.:The Solution w/ DJ Low Key & Lazy Eyez:.

Meet Add-2, our featured out of town artist for The Solution Showcase #6 on Saturday, 5/26 at the Meadowlark…

.:Add-2 – Save Our Souls:.

.:Add-2 – Tale Of Two’s City Vol. 4: Better Days:.

.:Add-2 – Tale of Two’s City Vol.3: The Rise & Fall:

Above: Add-2 “Luxury”, as featured on MTV, VH1 & MTVU’s Top 5 Freshmen /// Below: Add-2 feat. Deejay Juice (produced by 9th Wonder) “Going, Going Gone”

Chicago’s Add-2 caught our attention a few years back with the song “Luxury” from his Okayplayer and 2Dopeboyz-backed mixtape, Tale of Two’s City Vol. 3: The Rise & Fall with a very dope, classic Chi-town inspired flow a la Lupe on “Go Go Gadget Flow” or Twista/Do Or Die/Crucial Conflict aka some great rapping with a rare flow.  That was just the tip of the iceberg though, we listened more and found out Add’s got a variety of top notch styles and great songs, racking up co-signs from a lot more than just us, with everyone from Common to Kendrick Lamar to the Roots to 9th Wonder (check out their collabs, “Going, Going Gone” and “Super-Genius”) praising his music.

.:Download Actual Proof – Super Genius ft. Cutlass Reid, Skewby, Naledge, Add-2, Kendrick Lamar, Brittany Street, The Kid Daytona & Laws (Prod. 9th Wonder):.

Above: Common calls Add-2 & Lupe his favorite new Chicago MCs + Add-2 “Ghetto Dreams Freestyle” /// Below: Add-2 rocks with the Roots at Highline Ballroom, NYC

Since then, Add-2’s released three more standout projects, Tale Of Two’s City Vol. 4: Better Days w/Okayplayer & 2Dopeboyz, Save Our Souls w/LRG and One Missed Call, establishing himself as one of the best new rappers in a city known for exceptional rappers.  With songs ranging from the controversial “Modern Day Coons” to straight up jams like “One Of Dem Girls” to potent lyrical exercises like “Bring Em Out”, his latest project, Save Our Souls, is one of our favorites to drop this year, and we think you’ll dig it as well.

Above: Add-2 “Dream Catcher” feat Nida Nasheeda /// Below:  Add-2 “Cotton Fields”

Catch Add-2 in his Denver debut at The Solution Showcase #6 on 5/26, along with BLKHRTS, Izaak Haze aka Mass Prod and Mo Heat of the Foodchain, DJ Low Key & more at the Meadowlark (2701 Larimer St).  Stay tuned to @DenverSolution for more info, a chance to win free tickets & more.  21+ /// $5 Pre-sales available at Family Affair downtown (plus get 15% your entire purchase when you buy a Solution Showcase ticket) /// $8 at the door.

Above: Add-2 “Dream Girl” /// Below: Add-2 “Starter Jacket”

Tags: 9th Wonder, Add-2, The Meadowlark, The Solution Showcase

Meet BLKHRTS, our featured Denver group for The Solution Showcase #6 on Saturday, 5/26 at the Meadowlark…

Above: Yonas, King F.O.E. and Karma are BLKHRTS /// Below: BLKHRTS EPK, courtesy of the super prolific Konsequence aka Pape

.:BLKHRTS music on Bandcamp:.

.:King F.O.E. of BLKHRTS brand new project, J.U.N.K.I.E.:.

