Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles Magazine
Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles is a Canadian heavy metal magazine.
Founded by former M.E.A.T. magazine staffer "Metal" Tim Henderson and author Martin Popoff in 1994, Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles (BW&BK) has become a globally respected metal publication. Though based in Canada, BW&BK also features writers from the USA, Germany and the UK, allowing the magazine to represent metal's international appeal.
Covering many facets of extreme music, BW&BK is renowned for its emphasis on news and interviews, rather than pin-ups or excessive visuals. The reviews section takes on current records circulating through the underground metal world, and a section called "Metal Forecast" tracks the release date of upcoming recordings. BW&BK is complemented by its internet presence BraveWords.com, whose main focus is up-to-the-minute metal news.
BraveWords.com published an article I had originally written for StaticMultimedia.com about Zoltán Báthory’s (of 5 Finger Death Punch) latest project, American Capitalist. I have provided the screenshots of these publicized articles below.
Founded by former M.E.A.T. magazine staffer "Metal" Tim Henderson and author Martin Popoff in 1994, Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles (BW&BK) has become a globally respected metal publication. Though based in Canada, BW&BK also features writers from the USA, Germany and the UK, allowing the magazine to represent metal's international appeal.
Covering many facets of extreme music, BW&BK is renowned for its emphasis on news and interviews, rather than pin-ups or excessive visuals. The reviews section takes on current records circulating through the underground metal world, and a section called "Metal Forecast" tracks the release date of upcoming recordings. BW&BK is complemented by its internet presence BraveWords.com, whose main focus is up-to-the-minute metal news.
BraveWords.com published an article I had originally written for StaticMultimedia.com about Zoltán Báthory’s (of 5 Finger Death Punch) latest project, American Capitalist. I have provided the screenshots of these publicized articles below.
NME Magazine
NME.com is Europe's biggest and most viewed music website. It has earned worldwide respect for its music news and features, which are updated around the clock. With 1.3 million unique users generating over 13 million page impressions, NME.com is the U.K.'s premier music content website. It offers unparalleled access to an affluent young audience and a unique opportunity to communicate with them in an environment that they relate to and return to frequently - 63% visit the site weekly or more frequently. The NME.com audience is made up of key demographic groups that can be difficult to target through other media.
NME.com published an article I had originally written for StaticMultimedia.com about Planet Asia’s debut album, Black Belt Theatre, along with the interview I conducted with him as well. In addition to that, NME.com also published the article and interview I did with the relentless hip-hop upstart known as Kol Khaviar. This was absolutely huge for me and one of my biggest accomplishments to date; I had gone international. I have provided the screenshots of these publicized articles below.
NME.com published an article I had originally written for StaticMultimedia.com about Planet Asia’s debut album, Black Belt Theatre, along with the interview I conducted with him as well. In addition to that, NME.com also published the article and interview I did with the relentless hip-hop upstart known as Kol Khaviar. This was absolutely huge for me and one of my biggest accomplishments to date; I had gone international. I have provided the screenshots of these publicized articles below.
Ca$his
Ca$his formed the rap group, The Renegadez, with H-Bone and Monique (also the mother of one of his eleven children) and sent a demo tape to Eminem's Shady Records label hoping for a record contract in return. The response was much delayed, but, better late than never.
By 2004, Ca$his was regarded as the "rap king of Orange County" and attracted the attention of Shady Records A&R, Dart Parker, who signed the young talent after hearing his mixtape, Stars With Stripes. Ca$his’s introduction to the masses, however, wouldn’t come until 2006 when he appeared alongside Eminem, 50 Cent and Lloyd Banks on "You Don't Know" the first single off the platinum-selling Shady Records compilation, Eminem Presents: The Re-Up. His first solo release was the charting The County Hound EP, in May 2007. The County Hound EP reached number 106 on The Billboard 200 and 37 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Cas$his and I have talked a bit via Twitter about an upcoming interview which I have arranged with him. He seems to like and respect the work I do and is genuinely interested in being a part of it. Below I have provided part of the aforementioned conversation.
