Artists

Masta - Ace

With an impressive resume in rap that includes membership in the legendary Juice Crew (along with Marley Marl, MC Shan, Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Roxanne Shante, and Craig G) and a verse on the 1988 classic posse cut "The Symphony. After three years on the hush, Ace returned to the fold in 1993 this time with his crew as Masta Ace Incorporated (Lord Digga and Paula Perry) and dropped Slaughtahouse. The album broke new ground by taking the synthesized West Coast Sound and filtering it through an East Coast mentality. The Disposable Arts album from 2001 was a well-received protest against watered-down rap with some hints that the rapper was retiring. It was all a red herring as he returned in 2004 with the conceptual album A Long Hot Summer. A year later he formed the eMC with rappers Wordsworth, Punchline, and Stricklin. Michael Di Bella, Rovi

He is noted for his high level of rapping skill and for influencing other MCs, including Eminem.

Bahamadia

Bahamadia (Antonia Reed) is a Philadelphia-born hip hop artist, and a DJ who later became an MC. As a member of Gang Starr Foundation, she released her critically-acclaimed debut album entitled Kollage in 1996. The album featured production by Guru and DJ Premier of Gang Starr. Kollage was followed in 2001 by BB Queen, an EP release. Bahamadia is a respected lyricist in hip hop and is known for her silky, subdued monotone delivery. Her reputation in North America has been enhanced by a number of highly regarded guest appearances on tracks by artists including Talib Kweli, The Roots, Jedi Mind Tricks and Planet Asia, and through her association with the Philadelphia hip hop collective Army of the Pharaohs.

Jlive

Brooklyn MC J-Live first garnered notice with the release of his 1995 single "Bragging Writes." Delivering his thoughtful lyrics with confidence and ease, J-Live's rapping was strong and his soul-inflected grooves immediately appealed to fans of underground hip-hop. A year later he followed up with another hit, "Hush the Crowd," and started to generate a palpable buzz. With tracks produced by luminaries such as Prince Paul, DJ Premier, and Pete Rock, the release of J-Live's full-length debut, The Best Part, was hotly anticipated and the future looked promising for the ascendant MC. At this point, though, J-Live was beset by a host of troubles. He kept good company, making cameo appearances on strong albums like Handsome Boy Modeling School's So...How's Your Girl? and J. Rawls' The Essence of J. Rawls. The Best Part finally enjoyed its official release in the fall of 2001. All of the Above followed one year later, and 2003 brought a two-part mini-LP tribute to his early days, 

Kev Brown

Hailing from Landover, MD, Kev Brown has ascended the ranks of the underground to solidify himself as one of hip-hop’s most prolific and universally respected modern producers. As the beat-maker for artists from De La Soul to Jewel—and the mastermind behind ground-breaking projects such as the Jay-Z remix “Brown Album”—Kev has received worldwide acclaim for his range, creativity, and soul-infused rhythms.