If you’re in Denver or you’ve been paying attention to the national blog scene over the last few years, you’re probably already up on Yonas, King F.O.E. & Karma aka BLKHRTS.  They’re one of the wildest hip hop groups I’ve ever seen, on some rock star rap shit, if that makes sense.  If you’re not up on F.O.E., Karma & Yonas, check out this great piece on them from one of my favorite music writers, Jeff Weiss of the LA Times/Pitchfork/Passion of the Weiss, written right before BLKHRTS played the infamous LA party, Low End Theory last year:

Denver’s BLKHRTS describe themselves as M.O.P. meets Morrissey. A strong claim, but the union of the Mash Out Posse and Mr. Meat Is Murder does make for something noteworthy. Imagine the gladioluses  that fans would drop at Morrissey’s feet, only now getting bashed by lead pipes of M.O.P. Picture a trio of vowel-averse velociraptors rapping as if the phrase “he who makes a beast of himself, gets rid of the pain being a man” was tattoed on their foreheads.

Member King Foe described them as “a breath that you take the moment after the bungee cord is extended to its fullest extent jumping into the Grand Canyon.” The words and beats hit like shrapnel, with samples from “Eraserhead,” Matthew Dear and Joy Division’s first incarnation, Warsaw.

They merge the crowbar rap of Brownsville with a disjointed post-Def Jux aesthetic. Their voices sound as if they’ve been slit with scythes. Denver doesn’t have a subway, but somehow their songs rattle with the shuddering velocity of a train car going off the rails and killing dozens. It is rap as hard-core punk music that never forgets it’s hip-hop.

Topic include sex, drugs, money and death, nightmares, demons and hearts pumping like the fury of angry slaves. At a time when the rap world is monomaniacally fixated on the throne, BLKHRTS play like a poisonous agent assassinating the tired tropes of fancy watches, foreign cars and esoteric concerns. After all, their debut EP, this year’s “BLK S BTFL,” examines a subtext similar to that of Jay-Z and Kanye’s recent would-be opus: racial strife, temptation and gods and men. It’s rap by mad villains, rawer than the fish that richer rappers feast on. Underground not because of a willfully obtuse aesthetic, but for its sense of subversion.

.:More BLKHRTS press:.

BLKHRTS will be bungeeing minds in person at The Solution Showcase #6, along with Chicago’s Add-2, Izaak Haze aka Mass Prod & Mo Heat of the Foodchain in their live production debut, DJ Low Key & more on Saturday, 5/26 at the Meadowlark (2701 Larimer St).  Stay tuned to @DenverSolution for more info, a chance to win free tickets & more.  21+ /// $5 Pre-sales available at Family Affair downtown (plus get 15% your entire purchase when you buy a Solution Showcase ticket) /// $8 at the door.

Above: BLKHRTS “BLK S BTFL (Unofficial Video) /// Below: BLKHRTS “OVR” live at the BLK S BTFL Release Party

BLKHRTS Alt EPK

Tags: BLKHRTS, Jeff Weiss, Karma, King F.O.E., The Meadowlark, The Solution Showcase, Yonas

Meet Mass Prod & Mo Heat (from the Foodchain) aka Izaak Haze, our featured producers for The Solution Showcase #6 on Saturday, 5/26 at the Meadowlark……

Mass Prod & Mo Heat are the musical masterminds behind most of Denver heavyweights, the Foodchain’s, exceptional brand of CO hip hop.  Lately, they’ve been fine tuning a live production set and we’re lucky enough to have them debuting it at The Solution Showcase #6 on Saturday, 5/26!  Based on everything we’ve seen and heard from them so far, y’all are in for one hell of a treat!!!

Mass Prod and Mo Heat are best known for their in-house work with the Foodchain on top notch projects like Corpses and Brunch, but have also worked with the likes of former Little Brother MC, Big Pooh, producing three tracks between them on his Dirty Pretty Things album last fall (more info here), as well as producing recent tracks like the Catch Lungs, Danny Brown & Donny Goines collab, “Gotta Kill This” and shopping some beats to Raekwon, check the video below:

Take a quick look at the videos in the post to get a glimpse of their ridiculous musical talents and don’t miss Mass Prod & Mo Heat, along with Chicago’s own Add-2, BLKHRTS, DJ Low Key & more for The Solution Showcase #6 at the Meadowlark (2701 Larimer St) on Saturday, 5/26.  Stay tuned to @DenverSolution for more info, a chance to win free tickets & more.  21+ /// $5 Pre-sales available at Family Affair downtown (plus get 15% your entire purchase when you buy a Solution Showcase ticket) /// $8 at the door.