By 2004, Ca$his was regarded as the "rap king of Orange County" and attracted the attention of Shady Records A&R, Dart Parker, who signed the young talent after hearing his mixtape, Stars With Stripes. Ca$his’s introduction to the masses, however, wouldn’t come until 2006 when he appeared alongside Eminem, 50 Cent and Lloyd Banks on "You Don't Know" the first single off the platinum-selling Shady Records compilation, Eminem Presents: The Re-Up. His first solo release was the charting The County Hound EP, in May 2007. The County Hound EP reached number 106 on The Billboard 200 and 37 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Cas$his and I have talked a bit via Twitter about an upcoming interview which I have arranged with him. He seems to like and respect the work I do and is genuinely interested in being a part of it. Below I have provided part of the aforementioned conversation.
M.O.P.
M.O.P., short for Mash Out Posse, composed of Billy Danze and Lil' Fame, is known for the aggressive delivery typically employed by both emcees. Although they maintain a strong underground following, they are mainly known for the song "Ante Up," released on 2000's Warriorz, and for which they have had mainstream success. The group has frequently collaborated with DJ Premier. Fame sometimes produces under the moniker Fizzy Womack, and has produced a significant amount of tracks on all M.O.P. releases since 1996's Firing Squad, as well as work for other artists including Big Noyd, Kool G Rap, Teflon and Wu-Tang Clan.
After the interview I conducted with Billy Danze and Lil Fame of the legendary rap group, M.O.P., Danze and I became pretty good friends, that connection is still very much so flourishing. We’re social on Twitter, and I’ll even get a text message from Danze from time to time. We are currently discussing another interview and even a possible job opportunity for me after I graduate. Below I have provided a screenshot of the Twitter notification I received from Danze after our initial interaction.
After the interview I conducted with Billy Danze and Lil Fame of the legendary rap group, M.O.P., Danze and I became pretty good friends, that connection is still very much so flourishing. We’re social on Twitter, and I’ll even get a text message from Danze from time to time. We are currently discussing another interview and even a possible job opportunity for me after I graduate. Below I have provided a screenshot of the Twitter notification I received from Danze after our initial interaction.
Vinnie Paz (Jedi Mind Tricks)
Since 1996, Vinnie Paz has been best known as the fiery frontman of renowned indie rap group Jedi Mind Tricks. After more than a decade of critical and commercial success under both the Jedi Mind Tricks banner and with his underground rap supergroup side project, Army of the Pharaohs, Vinnie finally felt like the time was right to take on the challenge of making a solo record.
Conducting the interview with Vinnie Paz and Jus Allah of Jedi Mind Tricks was nothing less than a dream come true for me. I am a die-hard fan so, once I found out that I was actually going to be privileged enough to sit down and interview the duo; I was pretty ecstatic. I mean, these were two guys who had their entire careers observed by me, and I never thought that I would ever get the chance to sit down and talk to them, let alone interview them. It was a great experience and Paz (my favorite of the duo) could not have been a nicer guy. We still often talk on the phone and via e-mail, and this is someone whom I genuinely respect and look forward to working with in the future. Below I have provided the Twitter notification I received from Paz after our interview.
Conducting the interview with Vinnie Paz and Jus Allah of Jedi Mind Tricks was nothing less than a dream come true for me. I am a die-hard fan so, once I found out that I was actually going to be privileged enough to sit down and interview the duo; I was pretty ecstatic. I mean, these were two guys who had their entire careers observed by me, and I never thought that I would ever get the chance to sit down and talk to them, let alone interview them. It was a great experience and Paz (my favorite of the duo) could not have been a nicer guy. We still often talk on the phone and via e-mail, and this is someone whom I genuinely respect and look forward to working with in the future. Below I have provided the Twitter notification I received from Paz after our interview.
Prince R.O.B.
Rob is a twenty-year-old out of Washington State, whom is beginning his rise to stardom. He is about as passionate as it gets when it comes to writing lyrics and his ear for beats is unmatched. He is determined to be successful and while others continue to imitate, Rob innovates. His confidence level is high and his pen game is the only thing that ascends above it.
Inspired by legends like Outkast, Too $hort, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, and Lil' Wayne, the Prince R.O.B. models himself after some of the best in the bizz. He realizes the lengthy and laborious work that he'll have to put in to make this dream come true, and he is more than willing to do it. In such a short period of time, the young upstart has already managed to put out a bounty of fresh tracks that has his internet followers as well as his hometown homies buzzing.
