By Ralo
The urban lifestyle has always been a hive of activity in the world of hip-hop culture. First there is the visually arresting images of graffiti, then there is the hypnotic rotation of turntables. You can't forget the acrobatic display of b-boys or the oral expression of MCing.
The lyricist or the MC has long been the center of attention in the sub-culture of underground hip-hop. There are often many questions about who is the best lyricist or who can beat who in a battle. The topic of discussion also centers on who's new record is wack, and who's new record is heat, or which newcomers sound good and shows promise. Lyrics, delivery and production all play key roles in judging the quality of underground hip-hop. Noncommercial rap has always had more poetic value than its corporate under produced counterpart.
This week our spotlight is on Michigan based producer Apollo Brown, who grew up in a racially mixed environment in Grand Rapids. His earliest musical influences did not include Hip-Hop, he was more exposed to Pop and Rock music as a child. After hearing Gang Starr, Wu-Tang, Nas and Black Moon he found his way into the genre of Hip-Hop and Rap Music.
In 2009 Brown won The Detroit Red Bull Big Tune Championships and competed in the national finals. Mello Music Group signed him as a producer in December of that year.
Brown has teamed up with west coast super MC Ras Kass to complete a full-length album they call Blasphemy. The album features guest appearances from Iriscience, Royce The 5' 9", Xzibit, Sick Jacken and Slain. The album, which is due to be released on October 28th- on Mello Music, also features H2O, which features guest vocal appearances from Pharaoh Monch and Rakaa.