Above: Mass Prod in a Brunch teaser clip. /// Below: 3 part video series of Mass Prod, Mo Heat & DJ Louiscide in the studio.

Check out more videos from Mass Prod, Mo Heat and the Foodchain on the Foodchain Youtube Channel.

Tags: Izaak Haze, Mass Prod, Mo Heat, The Foodchain, The Meadowlark, The Solution Showcase

Saturday, 5/26 -> The Solution Showcase #6 w/Add-2, BLKHRTS, Izaak Haze (Mass Prod & Mo Heat of the Foodchain), DJ Low Key & more at the Meadowlark…

SATURDAY, 5/26 -> May’s Solution Showcase is a beast!!!  We’ve got one of Common & 9th Wonder’s new favorites, Chicago’s own Add-2, CO’s wildest group, BLKHRTS, the live production debut (!!!!!) from Izaak Haze aka Mass Prod and Mo Heat from the Foodchain, The Solution’s own DJ Low Key and more for The Solution Showcase #6 at the Meadowlark (2701 Larimer).  Don’t sweat it if you’re not familiar with someone on the bill, just trust that your favorite DJs aren’t gonna steer you wrong (a big part of The Solution Showcase is about discovering dope new music, you’ll dig it, trust). So stay tuned to DenverSolution.com to learn more about the performers and hopefully we’ll see you at the party! 21+ /// $5 Pre-sales available at Family Affair downtown & get you 15% off your entire purchase /// $8 at the door /// Doors at 9.

Meet Chicago’s Add-2

Meet Yonas, King F.O.E. & Karma aka BLKHRTS

Meet Izaak Haze aka Mass Prod & Mo Heat (of the Foodchain)

Tags: Add-2, BLK HRTS, DJ Low Key, Izaak Haze, Lazy Eyez, Mass Prod, Mo Heat, The Foodchain, The Meadowlark

Meet Median (NC /// Justus League /// Foreign Exchange Music /// JAMLA), our featured out of town artist for The Solution Showcase #5 on 4/28…

Above: Median “The Sender”, produced by 9th Wonder, from Median’s 2011 album, The Sender (stream the whole album on spotify here).

All the way from North Carolina, allow us to introduce you to our good friend Median, founding member of the Justus League and one of the most talented MCs to debut in the last decade.  Median first popped up with a show-stealing verse on Little Brother’s classic debut, The Listening (link below), followed that up with two fantastic appearances on The Foreign Exchange’s first album, Connected, and from there music fans who’ve heard his music have been left raving, including everyone from the legendary Jill Scott to our first Solution Showcase import, TiRon.

Catch Median, along with Whygee feat. DJ Brik-A-Brak, DJ Low Key, Lazy Eyez & more at the Meadowlark (2701 Larimer St) on Saturday, 4/28 for The Solution Showcase #5.  Stay tuned to @DenverSolution for more info, a chance to win free tickets & more.  21+ /// $5 Pre-sales available at Family Affair downtown (plus get 15% your entire purchase when you buy a Solution Showcase ticket) /// $8 at the door.

.:Download Median’s Relief In The Making (mixed by DJ Low Key & hosted by 9th Wonder):.

In case you missed it, The Solution’s own DJ Low Key linked with Median and Grammy-winning producer 9th Wonder for Median’s Relief In The Making, his only mixtape and the prequel to Median’s debut album Relief.  The tape features 29 tracks featuring production from 9th Wonder, Nicolay, Khrysis, M-Phazes and more, plus features from Little Brother (Phonte & Big Pooh), Tanya Morgan, Kenn Starr, L.E.G.A.C.Y., Chaundon, Spectac, Edgar Allen Floe and others.  Download it for free here.

