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| Raheem DeVaughn |
The son of renowned jazz musician Abdul Wadud, DeVaughn grew up in Maryland and cut his teeth performing in clubs throughout the Washington, D.C. area. After several indie releases, which he sold on the streets and at his shows, the crooner signed with Jive Records and dropped The Love Experience, his slept-on 2005 debut. DeVaughn broke through commercially with 2007’s Love Behind the Melody, which earned him two Grammy nods, two BET J Awards for “Best Male R&B Artist” and “Album of the Year” as well as a prime slot on tour with Jill Scott. He also leads the DMV Movement, an artistic union of D.C.-Maryland and Virginia artists, including Wale and Phil Ade (who is the first signed artist from his newly formed 368 Music Group record label).
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| tabi Bonney |
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| Phil Ade |
Phil has earned the distinction of being the first artist signed to DeVaughn’s DC-based independent label, 368 Music Group, which he co-founded with DC talent manager/A&R Andre “Dre The Mayor” Hopson. Phil Adé is set to further bring attention to the DC, Maryland & Virginia area, solidifying it as a major force in the country’s hip-hop landscape. Phil Adé’s easy-going subject matter and genuine flow is a welcomed addition to the underground hip hop community.
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| Uptown X.O. |
Coming to the stage, hailing from the Nation’s Capitol Washington, DC, weighing in with some of the illest bars in the rap game is Jamaal Walton. He also goes by the name of X.O. (meaning unknown origin) and he blends his soulful brand of music with gritty, real life lyrics that portray the life of a District of Columbia native. His art encompasses many genres, but cannot be packaged into just one. This 23 year old veteran of the D.C. underground hip hop scene is well regarded amongst his peers. He hosts a weekly open mic, never missing a show and always willing to please the crowd with a line or two. He has linked up with some of the best DC has to offer; notably, his group Diamond District with Oddisee and YU with their album, “In the Ruff”, his collaboration with Interscope artist Wale on his mixtape, “The Takeover Part 2”, and his joint mixtape, “Timeless” with notable producer Judah. X.O. is as complex as the very environment from which he hails. His “shock value” delivery grabs his audience, leaving their heads bobbing and minds churning. X.O. strives to bring feeling back to the hip hop game. http://uptownxo.com/
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| RatheMC |
Being a Female Rapper, in this male dominated musical genre RatheMC has managed to go up against some of the most notable rap male competitors while respectfully paving own her lane. On the outside she is seen as a Fashion Froward, beautiful young woman but on the inside lays a highly intelligent, Social Conscious young woman on a mission. That mission being to influence to the youth and speak for and to the voiceless.
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| Harmony Muzik |
Although originally from Detroit, Harmony Muzik is by far the fastest rising artist in DCs vibrant, yet highly-competitive music scene. Recently signed to Bmore Original Records, Harmony has become a household name within the DMV Hip Hop, R&B, & Pop community, and has earned a viable place for herself amongst the top independent artists in the DC market.
Harmony Muzik was recently nominated for both the Indie R&B Artist of the Year and Indie R&B Album of the Year for the 2011 S.E.A.s [Southern Entertainment Awards]. Never one to rest for long, Harmony is already back in the studio working on her upcoming project "Gen X" due out in Spring of 2011. http://www.harmonymuzik.com/
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| Greeenspan |
A native of Baltimore, MD, Greenspan emerges as an emcee with amazing finesse. He has opened up for Wiz Khalifa three times in 2010, as well as Wale, Yelawolf, The Cool Kids & Stalley. Greenspan has collaborated on projects with Phil Ade, Feevaleo, Amber Mimz, and more, Greenspan lays his mark on the Baltimore, D.C, area. With writing and performance skills like Q-Tip and Lupe Fiasco, Greenspan has received much notice on the music elite blogs such as AllHipHop.com, HipHopDX & HipHopWired. Set to release Dope Melodies x Heavy Bass this Spring, Greenspan is rising in demand.
