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*denotes student or graduate of the Midnight Forum
www.capitolgainz.com
Southeast DC’s Blyss, the co-owner of DC-based Capitol Gainz record label, makes material that boasts a sure-fire mixture of charisma, relevant content, and visual lyricism. His work ethic and fiery material have earned him over 40 spins of his new single "Take It All Off" on WKYS 93.9 and WPGC 95.5. Blyss’ forthcoming album, entitled “Capitolism” is scheduled for release in 2004.
Hailing from Hollis, New York, Chico-Son 720° crafts some of the most evocative lyrics that Queens has to offer. Affiliated with Sons of Light, Chico-Son gained acclaim through his performances in Washington, DC, and New York City, and has a rich experience to draw from, having collaborated with many artists, including hip hop legends such as Pete Rock, Marley Marle, Run-DMC, and Jam Master Jay. Chico-Son’s forthcoming album is scheduled for release in 2004.
Baltimore, Maryland, a haven for both commercial and underground hip hop artists, has produced COMP, a promising emcee and producer. COMP's accomplishments include opening for 50 Cent, collaborating with Cam’ron, being featured on the "From the Cradle to the Grave" movie soundtrack, and having his music featured in Def Jam “Vendetta,” the record label’s first game for the Playstation 2.
Originally from Northeast DC, Feva is an emcee and producer who learned from the best. A former member of Chucklife Production Team and a key member of Panacea, Feva began performing, recording and producing tracks in the early 90s. In addition to producing and remixing tracks for an extensive roster of regional talent, Feva has contributed to projects of artists such as Born Jamericans, DJ Xclusive, and DC's prolific cult-favorite John Dough.
www.theamphibians.com
A member of Washington, DC's Amphibians, Heron Gibran comes from an era when, with respect to hip hop, the District's identity was as foreign to itself as it would be to anyone from out of state. Like many other artists from this period, Heron developed an anomalous technique infused not only with the best that the District has to offer, but also with ingenious reconfigurations of the many influences that have touched the region over the years. He currently hosts a cable program called KUD-TV.
www.abbrecords.com
Currently signed to ABB Records, Kev Brown is part of the production team at Jazzy Jeff's renowned Touch of Jazz Studios in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His current single, “Always,” features the vocal and production talents of the prestigious group Little Brother. Kev's past work includes an impressive list of artists, such as De La Soul and DJ Jazzy Jeff.
www.opusakoben.com
Elder statesmen of Washington DC's hip hop scene, Kokayi and Sub-Z are two members of Opus Akoben, a trio comprised of Kokayi, Sub Z, and Black Indian. Each member of OA developed into premier members of the Freestyle Union alongside other notable artists such as Priest and Storm the Unpredictable. Freestyle Union, founded in 1994 by Toni Blackman and Monty Taft, was "designed as a … workshop dedicated to the "elevation of the rhyme.” Already having traveled the globe and continuing to perform domestically and abroad, Opus Akoben has accomplished what many up and coming artists aspire to achieve.
www.verse4verse.com
Lee Majors exemplifies what it means to work hard to achieve one’s personal dreams. At 16, circumstances forced Lee to live on his own. When Lee met Hasani Lateef, the two emcees formed a friendship that would lead them to become Reborn Soldiers. As part of the duo Reborn Soldiers he has performed in the DC Metro area, throughout the Mid-West and the Eastern Seaboard. In 2002, Lee produced his own material and, working alone, sold 3,000 copies of “Verse 4 Verse” in College Park, Maryland.
Lo$ is a Midnight Forum alumnus who hails from the Columbia Heights section of NW, Washington DC.
www.migoproductions.com
A graduate of the Midnight Forum, DJ Menace has become one of DC’s top Latin party promoters. After completing an internship with DJ Sixth Sense (The Russ Parr Morning Show), he began building his reputation as a promoter for DC’s Panorama Productions (Glow, Palladium Sundays), and subsequently going independent and founding Migo Productions.
Update: Walter Chavez, aka DJ Menace, tragically died on the morning of December 25, 2003. While returning home after a successful Migo Productions Christmas event he was involved in a car accident that took his life. Everyone in The Midnight Fourm mourns his death and celebrates his life. Please take the time to see the R.I.P. mural on display in our student art page.
Nate/Nice’s improvement demonstrates his will to excel and live out his dreams. Before and during his time at the Midnight Forum, he has invested many hours increasing his breath control, building his vocabulary, and perfecting on his stage show. As a result, he is well on his way to developing a style that reflects his home city of Washington DC, but also his individuality.
www.noyeek.com
Noyeek cultivated his skills as an emcee in Infinite Loop, one of the region’s longest standing crews, whose members include Head-Roc, DJ RBI, and Omega Rhed. Noyeek continues to perform in regional venues, and having recently completed his first release, looks to take the road.
www.poemcees.com
Collectively known as Poem-cees, Black Picasso, Naturallaw, and DJ Stylus aim to push the creative envelope with their unique fusion of rap and spoken word poetry. After being featured on the current season of HBO’s popular series “Def Poetry Jam”, they've since split time between DC and the road in promotion of their second full-length release, “Paranoia”.
