New York City based jazz singer & songwriter who released her first major CD Red Soil In My Eyes with the hit single Ingele in 2007. Somi was born on June 6, 1976 in Champaign, Illinois and is of Rwandan and Ugandan descent. While Red Soil In My Eyes was her first internationally-distributed effort, Somi has an earlier independent release entitled Eternal Motive (2003) that was once largely-out-of print, but was re-issued in 2008 for digital distribution.
When Substantial was recording his debut album, ...To This Union a Sun Was Born, he was driven by adversity.
When Substantial was recording his debut album, ...To This Union a Sun Was Born, he was driven by adversity. The Maryland native was struggling to balance school with a budding music career, was homeless at times and still reeling from having buried more than ten friends and family members.
The resulting album-produced by Nujabes and Monorisick of Hyde Out Productions and released in October, 2001-earned Substantial international critical acclaim and a particularly devoted following in Japan, where it was recorded and distributed. ...To This Union was a top ten seller for two months at Virgin Megastores in Tokyo, Japan, and outsold artists such as Ja Rule, Jermaine Dupri, Faith Evans and Angie Stone in November. The album was dedicated to his late father and niece.
In the years that followed, Substantial-real name Stan B. Robinson-released a slew of singles and featured appearances, choosing to remain an independent artist to maintain creative freedom. In March of 2007, however, he officially joined the like-minded roster of independent hip-hop record label QN5 Music, whose artists are both close friends and frequent collaborators of his.
"I met Substantial through PackFM and Mecca during the final throes of the NYC underground scene's heyday," says QN5 founder and artist Tonedeff. "They were all in a group together called Dominion and I had seen them. Immediately, I was blown away by his wordplay and delivery." Tonedeff, Substantial, PackFM and Session would go on to form the group Extended Famm and release the critically acclaimed 2002 album Happy F*ck You Songs.
On January 8, 2007, the man The Source Magazine called "a lyrical problem" will release Sacrifice, the long-anticipated follow-up to-and first official American offering since-...To This Union A Sun Was Born.
Despite being bred from much the same place as ...To This Union, Sacrifice is decidedly more optimistic. Comprising sixteen tracks of smart lyricism and breezy beats, the disc evokes the dwindling sense of fun that once permeated the culture and plays seamlessly as a collective nod to the genuine feel-good hip-hop of yesteryear. Perhaps best characterizing this is "Resurrection of the House Party," the album's energetic first single, released in September 2007 with an accompanying video, or "My Favorite Things," an ode to hip-hop culture which Substantial calls one of his favorite songs on the album. Sacrifice features production by Kno (CunninLynguists), Tonedeff, Algorythm & Burns and a guest appearance by QN5 labelmates Extended Famm.
"The album is made of everything that makes me me: Six years of writing, mixing, soul-searching, love, hate, strife, life and death," says Substantial. "I found myself while making this album, which surprised me, considering how much I lost."
Tank (born Durrell Babbs on January 1, 1976) is an American R&B singer, songwriter, musician, and producer.
Durrell Babbs was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and raised in Clinton, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C. His stage name comes from his chiseled physique. A multi-sport athlete in high school, he had the opportunity to play college football. However, Tank decided to focus on music, and his talent eventually led him to an opportunity to sing background vocals for Ginuwine during one of Ginuwine's tours. In 2001, Tank realized his ambitions, seeing his debut album, Force of Nature, released to a national audience. This LP rendered the Top 10 R&B ballad, "Maybe I Deserve".
The next year, Tank released his second album, One Man. The single of the same name had chart success as well. He also co-produced the smash hit single "One Minute Man" by Missy Elliott in 2002.
Tank has also made a name for himself as a producer and writer, working with artists such as Dave Hollister, Marques Houston, Omarion, Jamie Foxx, Donell Jones, Monica among others. As an associate of production team The Underdogs, he has worked with many different artists over the years and was also a contributor to the score of the film adaptation of the musical Dreamgirls, in which he also had a cameo.
Tank sold what was to be the lead single to his 3rd album, "I Luv Dem Girls", to Marques Houston who renamed it "Strip Club" (this song appears on Marques Houston's 3rd solo album "Veteran"). Tank has recently worked on Kelly Rowland's second album Ms. Kelly on the tracks "The Show" (a duet with Tank himself) and "Ghetto" featuring Snoop Dogg. "Ghetto" is also the album's second single.