Prince R.O.B. is something of a personal discovery of my own since we grew up in the same town throughout high school. I never really knew him that well, he was more of an acquaintance, but after we both moved away from our homes in Vancouver, WA, we would link up again in the digital world. Rob found out that I was working for a music website as their Hip-Hop Commentator and reached out to me to see if I was curious collaborating. I agreed and shortly after I interviewed the up-and-coming rapper for the Static Multimedia website, and we even worked on a song together. Below I have provided you with an audio recording of that song in which I acted as a writer and producer.
Inspired by legends like Outkast, Too $hort, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, and Lil' Wayne, the Prince R.O.B. models himself after some of the best in the bizz. He realizes the lengthy and laborious work that he'll have to put in to make this dream come true, and he is more than willing to do it. In such a short period of time, the young upstart has already managed to put out a bounty of fresh tracks that has his internet followers as well as his hometown homies buzzing.
Prince R.O.B. is something of a personal discovery of my own since we grew up in the same town throughout high school. I never really knew him that well, he was more of an acquaintance, but after we both moved away from our homes in Vancouver, WA, we would link up again in the digital world. Rob found out that I was working for a music website as their Hip-Hop Commentator and reached out to me to see if I was curious collaborating. I agreed and shortly after I interviewed the up-and-coming rapper for the Static Multimedia website, and we even worked on a song together. Below I have provided you with an audio recording of that song in which I acted as a writer and producer.
Sean-Toure' Thames
Since his days freestyling and breakdancing for money on the streets of Baltimore, Sean-Toure' Thames has taken his music career to the next level. Taking advantage of his growing up during the Golden era of hip-hop, Sean has incorporated the classic boom bap sounds of rap music into his creative and diverse sound.
Sean has quickly developed a reputation as one of Baltimore's and underground hip-hop's best performers/producer/emcees. Sean has gained much respect and attention from producing music for some of Baltimore's and the music industry's best recording artists, his success as a test bin Winner on the Morgan St. Strictly Hip-Hop Radio Show, and his energetic live performances.
Since his first stage performance in 1991, Sean has opened shows for some of the greatest recording artists of all time like, KRS-One, Chip-Fu, NaS, Wayna, Mos Def, The Fugees, INI, Pete Rock, GangStarr, A Tribe Called Quest, Common, Bilal, and many others. Sean has also produced authorized and unauthorized remixes for artist in the music industry. In 2005 he won a remix contest with his remixed version of John Mayer's Grammy Award winning song "Daughters".
I think the way in which I made a connection with Sean-Toure’ Thames is actually quite interesting. I received a press release one day with my supervisor requesting that I punch up an article on Thames’ latest album, The Sound Traveler. I had never heard of Thames before, but I was interested immediately after reading about him in the press release. So I listened to his new album a few times and wrote up a little review about it, and Static published it. I then posted the published article on my Facebook wall, and Thames managed to find it somehow and could not have been more grateful. It was just interesting because this was an artist whom I didn’t really have to personally reach out to first, he saw the work I did (granted, it was on him) and seemed to gravitate toward it and co-sign. Below I have provided you with a screen shot of the conversation we had via Facebook.
Sean has quickly developed a reputation as one of Baltimore's and underground hip-hop's best performers/producer/emcees. Sean has gained much respect and attention from producing music for some of Baltimore's and the music industry's best recording artists, his success as a test bin Winner on the Morgan St. Strictly Hip-Hop Radio Show, and his energetic live performances.
Since his first stage performance in 1991, Sean has opened shows for some of the greatest recording artists of all time like, KRS-One, Chip-Fu, NaS, Wayna, Mos Def, The Fugees, INI, Pete Rock, GangStarr, A Tribe Called Quest, Common, Bilal, and many others. Sean has also produced authorized and unauthorized remixes for artist in the music industry. In 2005 he won a remix contest with his remixed version of John Mayer's Grammy Award winning song "Daughters".
I think the way in which I made a connection with Sean-Toure’ Thames is actually quite interesting. I received a press release one day with my supervisor requesting that I punch up an article on Thames’ latest album, The Sound Traveler. I had never heard of Thames before, but I was interested immediately after reading about him in the press release. So I listened to his new album a few times and wrote up a little review about it, and Static published it. I then posted the published article on my Facebook wall, and Thames managed to find it somehow and could not have been more grateful. It was just interesting because this was an artist whom I didn’t really have to personally reach out to first, he saw the work I did (granted, it was on him) and seemed to gravitate toward it and co-sign. Below I have provided you with a screen shot of the conversation we had via Facebook.
