Ashley J. Llorens (also known as SoulStice), was born in 1979 in Chicago, IL. He started seriously pursuing music while earning his B.S. and M.S. at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. In 2003, SoulStice founded the independent label, Wandering Soul Records, concurrently with the release of his first album, North by Northwest. In addition to his career in music, he has worked at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory where he rose to the rank of Senior Researcher and later became Chief of the Intelligent Systems Laboratory. [1]
Since the release of his 2003 debut album. SoulStice has become a prominent figure on the alternative hip hop scene. In early 2006, SoulStice and Wandering Soul Records signed a national distribution deal through EMI/Caroline to release the album “Dark Water” by his group Wade Waters. In 2007, SoulStice released his second solo album, “Dead Letter Perfect” which was distributed through Universal Music. Garnering significant radio support, “Dead Letter Perfect” led to tours in Europe and Japan as well as coverage in XXL Magazine, The Source, URB, Scratch and most other tastemaker hip hop publications. In 2009, SoulStice released “Beyond Borders,” a collaboration project with Belgian beatmaker SBe, that featured artists from around the globe. His song, “That Thang” was featured in the Oscar-Nominated film, “The Blind Side” starring Sandra Bullock, and his song “Always” was featured on the CBS hit show NCIS Los Angeles.
SoulStice is married to Amanda Drehobl Llorens with whom he has one son, Noah and one daughter, Maya. References to his wife and son are present throughout his various albums.
Hideyuki Yokoi, known professionally as Zeebra, is a Japanese hip hop rapper and DJ who made his first appearance in 1995. Zeebra is a former member of the hip-hop group King Giddra, which also included DJ Oasis and K Dub Shine. He went on to pursue a solo career shortly after in 1997, and signed with the Future Shock record label.
Percy Romeo Miller Jr., also known by his stage name Romeo, is an American rapper, singer, actor and television personality. He gained fame as a rapper in the early 2000s after signing with his father, Master P's record label No Limit Records. His 2001 debut single, "My Baby" peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and preceded his debut studio album Lil' Romeo, which peaked at number six on the US Billboard 200.
Tommy Flåten, best known by his stage name Tommy Tee, is a Norwegian record producer, rapper, broadcaster, record executive, concert promoter and magazine publisher. He is known as the godfather of Norwegian hip hop. Tee owns the label Tee Productions, which is located in Oslo, Norway and is Norway's leading hip hop label. As well, he publishes Norway's only graffiti magazine and hosts a weekly national rap radio program.
Slum Village is an American hip hop group from Detroit, Michigan. The group was formerly composed of the rappers Baatin (1974–2009), T3, and rapper / producer J Dilla (1974–2006). J Dilla left in 2001 to pursue a solo career with MCA Records. Elzhi joined in his absence, after which Baatin also left due to health complications.
Andwele Gardner, known professionally as Dwele, is an American R&B singer, rapper, songwriter and record producer from Detroit, Michigan. He is best known for his guest appearance on Kanye West's 2007 single "Flashing Lights" as well as his often-uncredited performance on West's 2010 single "Power", both of which peaked within the top 30 of the Billboard Hot 100. Gardner's 2003 debut single, "Find a Way" narrowly entered the chart and led his debut studio album, Subject (2003), released by Virgin Records.
Matt Ford, better known as DJ Format, is a hip hop DJ born in Southampton, England who lives in Brighton. He collaborates frequently with Abdominal on the album Music For the Mature B-Boy and with Abdominal and fellow Canadian rapper D-Sisive on the second full album If You Can't Join 'Em… Beat 'Em, as well as with Akil and Chali 2na from Jurassic 5.
Embee is a Swedish hip hop DJ and producer. He was born Magnus Bergkvist on February 24, 1977 in Badelunda, Västmanland, Sweden. He is best known for his work with Swedish hip-hop group Looptroop Rockers. His first solo album Tellings from Solitaria won a Swedish Grammy Award for best hip hop or soul release of 2005.
Percy Lee Chapman, known by his stage name Tragedy Khadafi, is an American rapper and record producer. Chapman hails from the Queensbridge Housing Projects in Queens, New York City, and helped spawn other hip hop artists such as Mobb Deep, Capone-N-Noreaga, Nas. He is documented to be the first to use the phrase "illmatic" in 1988 on a record called "The Rebel", from the Marley Marl album In Control, Volume 1, which was an inspiration and influence on fellow New York rapper Nas.
Soul-Junk is an experimental genre-hopping Christian rock and hip hop group from San Diego, California.
Jun Seba, born Jun Yamada, better known by his stage name Nujabes, was a Japanese record producer, audio engineer, DJ, composer and arranger best known for his atmospheric instrumental mixes sampling from hip hop, soul, and jazz, as well as incorporating elements of trip hop, breakbeat, downtempo, and ambient music.
Hip Hop Connection (HHC) was the longest running monthly periodical devoted entirely to hip hop culture. It was described by rapper Chuck D as "the most important magazine in the world".
Melanie Durrant is a Canadian urban contemporary-style singer. She attended the Arts program at Earl Haig Secondary School and also trained at the Royal Conservatory of Music. Melanie Durrant has received multiple accolades throughout her career. She was nominated in several categories at the 2004 Canadian Urban Music Awards and at the MuchMusic Video Awards. Melanie Durrant has collaborated with artists such as Kardinal Offishall, Choclair, Common and Slakah The Beatchild. She has shared the stage alongside Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Jill Scott and Sean Paul.
Chibuzor Oji, better known by his stage name Faze, is a Nigerian musician and actor. He was a member of the defunct Nigerian hip hop group Plantashun Boiz, along with BlackFace Naija and 2face Idibia. The group split up in 2004 and each member of the group has gone on to launch solo careers.
Rob Wilson, better known by his stage name Fresh I.E., is a Christian rap artist from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Strange Fruit Project is an underground hip hop group from Waco, Texas, which consists of producer and emcee Symbolyc One, his cousin emcee Myth and emcee Myone. The trio officially debuted in 2004, with a pair of underground releases, Soul Travelin and From Divine. Their biggest exposure came with the release of their acclaimed 2006 album The Healing. The group's name is derived from the Billie Holiday civil rights song "Strange Fruit".
Gabriel Teodros is a hip hop artist and a member of the groups Abyssinian Creole and CopperWire. He was raised on Beacon Hill, Seattle, Washington. Teodros' music often features socially conscious themes, and he was a catalyst in the surge of dynamic underground rap acts from the Pacific Northwest during the first decade of the 2000s.
Kohndo is a French rapper and producer born on June 17, 1975, in Saint-Cloud, a suburb of Paris. Kohndo is known as one of the best lyricist in french rap. He gained recognition as a rapper during the 1990s as a part of the influential rap group, La Cliqua.
Alternative hip hop is a subgenre of hip hop music that encompasses a wide range of styles that are not typically identified as mainstream. AllMusic defines it as comprising "hip hop groups that refuse to conform to any of the traditional stereotypes of rap, such as gangsta, bass, hardcore, and party rap. Instead, they blur genres drawing equally from funk and pop/rock, as well as jazz, soul, reggae, and even folk."
Amir Mohamed el Khalifa, better known by his stage name Oddisee, is a rapper and record producer from Washington, D.C. He is one third of the rap trio Diamond District. He was also part of the Low Budget Crew. He is based in Brooklyn, New York.
Troy Donald Jamerson, better known by his stage name Pharoahe Monch, is an American rapper known for his complex lyrics, intricate delivery, and internal and multisyllabic rhyme schemes.