Rapsody

Rapsody is a North Carolina emcee signed with super producer 9th Wonder for Jamla Records. With the release of seven projects in just three years and a critically acclaimed debut album in August of 2012, she is slowly establishing herself as a major player in today’s rap game.

In just a short time she has worked with some of the biggest legends and newcomers in the business, ranging from the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Erykah Badu, Raekwon, Big Daddy Kane, Marsha Ambrosius, Mac Miller and Big K.R.I.T, to name a few.

Most recently, she was named one of the top female artist to know by both TIME Magazine and USA Today. She was also named one of the 20 Greatest Female Rappers of All Time by XXL. She most recently released a ten track EP titled Beauty and the Beast to much acclaim and she is currently working on her sophomore album.

In 2015, she was the only rap feature on Kendrick Lamar critically acclaimed album, To Pimp A Butterfly, on the song Complexion. The same year Dr. Dre announced on his Apple Beats1 radio show, The Pharmacy, that she was currently his favorite female emcee. A month later, she performed “Every Ghetto” with Talib Kweli on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon

Her style is polished and distinct, and her wordplay and flow are unparalleled in both delivery and execution. As she strives to contend with her Hip Hop predecessors, like Jay-Z and Mos Def, Rapsody is already undeniably one of the strongest and most promising forces in today’s Hip Hop culture.

GQ

GQ, who Grammy Award winning producer, 9th Wonder, coins his “secret weapon” is not only a former NCAA basketball champion, but in fact Oakland’s next Hip Hop hero.

Born and raised in Oakland, California, GQ (also known as Quentin Thomas) found his passion for music at an early age; nine to be exact. Influenced by a wide array of music genres and artist, the young GQ became a fan of lyrics and started to pen his first rhymes; all while training to be a college hoops star. In 2004 he was recruited to play for UNC Tarheels head coach, Roy Williams, and was a member of the 2005 National Championship team his freshman year. Some years later, already a champion of one, he was well on his way to being a champion of the other – rhyming.

GQ signed with 9th Wonder in 2009, one of the last artist to join the budding Jamla roster, which has grown to be one of the most buzzed about indie labels today. Of the multi-talented emcee, 9th Wonder says, “he isn’t a basketball player that can rhyme, he is a rapper that can ball.”
His style is passionate, controlled, lyrical and he is a master of telling the gritty, dark tales of the place we know as “OakTown”.

In 2010, he was featured on EA Sports’ NBA Live 10, alongside Mississippi’s own, David Banner. The following year, the Oakland emcee released a few singles, and a three part mixtape series, entitled “Blended”, before unleashing his first project under the Jamla imprint, ‘Trouble Man’.

‘Trouble Man’ is a 16 song EP of original cuts, featuring production from 9th Wonder and The Soul Council, as well as guest appearances from labelmates Rapsody and Heather Victoria, and 6th Street Records’ Bluu Suede, and more.

Currently, GQ is setting up for a big 2013 introduction with his two part release, “Death Threats and Love Notes”, the prequel and debut album.

Like so many of his hometown predecessors such as Too Short, Digital Underground and the Hieroglyphics, GQ looks forward to being another example that there is light at the end of the tunnel, or bridge for that matter.

When asked how he wanted to be remembered when it’s all said and done, he humbly said, “I want to be an example, it doesn’t matter where you come from, all that matters is where you’re going. And, I just want to be remembered for how I carried myself, how I helped and motivated others to live right and reach their goals in life.”.

They say it’s different across the bridge, and there is something definitely different about GQ. In the words of 9th Wonder, simply put, “he’s a star”.

DEANTE HITCHCOCK

DON FLAMINGO

The SHOW must go on. Being resilient in any undertaking is a talent that few may know but has become a moniker and inspiration for Donald Allen III, previously known as, the SHOW of New Orleans, Louisiana, emerging as DON FLAMINGO. Coming from a city such as New Orleans, which is known for genres such as jazz, zydeco, blues, brass bands, and hip hop forming a musical legacy as unique as the soup this treasure is known for. When a southern rapper boasts of a resume that includes being associated with acts such as T.I., Scarface, Mannie Fresh, BG, and Lil Wayne while being named a BET Music Matters featured artist opening the BET Awards Music Matters Showcase as a part of the New Orleans super group, The Rap Pack, you would expect that artist to be a household name. Factor in cosigns from projects with other local staples like The Chopper City Boyz, Juvenile, C-Murder, Ace B and the New No Limit, and DON FLAMINGO should be the face of the business of music in New Orleans, but there’s no business like SHOW business and the SHOW must go on!

Releasing his ambitious Neva Say Die Series scheduled to release an EP of new music every month throughout 2016, Don Flamingo is no stranger to standing out amongst a crowd. This project is reminiscent of 2011’s EGMG Saturdays where a new freestyle was released every Saturday throughout the summer in anticipation of the final installment of the Downman on Back mixtape series. This time around, DON FLAMINGO isn’t getting ready for another major release through the independent East Gang Music Group, but merely showcasing his never ending resolve. 80s babies will appreciate the invocation to the 1985 classic the Goonies. The EP series will also boast of being composed entirely of songs with no names purposely done to focus listeners on the music. Future video releases will have titles for the showcased tracks, but which songs on which volumes EGMG is being very tightlipped about. This is the two time NOLA Hip Hop Awards Lyrist of the Year at his best, allowing his content and delivery to speak to listeners and encourage a scavenger hunt that may garner attention to hidden gems throughout the series.

DON FLAMINGO explains his mission in hip hop by stating “every rap artist has a similar story; growing up with no father, mom was a single parent so you learn from the streets, but when I put my twist to it, I create a variation of that story and make it my own.” Even the steps that DON FLAMINGO has taken to get to this point create a variation furthering the point; there’s no business like SHOW business. From his introduction to rap in 1995 via a poem dedicated to the memory of his deceased father, it was always the reception of his projects that kept DON FLAMINGO going. This reception allowed a joy to become a hobby, a hobby to transform to a talent, and a talent into a business. Now the business has come full circle back to a joy and because the SHOW must go on, the emergence of DON FLAMINGO is a friendly reminder to #NevaSayDie.

KOTA THE FRIEND

KOTA The Friend is an artist from the downtown section of Brooklyn, New York. At a young age he was exposed to hip hop, R & B, Jazz and Soul music during the infamous 90’s era. By the time young KOTA was 8 years old he joined his schools music program and excelled as a trumpet player. In high school KOTA was the leader of the trumpet section while teaching himself to play the guitar and piano. During this time he also picked up two weekend jobs to build a home studio where he would record hip hop tracks as well as folk songs that were accompanied by his guitar playing. During his High School days he became interested in a plethora of different artists and bands like The Beatles, J Dilla, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan and countless other acts. This inspired KOTA to start a band that would put on local showcases in the Brooklyn area that banded many aspiring artists together during this time. Some of those acts include Phony Ppl, Dyme-A-Duzin, Capital Steez formerly known as Jay Steez and many others. During his college days KOTA was introduced to an R&B singer and a quirky rapper and started a hiphop/neo soul group. They would go on to play venues like The Knitting Factory and open up for Slum Village. After a year of college KOTA returned home to focus more on music. Dealing with deep depression and a lack of income he decided that although he didn’t want a 9 to 5 job he needed money to sustain himself. At 19 years old he decided to pick up cinematography being that a lot of his artistic friends needed the service and he could feed that need if he were to excel at the craft.