50 Tyson
The beauty of hip-hop lies within its ability to promote diversity. The soundtrack of the youth and the voice of rebellion, Hip-hop’s message comes from a variety of places and different faces. The very fundamentals of hip-hop as told to us by the Zulu Nation state that the culture is universal and those who share in it are urged to express their individuality. Enter 50 Tyson.
50 Tyson reached the ears of former Minnesota Timberwolves point guard / entrepreneur, Troy Hudson. Hudson, who also rapped under the name T-Hud and started his own label, Hudson Records, saw possibilities in “50”. “It didn’t dawn on me how I could help 50 when I first saw his video,” Hudson explains. “Then I realized this kid could change the world. He could change the perception of kids with autism and other disabilities. He could also change the spirit of hip-hop. You hear all of these rappers talking about drugs and guns and calling themselves real, but when you look at 50 Tyson, that’s really real.”
Hudson began working with “50” on honing his skills and crafting his sound. His songs "I Ain't Gonna Lie" and “Don’t Know How to Dougie But I Know How to Diddi” became internet hits, which led to performances offline in the club circuits of major cities including Minneapolis, Indianapolis, DC, and New York City. “50” recently released his debut mixtape I Ain’t Gonna Lie Vol. 1 hosted by radio personality and G-Unit deejay, DJ Whoo Kid.
Now finishing high school, “50” plans to attend college while continuing music and he’s also interested in acting. He hopes to continue his work with organizations like Autism Speaks and donate some of his success to charity. 50 Tyson’s goal isn’t to win the lyricist of the year or move records by the millions. His message is clear: he wants to be the face of autism through doing what he loves. As he begins his career as the first publicly autistic rapper, he has a few words of inspiration for kids just like him.
“Keep your mind on your music,” “50” states. “If you think you can rap, keep on doing what you do and don’t let anybody tell you this or that. When people call you weak, that’s not really true. Work harder and keep your hope alive.”
When I first reached out to 50 Tyson, when he was first really starting to blow up on the internet, I did it as somewhat of a joke figuring he would never respond. I asked him if there was any way he would be interesting in doing an interview with me for Static Multimedia, and he was thrilled. We started to talk exponentially more often the following weeks and eventually got our interview scheduled for next month. This is another connection which I find very viable and below I have provided you with the screenshot of the Twitter notification I received from 50 Tyson.
50 Tyson reached the ears of former Minnesota Timberwolves point guard / entrepreneur, Troy Hudson. Hudson, who also rapped under the name T-Hud and started his own label, Hudson Records, saw possibilities in “50”. “It didn’t dawn on me how I could help 50 when I first saw his video,” Hudson explains. “Then I realized this kid could change the world. He could change the perception of kids with autism and other disabilities. He could also change the spirit of hip-hop. You hear all of these rappers talking about drugs and guns and calling themselves real, but when you look at 50 Tyson, that’s really real.”
Hudson began working with “50” on honing his skills and crafting his sound. His songs "I Ain't Gonna Lie" and “Don’t Know How to Dougie But I Know How to Diddi” became internet hits, which led to performances offline in the club circuits of major cities including Minneapolis, Indianapolis, DC, and New York City. “50” recently released his debut mixtape I Ain’t Gonna Lie Vol. 1 hosted by radio personality and G-Unit deejay, DJ Whoo Kid.
Now finishing high school, “50” plans to attend college while continuing music and he’s also interested in acting. He hopes to continue his work with organizations like Autism Speaks and donate some of his success to charity. 50 Tyson’s goal isn’t to win the lyricist of the year or move records by the millions. His message is clear: he wants to be the face of autism through doing what he loves. As he begins his career as the first publicly autistic rapper, he has a few words of inspiration for kids just like him.
“Keep your mind on your music,” “50” states. “If you think you can rap, keep on doing what you do and don’t let anybody tell you this or that. When people call you weak, that’s not really true. Work harder and keep your hope alive.”
When I first reached out to 50 Tyson, when he was first really starting to blow up on the internet, I did it as somewhat of a joke figuring he would never respond. I asked him if there was any way he would be interesting in doing an interview with me for Static Multimedia, and he was thrilled. We started to talk exponentially more often the following weeks and eventually got our interview scheduled for next month. This is another connection which I find very viable and below I have provided you with the screenshot of the Twitter notification I received from 50 Tyson.
