Smooththedj

The self-proclaimed "Ambassador of Rap for the Capital," Wale (pronounced "wah-lay") was able to transcend his local sensation status and become a national rap contender using go-go-inspired hip-hop as the vehicle for his clever wordplay and music. Olubowale Victor Akintimehin was born in Washington, D.C. in 1984 to Nigerian immigrants who first arrived in America five years prior. Although the family moved to Maryland when the future rapper was ten years old, Wale was mostly raised in suburban D.C. He attended both Robert Morris College and Virginia State University on football scholarships, eventually transferring a third time to Bowie State. The music bug had already bitten him hard, though, and soon he quit college altogether to turn to a recording career. Wale got his first airplay circa 2003-2004 with "Rhyme of the Century," thanks to the help of a local radio DJ who believed in his potential. This landed him in the Unsigned Hype column in Source magazine the following year. In 2006, Wale signed with the local start-up imprint Studio 43, owned by a former VP of Roc-A-Fella Records, and enjoyed a string of hits in the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area that year. Many of those records sampled from '80s go-go -- a more raw, percussion-driven offshoot of disco originating in D.C. -- like the popular "Dig Dug," a tribute to Ronald "Dig Dug" Dixon of go-go band the Northeast Groovers. Smart use of the Internet and MySpace was also a big factor in his success, as it helped British über-producer and DJ Mark Ronson (known for his work with Amy Winehouse, Christina Aguilera, and Rhymefest) catch wind of the go-go MC in 2007. Wale struck a production deal with Ronson's own imprint, Allido, and released the 100 Miles and Running mixtape that summer. Despite not being signed to a major label, he was met with a good deal of positive press, ranging from XXL magazine to The New York Times. After a bidding war that included offers from Epic, Atlantic, and Def Jam, Interscope finally grabbed Wale for its roster in early 2008. The full-length Attention Deficit followed the next year. In 2011, the Ambition album landed, along with its single, "Chain Music." The Gifted, released in 2013, was introduced by the single "Bad," which featured special guest Rihanna on its remix. Its ambition was rewarded with a number one debut on the Billboard 200. Influenced by the TV sitcom Seinfeld, The Album About Nothing landed in 2015 and featured guests Usher and Jeremih, along with Jerry Seinfeld as the album's narrator; it, too, topped the charts. ~ Cyril Cordor
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After a false start with 50 Cent's G-Unit label, the career of O.T. Genasis truly took off when Busta Rhymes caught the Atlanta-born, Long Beach-raised rapper performing the early-2014 single "Touchdown" not once, not twice, not three times, but four consecutive times for a demanding but rapt crowd. O.T. Genasis subsequently joined Busta's Conglomerate Entertainment label and signed to parent label Atlantic for distribution. Together they released a version of "Touchdown" with verses from Busta and French Montana. The relatively relaxed follow-up single "CoCo," another ode to dealing cocaine, was released that November and swiftly became a bigger hit. Plans to release a major-label debut album in 2015 failed to materialize, but the rapper launched 2016 with three similarly named singles, "Do It," "Push It," and "Cut It." ~ Andy Kellman
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Kinda feeling this joint
 

Yung Lounacy, born Darrion Robinson, was born on November 21, 1988 on the south side of St. Louis, Missouri. Raised by a single mother in a household where music was always either playing on the radio or every week on Soul Train, helped introduce him to this art form at an early age. Inspired by the Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, Nas and new up and coming rapper T.I. Yung Lounacy began rapping at the age of 12 going by the name Lil Statiq. Free styling in and out of school, Lil Statiq quickly became known for his outgoingness and wild personality. It was in high school when he first met his now best friend and business partner, Austin “Propz” Klobe, and ever since that day things had token a turn for greatness were set in motion. He began recording on just a computer in the living room just to see if his peers liked what he had to say and his lyrics. They listened and wanted more from Lil Statiq. So he decided to invest more time and money into this dream he was now going to pursue. Along the way, Lil Statiq was introduced to an up and coming producer, named J. Prophecee, who had heard some of his material and thought his flow was “lunacy” and that was the birth of Yung Lounacy.
Since then, Yung Lounacy has broadened his horizons, working with different genres of music that he wasn't accustomed to, doing songs with a mix of pop and rock while still sticking to his hip hop roots. Now working alongside his two best friends and business partners, Yung Lounacy has become a young entrepreneur. Yung Lounacy has become CEO/Founder of the label, Flight Republic Music LLC, and clothing line, Mental House, and continues to amaze his peers with his determination and out going ness to help others and guide them while building his company within and out. Yung Lounacy has compiled a group of young ambitious individuals out of the St.Louis area with some of the most talented gifts while promoting himself through YouTube videos and doing local shows including a performance of his first single “Swag It Out” at the Super Jam 2009 showcase, he is currently hard at work writing and recording material for his upcoming album and EP. Yung Lounacy is dedicated to get his voice heard and is a force to be reckoned with. All it took was a young man with a dream and push to accomplish everything he has achieved up to this point. But Yung Lounacy is not done there. This is only the beginning. Yung Lounacy in a home near you.
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