Above: Median feat. Phonte, Yahzarah & Bahamadia “Special” from Median’s The Sender /// Below: Little Brother feat. Median “Shorty On The Lookout” from The Listening.

Above: The Foreign Exchange feat. Median “All That You Are” from The Foreign Exchange’s Connected /// Below: The Foreign Exchange feat. D-Brock & Median “Maybe She’ll Dream of Me (Pure P’s Sky Hygh Remix)” – Vinyl Only Remix. /// Below That: Phonte feat. Median “Eternally”, produced by 9th Wonder, from Phonte’s Charity Starts At Home.

Tags: DJ Low Key, Foreign Exchange Music, JAMLA, Justus League, Median, The Meadowlark, The Solution Showcase

Meet Whygee, our featured Denver artist for The Solution Showcase #5 on 4/28 at The Meadowlark…

Denver, meet Whygee.  In fact, if you’ve been paying attention to #COhiphop scene at all over the last few years you should already know him from such acclaimed projects as his recent collab with Denver musical mastermind Q-Knox, I Need $, CMJ chart favorite Suicide Watch (w/Kid Hum, B Money & Quiz fka Sunkenstate), Dispensary Music (w/King F.O.E.) and Hype Killz, his mixtape collaboration with The Solution’s own Sounds Supreme.  Just in time for Summer, Whygee’s dropping Hype Killz 2012 aka HK2012 and he’s doing it at The Solution Showcase #5.  This time around he’s not only linking with Sounds Supreme again but also enlisting his show DJ, Brik-A-Brak, and DJ Ear Attent to up the ante for HK2012.  The tape features production from CO beat heavyweights, Gyp Da Hip and Big J Beats (both former guest at The Solution Showcase), as well as a few other surprises.

Check out the videos and audio links to get familiar with one of The Solution’s all-time favorite rappers in Denver and catch Whygee w/DJ Brik-A-Brak rocking all new material from HK2012 on Saturday, 4/28 at The Solution Showcase #5, along with Median (NC///Foreign Exchange Music///JAMLA Records), BK Beats (The Solution Beat Battle winner), DJ Low Key, Lazy Eyez & more at the Meadowlark (2701 Larimer St).  Stay tuned to @DenverSolution for more info, a chance to win free tickets & more.  21+ /// $5 Pre-sales available at Family Affair downtown (plus get 15% your entire purchase when you buy a Solution Showcase ticket) /// $8 at the door.

P.S. Whygee will be celebrating his birthday (his actual birthday is Monday 4/30), so make sure grab him a birthday drink!  Preferably after he rocks…LOL…

.:Download Whygee & Sounds Supreme – Hype Killz:.

Tags: Dealz Makes Beats, Hype Killz, Sounds Supreme, The Meadowlark, The Solution Showcase, Whygee

Meet BK Beats, the winner of The Solution Beat Battle & our featured producer for The Solution Showcase #5 on 4/28…

Normally we feature a Colorado producer at The Solution Showcase, but this month we’re making an exception to feature the surprise winner of  last month’s Solution Beat Battle, Albuquerque ‘s own BK Beats.  BK beat out an insanely talented group of producers to take the title and we’re excited to feature him on Saturday, 4/28 on at The Solution Showcase #5, along with Median (NC///Foreign Exchange Music///JAMLA Records), Whygee w/DJ Brik-Abrak, DJ Low Key, Lazy Eyez & more at the Meadowlark (2701 Larimer St).  Stay tuned to @DenverSolution for more info, a chance to win free tickets & more.  21+ /// $5 Pre-sales available at Family Affair downtown (plus get 15% your entire purchase when you buy a Solution Showcase ticket) /// $8 at the door.

To find out more about BK Beats, check out this recent interview he did with DJ Low Key below, as well as some links to music and footage from the battle itself.

DJ Low Key: I’ve gotta get it out of the way, what does the BK in BK Beats stand for?