Grap Luva, a former member of INI (Elektra Entertainment), approaches emceeing with the ease of a veteran who has held his ground in the game long enough to appreciate that ultimately, the only material that withstands time and critical scrutiny is that which reflects one's true, immediate state of mind. Brother of acclaimed producer Pete Rock, Grap's latest efforts can be found on Jazzy Jeff's “The Magnificent” LP on the fine Kev Brown collaboration, “What Ruling Means”.
www.theamphibians.com
Prochi is an emcee from Alexandria, Virginia who is affiliated with the Amphibians and works primarily with producer Aychell and lyricist Omega Rhed. He credits both the Amphibians and Opus Akoben as being key sources of creative inspiration, and cites Pharoahe Monche, Gza, Mos Def, and Common as influences.
Jive recording artist Raheem Devaughn is an R&B singer with an exceptional voice and a bright future ahead. An alumnus of the Chucklife production crew, Raheem later moved to help form the group Urban Ave 31, after which time he signed his solo deal with Jive Records. In addition to loading the underground with extensive material, he has collaborated with DC & Baltimore Neo Soul group Fertile Ground and DJ Jazzy Jeff.
RBI’s extensive involvement in artistic and business endeavors has led him to assume a diverse set of roles including DJ, artist, musician, promoter, producer, and label executive. He earned respect and street credibility by spinning electrifying DJ sets at prominent venues such as the 9:30 Club, Nation, 2K:9, Black Cat, Bar Nun, Metro Café, Ibex, and State of the Union, and working as a DJ for many of the area's veteran hip-hop acts including Infinite Loop, Unspoken Heard, and The Omega Project. He has opened for for acts such as OutKast, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Lil Jon and the EastSide Boys, Talib Kweli, and Dilated Peoples, and has managed marketing campaigns for a host of labels, including Clear Channel Entertainment, Def Jam, Epic, Jive, LaStreet, MCA, Tommy Boy, and Virgin.
Pioneer City, Maryland's Red-Dott is an emcee whose accomplishments have actively rattled hip hop's status quo. One part battle lyricist, one part charismatic emcee, Mr. 106 & Fat reigned six weeks in a row as a champion on BET's 106 & Park Freestyle Friday. Later that year, he made his way to the semifinals in the highly publicized battles held by MTV during their Hip Hop Month, a series of battles that to this day, many adamantly hold that he should have won.
Rude Kid is a multitalented dancehall reggae artist with genuine entrepreneurial skills. He has been featured in Black Enterpriseand on CNN, and has opened for artists such as 50 Cent, Sean Paul, Beanie Man, and many other members of Jamaica’s dancehall elite.
www.theamphibians.com
Spirit Equality has been a lover of hip-hop culture for 20 years, a participant (as a soloMC and with the Amphibins) for ten years, and a freelance journalist for eight years (Rime, Elemental, Urb, 4080, Rap Sheet, Beatdown and numerous Web sites, all under his government name). Spirit has also been instrumental, from an organizational standpoint, to the continued growth of the Washington DC underground scene by assisting with the planning and promotion of weekly open mics showcases, film screenings, and other hip-hop themed events.
www.teamdemolition.com
Team Demolition is a North Virginia rap group that is firmly rooted in the region’s music scene. Team Demolition has an extensive catalog of recording and production work, and have done work for a roster of underground acts from the Metropolitan area . Team Demolition has run Depth Charge Studios since 1995. Their featured song, entitled “Give Us Respect,” is from their forthcoming album, “Yo! TD Raps.”
Innervision Entertainment
DJ Tru is a rap producer and community activist who first experienced hip hop as a youth growing up in different states. While studying business at the University of Maryland, he began promoting and producing in the DC Metropolitan area. He has produced and released regional artists, managed promotional accounts for record labels and multimedia companies, served as a panelist at music seminars, been resident DJ at Platinum Night Club, and performed at numerous venues including the Apollo Theater. Tru currently works for Elektra Records and is the Chair of Midnight Forum’s board of directors.
Virtue is a Midnight Forum student alumnus from Northeast, Washington, DC who currently attends Howard University.
Vis Winters is held to be one of Maryland’s best-kept secrets. Recognized for his versatility, unexpected approaches to lyrical structure, and acidic sensibility, he has recorded material with Ammo Studios, John Dough, and InnerVision Entertainment, has been featured on numerous mix tapes and CDs of DJs such as Sixth Sense, Gemini, Text Sosa, Tru, and Quicksilver, and is developing material for independent release in mid 2004.
W. Ellington, or Dub El for short, is the quintessential Renaissance man. Formally a cast member of BET’s Teen Summit, he is at once an emcee, poet, writer, and actor. He first brought his organic, soulful approach to the DC underground in the mid-90s. He is currently featured on legendary producer Prince Paul’s album “Politics of the Business” along side K’alyn, and frequently collaborates with DC’s breakout R&B singer, Raheem DeVaughn.
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