APOLLO BROWN
Talented artists can make what appears to be impossible look easy. It’s in this rarefied air where you’ll find Detroit’s Apollo Brown, constantly conjuring fresh innovations out of a tried-and-true formula. For the last decade, the artist has singularly re-defined and expanded the foundation of what boom bap production can sound like in the 21st Century.
BIG POOH
Rapper Big Pooh never envisioned a career as a recording artist until he joined forces with fellow North Carolina Central University students 9th Wonder and Phonte in 2001 to form the critically acclaimed hip-hop trio Little Brother. While the journey involved its share of growing pains, Pooh acknowledges that Little Brother’s success came more effortlessly than he ever imagined. The group’s nostalgic vibe and seamless connection to hip-hop’s “golden era” quickly made them fan favorites.
SKYZOO
Growing up just a block away from The Notorious B.I.G., watching him go from local corner boy to rap superstar, Skyzoo couldn’t help but dream big. The Brooklyn, NY native saw life in all of its “heaven and hell” juxtaposition, being from the infamous home of both Jay-Z and “Do The Right Thing”. He started rapping at age nine, writing about what he witnessed on his daily routines as a child. Those years of observation have turned into first person narratives that have labeled Skyzoo as a “new legend” and have led to his albums being critically acclaimed by fans and critics alike. His storytelling has been commended by all walks of literary life, from hip hop royalty to university professors and everyone in between. The fan base Skyzoo has been able to acquire stretches across a wide blanketed range, cultivating in a cult like following of fans who’ve been attached to Sky since his first release a decade and a half ago, which has all lead to memorable placements in both the souls of listeners and the eyes of corporate America.
BLU & EXILE
With his cool-headed SoCal demeanor and everyman charisma, Blu was championed at the onset of his recording career when he collaborated with Emanon DJ/producer Exile for the highly acclaimed LP Below the Heavens (2007).
FASHAWN
Santiago Leyva (born October 19, 1988), known by his stage name Fashawn, is an American hip hop recording artist from Fresno, California. He first gained major attention after releasing his debut album Boy Meets World in 2009, which was produced entirely by Exile. The album received critical acclaim and landed him on the cover of XXL Magazine’s Top 10 Freshmen issue in 2010.Since then, Fashawn has collaborated with other artists and producers such as Nas, J. Cole, Wiz Khalifa, Evidence, Murs, Aloe Blacc, Blu, Big Mike, Brother Ali, The Alchemist, and 9th Wonder.
