MC YOGI (aka Nicholas Giacomini) grew up in Northern California, painting graffiti & listening to hip hop music. He spent most of his high school years at a group home for at-risk boys where, inspired by artists like the Beastie Boys & Run DMC, he began writing and performing his own raps for friends at house parties. Hip hop culture provided both a soundtrack and a creative outlet during MC YOGI’s turbulent teenage years.
House of Pain was an Irish-styled American hip-hop group who released three albums in the early to mid 90's before lead rapper Everlast decided to pursue his solo career again. The group is best known for its 1992 hit single Jump Around. The band's history starts with a failed short solo career, Everlast teamed up with DJ Lethal and high school friend Danny Boy to form House of Pain. The group was signed to Tommy Boy Records, and their self-titled debut album (1992) went multi-platinum, spawning the successful DJ Muggs produced single Jump Around.
The Winnie Coopers are a five piece hip-hop group from the Gold Coast, Australia consisting of MC's The Educator and Eloquence, Young Tubs on bass and DJ Bigbad. They creat music they describe as "geeky hip hop guaranteed to get cabooses shaking" combining a laid back style with sweet party tunes and lyrics that all nerds can relate to. They have released one album - Being Different on the Starving Kids label.
Donald McKinley Glover (born September 25, 1983) is an American actor, writer, comedian, musician and rapper. Glover first came to attention for his work in the sketch group Derrick Comedy and is best known for his role as community college student Troy Barnes on the NBC comedy series Community. Glover was born on Edwards Air Force Base, California, and raised in Stone Mountain, Georgia. He graduated from New York University with a degree in Dramatic Writing in 2006. Glover is known for his work on the NBC show Community alongside Joel McHale and Chevy Chase.
Spank Rock is an American hip-hop group consisting of rapper Naeem Juwan and producer Alex Epton (XXXchange). Their style is generally described as a mix of underground hip hop, party rap and electro. Spank Rock began performing in Philadelphia, where their reputation quickly increased. They later toured with Hollertronix and M.I.A.; they also toured with Beck in 2006. Their lineup currently consists of Armani XXXchange (Alex Epton), Spankrock (Naeem Juwan), Chris Rockswell (Chris Devlin), Ronnie Darko (Ronald Rubarth), and Amanda Blank (Amanda Mallory).
Lyrical leader of the original Furious Five and founder of a splinter version of the group during the mid-'80s, Melle Mel wrote many of the legendary raps featured on Grandmaster Flash tracks. Born Melvin Glover, he and his brother Nate (aka Kidd Creole) (not the Caribbean dance-popster of the same name) joined up with Cowboy (Keith Wiggins) in 1978 to form the Three MC's, with production handled by Grandmaster Flash (Joseph Saddler). After Scorpio (originally Mr.
Rising up from the western suburbs of Adelaide, Poetikool Justice in three years have established themselves at the forefront of Adelaide’s ever-growing music scene. Named as part of the 2007 top 20 up and coming live acts to watch out for in South Australia, Poetikool Justice produce a catchy fusion of Hard Funky*Reggae*Hip Hop which is influenced musically by a wide range of rootsy underground styles.
Recently migrated from the capital city of the West Midlands – Coventry – to the southerly climes of London, Ghostpoet looks set to make his mark on 2011. The softly spoken 24 year-old has already won over BBC Radio 1's foremost tastemaker Gilles Peterson with a handful of off-kilter, loopy electronic ditties blessed with his delightfully rambling musings on modern life. Signing to Peterson's Brownswood Recordings imprint, a free EP entitled "The Sound of Strangers" sidled into the public domain in June 2010.
The Far*East Movement (also known as FM), hailing from the clubs and streets of Los Angeles, are one of the freshest crews representing the next generation of artists and “fly music.” Members Kev Nish, Prohgress, J-Splif, and DJ Virman have created a huge industry buzz with major companies, radio stations, and club djs worldwide through their international appeal and energetic live shows.
Finding their inspiration from the diverse city blocks and night club scene of Southern California...
An original member of New York's new-school pioneers the Ultramagnetic MC's, "Kool" Keith Thornton is best known as a solo rapper. His signature style is stream-of-consciousness lyrical flow and complex vocals, two skills that earn him a perennial nod from the underground hip-hop community. The average Kool Keith album is peppered with bizarre, disjointed, even delusional or disassociated themes, concepts, and references. Nearly all of his albums incorporate a satirical dislike for more commercialized strains of hip-hop, as well as major record labels.