hot, new single "Can't Breathe" which has electronic, dance and R&B overtones. "Can't Breathe" is guaranteed to get dancers working up a sweat on dancefloors around the world. Track appears on John Redmon's junior album release, "S'Agapos" (which is Greek for I Love You). To be released August 2011.
AJ is a young man who is gifted and full of artistic surprises and talents. For not only is he a well-seasoned, industry vocalist, but is also an award-winning dancer/choreographer.
AJ's dance experience began in New York City, NY, in which he started out taking classes in ballet, modern, jazz, tap and african dance at the tender age of nine. His first professional job as a dancer came when he was just thirteen years old. He has since been contracted as a background dancer in music videos and in several live tours for various top hip hop artists, such as: Salt n Pepa, M.C. Shan, Finesse & Synquess, Guy, Sean (P. Diddy) Combs, Mary J. Blige and a host of others. Those experiences have taken this young man to the cities of San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Atlanta and even as far as Tokyo, Japan. He feels that dance has been a great source of training and inspiration, allowing him to follow his dreams toward his destiny.
AJ is a strong believer in education. He holds two Bachelor of Science degrees in Elementary Education and Child Psychology from Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, GA. Failure is not an option for Mr. Asante. AJ believes, motivates and encourages all who come in his pathway that there is nothing you can not achieve if you really want it. He understands that dreams can and will come true when you learn the principle of fusing faith, hard work and patience together. His motto is: "The sky is only the beginning, but never the limit."
Influenced by the unpredictable rhymes of Missy Elliot along with the sexually charged attitudes of Lil' Kim and Foxy Brown, Queens native Nicki Minaj was discovered thanks to her MySpace page. It was there that Dirty Money Entertainment CEO Fendi first heard her ability to freestyle and first laid eyes on her steamy set of promo shots. With killer curves she was obviously proud to flaunt plus a background in the performing arts thanks to the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Art the school that had inspired the movie Fame Minaj was a perfect fit for Fendi's urban DVD magazine, The Come Up. She appeared in numerous volumes, including number 11, which spotlighted her future label boss, superstar rapper Lil Wayne. Through Fendi, Wayne contacted Minaj and signed her to his Young Money label. They began to build her career through mixtapes like Lil Wayne's Dedication 3 and Minaj's own Sucka Free. Meanwhile, appearances on various remixes everything from T.I.'s "No Matter What" to Jeffree Star's club track "Cupcakes Taste Like Violence" helped spread the word. The big breakthrough came when Wayne added his rhymes to her "High as a Kite" single, a mixtape favorite in 2008. The year 2009 would see more guest appearances and mixtapes including the Beam Me up Scotty mixtape which featured the street single "I Get Crazy. In 2010, the singles Your Love and Check It Out preceded the release of her official debut album, Pink Friday.
Rihanna established her dance-pop credentials in summer 2005 with her debut smash hit, "Pon de Replay," and continued to demonstrate hit potential in subsequent years (e.g., "S.O.S." in 2006; "Umbrella" in 2007; "Disturbia" in 2008). However, it was the singer's third album, Good Girl Gone Bad, that made her a full-fledged international pop star with a regular presence atop the charts. Born Robyn Rihanna Fenty on February 20, 1988, in Saint Michael, Barbados, she exhibited a certain star quality as a young child, often winning beauty and talent contests. Because she lived on the fairly remote island of Barbados in the West Indies, however, she never foresaw the sort of stardom that would later befall her.That stardom came courtesy of a fateful meeting with Evan Rogers. The New Yorker was vacationing in Barbados with his wife, a native of the island, when he was introduced to Rihanna. Rogers had spent years producing pop hits for such superstars as *NSYNC, Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, Kelly Clarkson, Laura Pausini, and Rod Stewart, and he offered the talented Rihanna a chance to record. Along with Rogers' production partner, Carl Sturken (the other half of Syndicated Rhythm Productions), Rihanna recorded several demos that sparked the interest of the Carter Administration that is, the newly appointed Def Jam president Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter. This led to an audition, and Rihanna both received and accepted an on-the-spot offer to sign with Def Jam.Come summer 2005, Def Jam rolled out "Pon de Replay," the lively leadoff single from Music of the Sun. Produced almost entirely by Rogers and Sturken, the song synthesized Caribbean rhythms with urban-pop songwriting. "Pon de Replay" caught fire almost immediately, climbing all the way to number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and contesting the half-summer reign of Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together" atop the chart. The debut album spawned one other hit, "If It's Lovin' That You Want," which also broke the Top 40. Rihanna's follow-up effort, A Girl Like Me, saw even greater success and spawned three sizable singles: a chart-topper ("S.O.S.") and two Top Ten hits ("Unfaithful," "Break It Off").Rihanna's third album, 2007's Good Girl Gone Bad, continued her success while signaling a change of direction. Whereas her past two albums had been imbalanced often weighed down by faceless balladry and canned Caribbean-isms Good Girl Gone Bad was a first-rate dance-pop album, stacked with several chart-topping singles and boasting collaborations with Jay-Z, Ne-Yo, Timbaland, and StarGate. The lead single, "Umbrella," shot to number one, as did "Take a Bow" and "Disturbia." Its success turned Rihanna into one of the planet's biggest pop stars.Rated R was released in 2009 during the wake of a physical altercation with romantic interest Chris Brown, who pleaded guilty to felony assault. The album's lead single, "Russian Roulette" written with Ne-Yo was one of the year's most controversial singles, and it set the tone for the singer's new, dark direction. Rated R peaked within the Top Five of the Billboard 200, while another one of its singles, "Rude Boy," topped the Hot 100. Rated R: Remixed was released in the spring of 2010 and featured ten tracks from the album revamped for the dancefloor by Chew Fu. Loud, Rihanna's fifth studio album, followed in November and was led by the StarGate-produced "Only Girl (In the World)."