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| Gods'Illa |
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| Lyriciss |
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| Gordo Brega |
Rap has consistently revolutionized through poetic prose that is both articulate and real. Eric Irrizary, who goes by the moniker Gordo Brega, successfully melds these two characteristics, consequently espousing a brand of rap that fuses the best aspects of English and Spanish. This blend, contingent on the responses Brega has aroused within the D.C. Metropolitan, Miami, Los Angeles, New York areas portends a new era in hip hop in which Gordo Brega will subsequently monopolize. Brega was born Eric Irrazary in the Bronx, New York. As a Dominican American with a grasp of Spanish far surpassing his knowledge of English in his formative years, Brega initially had a barrier impeding his assimilation into rap culture. This changed when Gordo first came across the lyrical stylings of another Bronx native, Big Pun. In Pun, Brega had a positive example of a Latino rapper who fused the best cultural aspects of being Latino and American.
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| Kokayi |
Kokayi is a Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter, emcee, producer and educator. Pronounced “Ko-Kah-Yee” (or KOKE for short), this Washington D.C. native takes his name from the Swahili word meaning “to summon the people”.
On his own, he’s independently released his debut album Mass Instructions (2008), toured the world and snagged the aforementioned 2009 Grammy-nod for Best Urban/Alternative Performance for his work as a vocalist and co-producer on “Lovin’ You (Music)” by Ethiopian singer Wayna. He’s produced the MTV Jams staple, “Jet Setter” for fellow D.C. artist Tabi Bonney and created the theme to BET’s “How I’m Living”, as well as music for various commercials on MTV/Nickelodeon.
With his high level of productivity, quality music, electric live performances – Kokayi goes a long way to prove his self-proclaimed mantra of “Less Talk, More Walk”. http://kokayi.tumblr.com/
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| Boobe |
"My single 'My Way' simply means to find your own way to achieve your goals! You don’t have to follow what others have done before. You can create your own lane and see what works best for you," explains Boobe.
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| Audra the Rapper |
Audra The Rapper is the first female to team up with Rick Ross's MayBach Music imprint. At 21 years old and having released two projects: Sweet N Sour and The Miseducation of Audra, she is currently working on the spring release of her next project "No Such Thing…Does Exist" which will be presented by Source Magazine. ATR has also teamed up with the Source Mag to present the "Sweet N Cypher" series. ATR has been featured on BET, MTV, VH1, Source Mag and Ozone Mag and is one of the female faces for the Hennessy Remixed Tour launching this Spring '11.
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| Pro'Verb |
As a trailblazing artist, Pro'Verb is recognized for his profound and clever wordplay. One of his many fans proclaimed in a radio, "pro is a lyrical prophet!" His performances are like witnessing the Superbowl and a Harvard debate at the same time.
Pro's achievements include: Winner of the Budweiser East Coast Competition, which earned him the right to perform as the opening act for the 2009 Rock the Bells Tour in Washington, D.C., L.A., and San Francisco. He has also performed at SXSW, and received massive support and gratitude from the DMV citizens, radio personalities, and Washington Wizards for defending his city though his lyrical genious during the 2008 NBA playoffs.
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| M-1 Platoon |
A love jones for hip-hop is all it took to bring these "newtypes" together- Chopps, Vaughn Garcia, Scoopay, and Sean Diesel as M1 Platoon. Though they have been making their trademark as unorthodox, way out the box rappers in Washington, D.C. all throughout high school, it wasn't until their move to pursue higher learning in NC where things took a better turn with results. M1 moved down south to N.C. Central University where they met Grammy Award winning producer and former NCCU Hip Hop Initiative instructor, 9th Wonder. The platoon quickly took to "uncle 9th" as their mentor, mastering their craft in music production (Vaughn Garcia) and crisp lyricism. M1 has also had the pleasure of opening up and sharing the stage with: Little Brother, 9th Wonder, Murs, Evidence (Dilated Peoples), Sean Price (Heltah Skeltah) Jean Grae, Chaundon, Skyzoo, Torae, Jozeemo, Median, L.E.G.A.C.Y. and Kooley High.