Tank released his 3rd solo album entitled "Sex, Love & Pain" on May 15, 2007. The first single of this album is "Please Don't Go". Tank has also formed a group with Ginuwine and Tyrese named TGT. Their first single will be a remix of "Please Don't Go", with an international tour entitled "The Shirts Off Tour" and search for a fourth member to follow. [1]
Tank is the father to four children listed here in birth order: Jordan & Ryen Babbs, Zoey Babbs and Durrell Babbs Jr.
Every year, the hip-hop spotlight seems to shine on a different city and its distinct style. After the national success of "Still Tippin'", 2005 was all about the H-Town sound. Then, "Vans" and "Yadadamean" turned our attention to the Bay area and the hyphy movement. So where to next? There's no way to know for sure, but all signs point to Chicago. The recent mainstream success of Kid Sister and Flosstradamus - not to mention the latest bestselling albums from Lupe Fiasco and Kanye West - have inscribed the "Chi sound" and Chicago style on the consciousness of hip-hop nation. It's arty, minimalist, clever, consciously old-school, immediate and appealing to indie rockers, alt-rappers, hip-hop heads, and commercial radio listeners alike. And no group epitomizes Chicago's sound and stance more than The Cool Kids do.
Their debt to classic rappers (Rakim, EPMD, A Tribe Called Quest) is apparent in every record they make; their first single borrowed Nas's promise to "bring '88 back". With their baseball caps, tight Run-DMC jeans, and big shades, Mikey Rocks and Chuck Inglish look like old-school emcees. But like much of the music that's currently come from the Chi, their singles are so straightforward, assured, and approachable that they feel daring, cutting-edge, instantly appealing to adventurous listeners. "Black Mags" has been in heavy hipster rotation ever since its release last autumn; Pitchfork loves it (their set at the 2007 festival hosted by the magazine was a huge hit), and, prompted by the success of the song, Rolling Stone called The Cool Kids one of the ten acts to watch for 2008. But don't mistake this duo for a crossover act - they're pure hip-hop, and they've got the associations to prove it. Last year, they collaborated with reigning titlist Lil Wayne, and they've been touring the country with M.I.A. No upcoming album is any more anticipated by rap fans than theirs.
While we're waiting for When Fish Ride Bicycles to drop later this year, we've got the singles and their accompanying videos, and they're fantastic: propulsive, immediate, brassy, dripping with style. Joe Esquivel's visually-stunning black and white clip for "Black Mags" heightens the duo's mystique and situates them within a vital rap tradition. Just as the Houston emcees have their Cadillacs, the Pack have their sneakers, and Lupe has his skateboard, Mikey and Chuck have their BMX bikes. They boast about them, walk them to the curb, and cruise through the city streets on them, passing highways and stop signs, freight trains, crumbling brick warehouses, alleys, ancient Midwestern tenements. There's plenty of fantastic bicycle footage in the "Black Mags" video, and the group of trick riders who back up the emcees are impressive street-corner talents. But the emphasis here is on the two emcees, who, whether on their bikes or off, address the camera with confidence, attitude, and good humor. Esquivel spikes the video with off-kilter and slightly unsettling animations: a cat on a stoop, a bumblebee buzzing around the handlebars, a crowd cheering from atop an overpass, a gigantic plane soaring above the tower blocks. It's a gritty world they inhabit, but one filled with cartoonish irruptions, weird magic, wit..
Trina grew up between Liberty City and later, the Pembroke Isles neighborhood of Pembroke Pines. Her Mother is of Haitian origin and her father is Dominican. She did not expect to pursue a career in music and worked as a stripper in Miami. During this time Miami rapper Trick Daddy, for whom Trina was a dancer during live sets, chose her to recite a verse on "Nann Nigga". The song ended up being the first single of his www.thug.com album. It was a surprise hit, reaching No. 3 on the Rap Charts. Thanks to the success of the single, Trina gained popularity and got a deal with Slip-N-Side Records, who is associated with Atlantic Records.
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