Who is Lo Keys? If you don't know by now you have been living under a rock. The newfound rap sensation from Fayetteville, North Carolina has become a favorite in the streets and in the blog world. After appearing of major media outlets such as Smack Dvd, UrlTV, Thisis50, BooBooTV, RealTalkNY, Dj Enuff (ThatsEnuff.com), Hood Affairs DVD, having his projects pushed by major mix tape Djs such as Blackwallstreet's Dj L Gee,New York's own Dj Messiah, and Los Angeles Dj Simon Sez this is just the beginning. He has featured on records with Lord Tariq, Compton Menace, Charlie Clips, Parker (Tha Bizness), Rain, and many others on his resume and production from multiplatinum producers such as S1 and Ready Rock he certainly is making a impact. With all the buzz circulating hitting over 120,000 views on Youtube it seems that the sky is the limit. The Freshemen category as been no secret seeing how is buzz is he was also featured at #5 in the Next 2 Blow 2011 list, MajorMusicBlog on the Freshmen runner up list, Igloomediabase.com as a freshmen for 2011, TheSermonsDomain.com Freshmen 2011 and is Nominated for the 2011 New Artist of the Year award at the NCUMAS. With all this buzz there is no telling where Lo Keys will end up in the large world of Hip Hop.
Anthony Gene Mckie who records under the name MAC is a writer, producer and recording artist. MAC defies the norm by taking on the industry with radio friendly hits (No explicit material) and head nodding beats. While a South Carolina native he gained his buzz in Fayetteville, North Carolina by doing collaborations with Def Jam Recording Artist TK-N-Cash, Rain, Lo Keys, and opening for major artist such as BG (PSC), 112, Lil Boosie, Nicki Minaj, Pastor Troy, Gucci Mane, Lloyd, Mike Jones, Gorilla Zoe, and Young Jeezy. With major records such as "Where dey do dat at" and "What I Live For" in heavy rotation in his region he looks to make a heavy impact on the game very soon.
Da Mutantz is comprised of three members; YUNG3rd Thrizzle Da Mutant (YUNG3rd), J-Swag and Swagg-out. Yung3rd and J-swag have been life long best friends since the age of 9. And when they were 16, the duo became a trio after meeting Swagg-out. Da Mutantz jumped onto the radar and got people talking and crowding the dance floors in all the hottest clubs in November 2009 when "Keep it Jerkin" was released onto YouTube. The video gained over 50,000 hits in just two weeks, even though it was unfortunately pulled for legal reasons. Since they received their first taste of their true potential, Da Mutantz have been working nonstop on creating what are bound to be chart topping singles such as; The A.D.D, Da Mutantz 's A.D.D. single was also featured On ALLHIPHOP.com 2011 MixTape Doing My Thang, and even a collaborative track, 'Get Live With It', with Dash Cadet from the group Cold Flamez. Even though Will I Am, is their biggest influence, they also pull inspiration from artists such as, Outkast, MC Hammer, Father Mc, Eminem, Kanye West and Lil John. Each member of the group discovered their passion to perform in different ways; Yung3rd for instance has known his entire life that this is the career he has to pursue. "I was hearing melodies in my mom's belly" he says, so naturally, nothing else seems to feel quite right as when he has a mic in hand.
Swagg-Out came upon his talents at a much later age, who's primary focus was basketball till his late teens, when he discovered his superior talent and passion for music. J-Swag knew that he wanted to be involved in music starting around age 13, when he and a friend began to rap for fun, and now is devoting himself to all things music. He believes that always progressing and growing as an artist and as an individual is the best way to live.
Yung3rd is like the glue of the group, and has a self proclaimed "stupid swag" that no one else could make look as good. Swagg-out is known as the goofball of the group, who is always ready to have a good time and a good laugh. J-Swag fell into the role of the groups "sex symbol" after taking off his shirt and giving out his phone number during a performance at Six Flags Magic Mountain in front of thousands of screaming Seniors for Grad-Night 2010 and 2011.
Each member adds a different flavor of swag, to create what would be none other than Da
Mutantz. Who as their name implies, are simply out of this world.