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| The Five One |
The Five One's influences range from legendary rock/pop artists to the most iconic figures in hip-hop culture. If you had to define their sound you would have to imagine The Beatles rapping over a punk song made by Bob Marley. Although their sound is refreshing, the most meaningful aspect behind The Five One is their concept. Revalulion [rev-uh-loo-lee-n], is the action of personifying oneself as a color, which is a philosophical term coined by the band. The members of The Five One Red, Blue, Green, and Gold, have simplified themselves from the complexities of societal identity by becoming colors. Defined only by the color in their closets, the color-coded quartet has a niche for meaningful lyrics and a sound that defies the norms of popular music. http://thefiveone.com/
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| Los |
There are lots of young, eager rappers sitting on the sidelines waiting for their chance to get in the game and play with the big boys. But there are some who claim their position, jump in and play like they invented the game. Such is the case with Los. The emcee, representing Baltimore‟s Liberty Heights and Garrison – areas better known for their depiction in TV shows like „The Wire‟ and „The Corner‟ than for their contributions to hip-hop – first stepped onto the overcrowded field of rappers in 1999. After a one-year stint with Diddy‟s Bad Boy Entertainment in 2006, Los struck out on his own again and has been grinding ever since. 2010 was a breakout year for Los and he now finds himself with several major label deals on the table and future that has never looked brighter.
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| Black Cobain |
For Black Cobain, Hip-Hop serves as a muse that enables him to tell stories that speak of his growth and development as an individual, professional, and man. His artistry is more about wordplay and storytelling, and less about current trends and popular culture adoption. Black released debut mixtape “Now or Never” in 2009, which solidified his presence as an up and coming emcee. The project also had solid production and features from Wale, Young Chris, Kevin Ross , King Pen Slim, Phil Ade and more. His classic style is reminiscent of old school flow, despite the infectious demand and trend in hip hop culture for melodies drowned by beats and dance worthy beats coupled with punch line rhymes and catch phrases. His non-conforming sound, passion, and quest for musical nirvana, if such a place exists, will land him at the legendary status he seeks.
“And they say he who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life…” - Black Cobain
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| Tangie the Great |
Tangie the Great is a 24 year old EmoRockRapper from PG County, MD. Known first for speaking her mind and never withholding her rebellious opinions, it wasn’t until late 2010-2011 that she began to get recognized for her unique musical sound. Tangie released her first official mix-tape "All Types Of Love" on February 14, 2011 (www.tangiethegreat.com). ATOL has already received buzz from numerous blog sites, gained her a write-up in the Laurel Gazette, and got her a nomination for the DMV award for best female rapper, MD. Tangie collaborated with DMV powerhouses such as Phil Ade, Fat Trel, and Whitefolkz for the ATOL album. She has two music videos and counting under her belt. This new-comer is starting to fit into her moniker "The Great" and is doing so without help from a label or co-sign. There is definitely a lot more to come from this left field artist whose songs are far from mundane... Follow her rapidly growing movement on twitter: @TangietheGreat and continue to witness history in the making.
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| Nike Nando |
Since 2007 Nike Nando has been creating his own lane in music. Through energetic live shows to producing and recording his own music, Nando has continued to gain the attention of new national fans, labels and media. While building up his own brand,DMG (Delorean Music Group) Nando has now released Loveday,a collection of lyrics, sounds and themes that take listeners into the mind of a young artist navigating the world of entertainment, women,friends and his true love,music. With numerous labels inquiring and coverage from media such as 2DopeBoyz, AllHipHop and many others, its just a matter of time till Nike Nando is known to the world as the next young Hip-Hop artist to blow.
Loveday is available at www.WhyNotNando.com and can be downloaded by clicking this link:
www.NIKENANDO.BandCamp.com
www.BEARWITNEZ.bandcamp.com
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| Bear Witnez |
It is said that the path to success is the road less traveled and Bear Witnez prides himself on refusing to walk the beaten path. Born in Washington D.C. and raised in Maryland, Bear Witnez is one of the most respected Hip Hop artists in the DC-MD-VA area (aka DMV). Performing alongside legendary acts (such as Nas, 50 Cent, Timbaland, and Gangstarr), Bear Witnez has made a name for himself amongst the hip hop circuit. In late 2001, Bear Witnez released his single “Can I Get That?” to general success (peaking at #8 on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart and also held a spot on the Billboard Hot 100). Stepping away from music for a few years to deal with "real life" only set the stage for Bear to make his triumphant return. If his current offerings (Bear Season, The WitneZWinter EP & regional smash single "I'm A Hustler") are any indication...BEAR WITNEZ IS HERE TO STAY!