BK Beats: Haha, shit. “Blunt Kid”. It was a nickname I got as a teenager that stuck unfortunately.

DJ Low Key: Sounds like you’ve had that name for a while, how long have you been producing/making beats for?

BK Beats: Haha, yeah man. Been making beats more seriously for the last 2 years, dabbling for probably another 2 before that.

DJ Low Key: What initially inspired you to get in to making beats?

BK Beats: I always did music since a kid, but basically getting more educated on hip hop.  “Award Tour” was big for me, as was Nas “The Message”.  Once I figured out that those were old records re-chopped, I was more curious and bought [the popular production software] Fruity Loops in high school.  Sadly, Dilla’s passing also inspired me a lot.  Ruff Draft and stuff like that really made me wanna do it.

DJ Low Key: Speaking of Detroit, you’ve done songs with Ro Spit and Fat Ray, two up and coming Detroit artists, as well other noteworthy artists from across the country, such as Add-2 in Chicago and Moe Green and Squadda B (of Main Attrakionz) in the Bay; how do these collabs usually come together?

BK Beats: With the Detroit cats, I was just a fan of the whole scene. Sort of just reached out over Twitter and eventually got cats emails.  Basically Twitter all around man, it makes artists accessible enough I guess.  I’m a fan of cats and I may hit them over Twitter and ask for their email address and go from there.

DJ Low Key: What about your music do you think got the attention of those artists when numerous up and coming producers are hitting them up online regularly?

BK Beats: I try to make every beat my own, and really put myself into the music.  Whatever style it is, I try to do something different or sample something no one would.  For example, sending a beat using a european progressive rock sample when everyone else has been sending Lex Luger style keyboard jams.  No hate to Lex. I’m a fan, haha.

DJ Low Key: Using a variety of samples and sounds is something that the judges at The Solution Beat Battle all mentioned as part of why you won, do you consider yourself as having a particular style?

BK Beats: Ummmm, I would say drums are always an important part of my beats.  Nowadays, I’m leaning away from sampling a bit, but I’ve been told my drums are sort of a trademark.

DJ Low Key: The Solution is based out of Colorado and you’re in Alburquerque, New Mexico; how’d you find out about the beat battle?

BK Beats: A friend/fellow producer really looked out for me on that one. A Chicago cat by the name of ImTrumaine told me Boonie [Mayfield] had been tweeting about it and I should try, so I sent a few [beat] over while I was at work like right before the deadline, haha.

DJ Low Key: Were you worried or nervous about coming from out of state to compete?

BK Beats: Definitely! NERVOUS AS HELL! Haha. But more so felt lucky and blessed becuase my city doesn’t have alot of the same opportunities and such.  I was still nervous after I won, like shaking nervous man smh.

DJ Low Key: Leading up the final round, was there any producer at the battle you were especially worried about facing head to head?

BK Beats: Man everybody had heat to be honest!  Shouts to Cliff Cage, Big J, Dealz…A lotta skills in that room.  I forget the [names of the] other cats I met, but I was feeling like just a fan again for sure.  I thought Big J had me that last round to be honest.

DJ Low Key: The entire lineup was ridiculous, big ups to everyone involved. Before the battle you mentioned you were a fan of Tanya Morgan, who performed and were two of the judges at the battle; any thoughts of hitting them up on Twitter afterwards?

BK Beats: HUGE fan! I had to get my nerd on and snap a flick with them too, haha. But as far as trying to work, I feel like I’m not on that level yet.  Plus, Von’s [Von Pea, producer/MC in the group Tanya Morgan] got BEATS! WOO!!! I felt like it may be better if I just took their judging as a cosign and kept it moving.

DJ Low Key: Part of your prize for winning The Solution Beat Battle was studio time at Side 3 Studios, generally considered to be the best in Colorado; what was your session like there and when can we hear the results?