Before she could utilize her talents for her own solo endeavors, R&B singer, vocal arranger, and songwriter Keri Hilson wrote a slew of songs, many of them chart-toppers, for several popular artists in the mid-2000s as part of the five-person production/songwriting team known as the Clutch. The dynamic songwriter was born in Decatur, GA, only a few miles outside of Atlanta. Addicted to TV talent shows like Star Search and Showtime at the Apollo, she was already plotting out her career in music at age 12. Even though her mother hired a piano teacher to encourage those talents, she mainly wanted to sing; therefore, Hilson converted those sessions into vocal lessons, accompanying the teacher on piano. In her mid- to late teens, she jump-started her career as a songwriter and background vocalist, working under producer Anthony Dent (Destiny's Child, Diddy). Born out of that relationship were two failed girl groups (named Pretty Toni and D'Sign) and, more importantly, a host of connections within the industry for whom she wrote or did backup vocals, including Usher, Ludacris, Kelly Rowland, Ciara, and up-and-coming Southern rap producer Polow da Don.After Hilson graduated from high school, she managed to continue juggling all these tasks when she enrolled at Emory University in Atlanta. She eventually moved on from Dent and began working more with Polow da Don. Attending school while actively advancing her music career put a great demand on her, especially from being a member of the extremely versatile Clutch team. But as luck would have it, Polow introduced her to superproducer Timbaland, who wasted no time in signing the multi-talented songbird to his growing Mosley Music imprint in 2006. Over the next couple years, Hilson's songwriting was practically ubiquitous, responsible for numerous hit singles, including Mary J. Blige's "Take Me as I Am," Omarion's "Ice Box," the Pussycat Dolls' "Wait a Minute," and Britney Spears' "Gimme More." She was also featured prominently on Timbaland Presents Shock Value, including the number three Billboard Hot 100 hit "The Way I Are."With Timbaland and Polow in her corner, Hilson relied on the vast pool of recording artists and producers who needed (and wanted) to return the favor for her Mosley Music/Interscope debut. After a couple pre-release singles and numerous delays, In a Perfect World... was issued in March 2009, shortly after one of its tracks, "Turnin' Me On," had reached the Top 20 of the Hot 100. The album eventually reached gold status, selling over 500,000 copies, and earned Hilson a pair of Grammy nominations. She made another string of guest appearances on Nas' "Hero," Trina's "Million Dollar Girl," and T.I.'s "Got Your Back," to name only a few of many prior to issuing her second album, No Boys Allowed, before the end of 2010.
Whoever said Hip Hop is Dead obliviously hasnt heard the spoken words of the 22 year old fresh out of Mississippis womb, a constant movement of innovative beats and hypnotizing lyrics that keeps your ears fiendin for the next track. Meridian, MS native Big K.R.I.T. has done more than established his place in the game, he's letting all MCs overstand that fact that he's not going anywhere anytime soon. K.R.I.T. is young enough to be ahead of his time and old enough to be just in time to resuscitate the corpse of hip hop. Quoting the young talent you like me shawty, I like me too gives the young Krizzle the confidence to place hip hop on his back and demand the attention of his predecessors. See Me on Top III has hit the streets and A&Rs are listening underground artists are trying to step up He is ahead of the movement. Early in age, K.R.I.T. discovered his musical inclination. At the ripe age of twelve, Young Krizzle followed in the steps of the late Tupac Shakur writing poems and turning them into raps. He then began free-styling in the hallways of Kate Griffin Jr. High School perfecting his craft. At the tender age of fourteen, he began producing and arranging music for local artists. Soon after he began producing and writing his own music, with the finesse of a veteran. Immersing himself in the talents of the late greats: Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur and the southern influences of Andre 3000 and Cee-lo Goodie; Big K.R.I.T. has developed himself into a living legend that's unknown to the popular circuit but adorned by the true underground hip hop heads. His soul is young but his roots are deeply planted in southern soil growing up to the sounds of Willie Hutch, Bobby Womack and the Manhattans, whose music has sincerely influenced his works.Since 2005, he has dropped four mix tapes: See Me on Top I, II featuring DJ Folk, III featuring DJ Infamous and Hood Fame with DJ Wally Sparks: King of the Queen. He signed himself to his label Multi Records, manages his own production, creates and sells his own beats. He's worked with established DJs in the industry without dropping a cent, such as DJ Folk, DJ O.K. out of Oklahoma, Black Bill Gates, Big Mike out of NYC, DJ Chuck T, Chief Rocka, DJ Papa Smirf, DJ Certified Kingpin, Governor Kush: Live From MLK, DJ Break Em Off, DJ Sweat, DJ MLK, Bigga Rankins and the list goes on. He's been featured on tracks with Donnie Cross, Collective Efforts and Mike Hartnett. He's produced tracks for many established artists such as Max Minelli, Ya Boy, Cheeto Gamine, Alfa Mega from Grand Hustle and Big Floaty.The young talent also has accumulated/developed a catalog of unsurpassed sounds and lyrics calmly waiting to take the rap game by storm. Big K.R.I.T. has consistently presented his scope and depth as he eagerly waits at mainstreams door knocking no, banging to be let in. Who's going to open the door?
