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Akir | |
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| Origin | Buffalo, New York, US |
| Genres | Hip Hop, conscious hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper, songwriter, record producer, activist |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Labels | One Enterprises, Viper Records, Babygrande, Koch |
| Website | www.akir.tumblr.com |
Akir (acronym for Always Keep It Real) is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and activist. He is known for his complex lyrics and social-political content.
Akir first entered the hip hop scene as an on-air personality at the high school radio station, WNMH, from 1994 to 1996. In 1998, he ranked second out of 50 in Howard University's Verbal Armageddon, MC competition.[ citation needed ] Akir sought to improve his musical talent and began to focus on production. Collaborating with his brother and business partner SouthPaw, he co-produced one track on Immortal Technique's Revolutionary Vol. 1 . Soon after, Akir released his first song, "Best Friend", on DJ N'finite's mix CD, The Blockbuster Vol. 1, through his own production company, One Enterprises.
In November 2005, Akir and ten other up and coming emcees formed the group The Reavers, and released the album Terror Firma. Soon after, One Enterprises and Viper Records joined to release Akir's debut solo album, Legacy . Soon after the release of Legacy, Akir was featured in The Source's Unsigned Hype sidebar in the January/February 2005 issue, [1] [ unreliable source? ] and the "Off The Radar" spotlight in the April 2006 issue. [2] [ unreliable source? ] Akir was also featured in XXL magazine's Chairman's Choice in the October 2005 issue, [3] [ unreliable source? ] and Show and Prove spotlight in the June 2006 issue. [4] [ unreliable source? ] In 2006, Akir appeared as a model for Mecca 5star apparel, appearing in ad campaigns in magazines and billboards. [5] [ unreliable source? ]
Akir has completed over 10 international tours (Rock the Bells 2006-2012, Vans Warped Tour 2004, Fort Minor 2006, Redman Tour Fall 2007), over 15 domestic tours and over 1000 shows. The festivals he has performed at include: Coachella, Bella Terra, Roskilde (Denmark), Culturanova (Netherlands), L'Boulevard (Morocco), Qart (Norway), Hultsfred (Sweden), Hip Hop Al Parque (Columbia).[ citation needed ]
Additionally, Akir has been involved with the Flocabulary project collaborating with 9th Wonder on a track to transform the story of Romeo and Juliet into a hip hop song for school curriculums.[ citation needed ] He was also referenced in one of their texts called The Rappers Handbook.
In 2007, One Enterprises and Viper Records in partnership with Koch Distribution reissued Akir's second album Legacy .
In 2008, he was made the head of artist relations at the Hip Hop Caucus during the Respect My Vote '08 campaign which featured such celebrities as DJ Green Lantern, TI, Maino, Dawn Richard, and Pharoahe Monch.[ citation needed ]
AKIR also found himself working with at-risk youth teaching writing, production, and recording with the non-profit organization Art Start, working in a studio donated by Bruce Willis, Russell Simmons and Queen Latifah.
Akir is also a member of a hip-hop artist/activist collective called Rebel Army (a.k.a. Rebel Armz) Including: Immortal Technique, Poison Pen, Diabolic, Swave Sevah, Da Circle (Slim & Fatz), Hasan Salaam, CF, DJ Static, SouthPaw, and DJ GI Joe.
In the fall of 2009 he released a mixtape entitled The Secret hosted by DJ Static and Statik Selektah. FOCUS (EP) was released August 20, 2013 and The Plan (LP) was released on September 24, 2013.
Anthony Cruz, better known by his stage name AZ, is an American rapper. Best known for his affiliation with hometown native and fellow East Coast rapper Nas, they formed the New York City-based hip hop group the Firm along with Foxy Brown, Cormega and Nature in 1996. Cruz first saw recognition for his guest appearance on Nas' 1994 single "Life's a Bitch", from his album Illmatic (1994). Cruz was then signed by EMI to release his debut studio album, Doe or Die (1995), which was met with critical acclaim. Its lead single, "Sugar Hill" peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and received gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Moreover, The Firm's sole album (1997) peaked atop the Billboard 200 chart despite unfavorable critical response; the group disbanded two years later.
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Legacy is the debut album from underground hip hop artist Akir. It was released on March 20, 2006 on Viper Records. Guest performers on the album include Immortal Technique and Jean Grae. Producers include SouthPaw, Akir, and Apex, and the album was executive produced by Immortal Technique. "Politricks" was released as a single on July 22, 2005.
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Stick 2 the Script is the second studio album by East Coast hip hop producer Statik Selektah. It was released by Showoff Records and Brick Records on October 21, 2008. It is composed of 18 tracks—all containing production from Statik Selektah and rapping from featured artists. Much like Selektah's debut album, the album features well-established New York City rappers like Jadakiss, Q-Tip and Talib Kweli. It additionally features newer artists like Jon Hope and Reks, as well as Southern rappers like Bun B, West Coast rappers like Mistah F.A.B. and a slew of Massachusetts rappers on the song "Streets of M.A.". DJ Premier ranked the album 3rd in his top 20 albums of 2008 list.
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Jared Evan Siegel is an American singer-songwriter, rapper and record producer. He signed with Polow da Don's record label Zone 4, an imprint of Interscope Records, in 2009. He wrote and produced the song "Frozen" for the accompanying soundtrack to the 2009 documentary film More Than a Game. In 2010, he released the single "In Love With You" with the label.
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Population Control is the fourth studio album by East Coast hip hop producer Statik Selektah. The album was released on October 25, 2011. The album features guest appearances from Sean Price, Termanology, Big K.R.I.T., Freddie Gibbs, Mac Miller, Styles P, Saigon, Jared Evan, Action Bronson, Bun B, Talib Kweli, XV, Colin Munroe, Lil Fame, Pill, Reks, Mitchy Slick, Dom Kennedy, Strong Arm Steady, Skyzoo, Chuuwee, Nitty Scott, MC, Rapsody, Smoke DZA, Joell Ortiz, Brother Ali, Lecrae, DJ Premier, DJ Babu and Scram Jones among others. The album debuted at number 11 on the US Billboard Top Heatseekers chart in the first week of its release.
Spell My Name Right: The Album is the debut studio album by East Coast hip hop producer/DJ Statik Selektah, released on November 6, 2007, through Brick Records and the musician's own Showoff Records imprint. Following his success as a DJ on the collaborative mixtapes with Nas and G-Unit, on Spell My Name Right Statik Selektah wanted to highlight himself as a producer, producing the entire album. Spell My Name Right received mostly positive reception from both music critics and listeners.
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