BK Beats: Maaaan it was amazing! Huge shout outs to Chase [at Side 3]. He got EXACTLY what I was trying to convey.  That whole spot is mind blowing. I will be playing two of the songs next Saturday [4/28, at The Solution Showcase #5, details here] and then releasing an EP with my keys/guitar player Pablo before Summer.

DJ Low Key: What’s the name of the EP? Any other projects can we expect from you later in 2012?

BK Beats: Untitled so far but i just released the 1st single “STR8 Gorgeous” last week on my bandcamp page, www.bkbeats.bandcamp.com.  I will have this ep, songs with a few cats from the bay area. expect more from me and Moe Green, Shady Blaze, Deniro Farrar out of NC and Epp from Portland, all leading up to a solo beat tape.

DJ Low Key: Sounds like a busy Summer.  Any other shouts before we see you back in Denver for The Solution Showcase #5 on Saturday, 4/28?

BK Beats: Yeah, crazy hectic.  SHOUTS to you! The Solution, Family Affair, Tanya Morgan, Courtland, Boonie. Everybody who showed love after the show, you guys keep me going for real!

Tags: #TheSolution5, BK Beats, The Solution Beat Battle, The Solution Showcase

Saturday, 4/28 -> The Solution Showcase #5 w/Median (NC /// Justus League), Whygee feat. DJ Brik-A-Brak, BK Beats, DJ Low Key & Lazy Eyez at The Meadowlark…

SATURDAY, 4/28 -> Ding ding, round 5!!!  It’s about time for The Solution Showcase to hit you with another dose of goodness and this month is a doozy.  For The Solution Showcase #5, we’re featuring your favorite MC’s favorite MC and Justus League OG, Median (NC///Foreign Exchange Music///JAMLA Records), the hype killer himself, Whygee w/DJ Brik-A-Brak, The Solution Beat Battle’s darkhorse winner, BK Beats, and of course, at least 2/3rds of The Solution DJs, DJ Low Key & Lazy Eyez at The Meadowlark (2701 Larimer). Don’t worry if you’re not familiar with someone on the bill, just trust that your favorite DJs aren’t gonna steer you wrong (a big part of The Solution Showcase is about discovering dope new music anyway, people have been digging it). So head over to DenverSolution.com to learn more about the performers and hopefully we’ll see you out for the party! 21+ /// $5 Pre-sales available at Family Affair downtown & get you 15% off your entire purchase /// $8 at the door /// Doors at 9.

Tags: BK Beats, Brik-A-Brak, DJ Low Key, Family Affair, HK2012, JAMLA Records, Justus League, Lazy Eyez, Median, The Foreign Exchange Music, The Meadowlark, The Solution Beat Battle, The Solution Showcase, Whygee

Meet Big J Beats & Marky Bias aka 1984, our featured CO artists for The Solution Showcase #4 on 3/24…

Meet Big J Beats & Marky Bias aka 1984.  Big J Beats is one of Denver’s top producers, almost taking The Solution Beat Battle crown last month (he was runner up) and recently producing all of Turner Jackson’s acclaimed Star Destroyer album.  Marky Bias is a freestyle champ and Big J’s rapping counterpart in 1984.  You can catch them throughout the front range, blowing away crowds with their unique mix of live production and dope raps.

Their bio reads:

1984: Heavy lyricists, originally from Pueblo, Colorado. This Denver based Hip Hop duo is 2010’s version of the Fat Boyz. Having lived past lives in Heavy Metal bands, 1984 is composed of freestyle champ, Marky Bias and Big J. Beats, an amazing producer/digger/drummer. They rock shows, and make live beats with laptops, buttons and control pads. They are not typical rappers. They don’t look like rappers. They don’t act like rappers, and they rap better than most rappers.  -Aisha Renee /// Happy Little Tree’s Design Studio

.:Download Turner Jackson’s Star Destroyer, entirely produced by Big J Beats:.

Catch 1984 rocking along with Che Grand, Dealz Makes Beats, DJ Low Key and Lazy Eyez at The Solution Showcase #4 at the Meadowlark (2701 Larimer St).  Stay tuned to @DenverSolution for more info, a chance to win free tickets & more.  21+ /// $5 Pre-sales available at Family Affair downtown (plus get 15% your entire purchase when you buy a Solution Showcase ticket) /// $8 at the door.

Tags: 1984, Big J Beats, Marky Bias, The Solution Showcase

Meet Dealz aka Dealz Makes Beats, our featured producer for The Solution Showcase #4 on 3/24…

Meet Dealz Makes Beats, our featured CO producer for The Solution Showcase #4 on Saturday, 3/24.  About 99% of the time, Dealz has a portable turntable in his hands.  Not 99% of the time when he’s making music or record shopping, I’m pretty sure it’s just 99% of his everyday life that he carries it around.  That same dedication to music and the magic of records comes in across in his music.  Dealz’s beats are soulful, funky and embody the classic hip hop aesthetic that could only come from someone who carries a portable turntable around 24/7, get a taste below:

More about Dealz, in his own words and via interview from his soundcloud page:

Why this name?

Its the last part of my name. And I am heavily influenced by the great J Dilla. One the best to ever do it. That and I make beats….Dealz…Makes Beats!

Do you play live?

Me and my emcee Daijon Kool, rock shows with him on the mic and me rocking the MP live. Youtube: DealzMakesBeats…you’ll see.

How, do you think, does the internet (or mp3) change the music industry?

The internet changes everything. You dont need MTV or BET to get exposure, theres always a give and take tho. MTV and those outlets give you the ultimate exposure as far as media goes, but you may not have the freedom over the ideas you want to bring into fruition. Yet with the ‘net, its all your work ethic. If you want to be put out there, then its all up to you to get that buzz (along with good music). Theres no one to blame but yourself.

Would you sign a record contract with a major label?

For a production deal? OF COURSE. Theres no money in rap anymore! >>> My group DND could tho!

Band History:

Lego blocks are the key to success. Sounds crazy but I’m dead serious. Everything that I’ve done relates to those mini blocks. When you have one block, you only have that one block. But when you get another one you can make one bigger block, then you get another and you can make a bigger one. And once you get 100 more blocks you can make a castle! haha my musical life thats how it breaks down. In 6th grade my best friend, Jomeezius the Genius, asked me to rap in a talent show with the then young B-Nice (stage performances). In 9th grade, Jomeezius built a studio and we recorded a compilation album (studio experience). I moved to Seattle in 12th grade and created a lot of interest after school for my improvised freestyles in front of students, teachers, parents (marketing). And in my adult years, came the keyboards for x-mas, the recording software knowledge, and finally the MPC that I saved a month for. all these blocks helped me crate, not quite a castle, but a nice one bed one bath apartment made of blue legos. The moral of my story is it takes time to be good at something and all these experiences helped and are helping me get to where I want music to take me.I also just wrapped up my first ever fully produced album with emcee Daijon Kool. Together we formed DND (Dealz n Daijon/ Duck n Dive/ Dim n Dark). Im straight on the MPC as he commands the mic.

Your influences?

I’m into EVERYTHING music! Hip hops always has my heart tho.

Favorite spot?

I stay in Denver, raised on the east coast, but Seattle is my city! (and I was only there for 3 years!) but Denver does have some dope diggin’ spots. The A Town (AURORA CO) is the hip hop spot no joke.

Equipment used:

Numark 1510 Tables, Eurorack mixer and my best friends…THE MPC 2000XL and an assload of RECORDS!

Anything else…?

I try to bring back that essence of hip hop I grew up on. But I aslo use down south soulfulness, west coast laid back, and midwest innovation to create something that everyone can feel. Whether you want to dance to it, flow to it, smoke to it, ride around the streets to it, as long as you use it for what it is, I’ve done my job. OH AND I’M AN AVID CRATE DIGGER! cant forget that!

Tags: Dealz Makes Beats, The Solution Showcase