Hasan Salaam
In 2004 an artist from New Jersey emerged amidst the gun-clappers and body-baggers of the current climate of hip-hop to become a staple for the diversity still present within our culture. With the release of his debut album Paradise Lost, Hasan Salaam garnered heavy attention for his poetically charged tales of unabridged truth, guiding his pen through an array of personal, political, and historical subjects.
The dedication he put into Paradise Lost earned him two awards at the 3rd Underground Music Awards in August of 2005, imprinting a successful debut to the hip-hop world. “Blaxploitation” won for Song of the Year and his raw energy and stage presence earned him Performance of the Year.
This past year he was apart of a four date tour of the U.K. and was requested to perform on Redman’s Red Gone Wild National Tour. Having never traveled through the country on a multi-city tour, Hasan soon found that there was a heavy following of underground and commercial hip-hop in Omaha, Nebraska, Aspen, Colorado, and Chicago, Illinois to name a few.
In Newark, New Jersey, Hasan has also been involved in workshops that teach young men from the Essex County Youth House about the music business, song structure, history and politics. His involvement with the community is not only with the youth but with the adult population as well. At Eastern NY Correctional Facility in Napanoch, NY, he has performed his craft for many of the inmates in addition to working with organizers to boycott MCI due to the unfair rates they charged prisoners for collect calls.
Hasan Salaam has performed all over the East Coast including nationally aired performances on NBC's "Showtime at the Apollo", FUSE TV's "Digital Downloads", MUN2 TV's "The Roof", Music Plus TV, and at the Anti-War Rally March on C-SPAN. Gaining exposure in the underground, Hasan eventually edged forward opening performances for the legendary Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaata, Curtis Blow, Wyclef, Naughty by Nature, Busta Rhymes, Black Moon, Floetry, Common, and dead prez. Other achievements include being the 2003 Battle Dome Championship for beat making.
The way in which I linked up with Hasan Salaam was actually quite similar to how I met Sean-Toure’ Thames. I had, again, received a press release from my supervisor requesting that I take a look at some new music by Salaam. I listened to the album a few times; thought about it a bit, analyzed it, and then wrote up my article. This time, I posted the link to the article to Salaam’s Twitter account, and he replied approximately 5 minutes later saying how grateful he was and how much he enjoyed the article. He even posted it on his own Twitter page. Below I have provided some screenshots as evidence of that.
The dedication he put into Paradise Lost earned him two awards at the 3rd Underground Music Awards in August of 2005, imprinting a successful debut to the hip-hop world. “Blaxploitation” won for Song of the Year and his raw energy and stage presence earned him Performance of the Year.
This past year he was apart of a four date tour of the U.K. and was requested to perform on Redman’s Red Gone Wild National Tour. Having never traveled through the country on a multi-city tour, Hasan soon found that there was a heavy following of underground and commercial hip-hop in Omaha, Nebraska, Aspen, Colorado, and Chicago, Illinois to name a few.
In Newark, New Jersey, Hasan has also been involved in workshops that teach young men from the Essex County Youth House about the music business, song structure, history and politics. His involvement with the community is not only with the youth but with the adult population as well. At Eastern NY Correctional Facility in Napanoch, NY, he has performed his craft for many of the inmates in addition to working with organizers to boycott MCI due to the unfair rates they charged prisoners for collect calls.
Hasan Salaam has performed all over the East Coast including nationally aired performances on NBC's "Showtime at the Apollo", FUSE TV's "Digital Downloads", MUN2 TV's "The Roof", Music Plus TV, and at the Anti-War Rally March on C-SPAN. Gaining exposure in the underground, Hasan eventually edged forward opening performances for the legendary Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaata, Curtis Blow, Wyclef, Naughty by Nature, Busta Rhymes, Black Moon, Floetry, Common, and dead prez. Other achievements include being the 2003 Battle Dome Championship for beat making.
The way in which I linked up with Hasan Salaam was actually quite similar to how I met Sean-Toure’ Thames. I had, again, received a press release from my supervisor requesting that I take a look at some new music by Salaam. I listened to the album a few times; thought about it a bit, analyzed it, and then wrote up my article. This time, I posted the link to the article to Salaam’s Twitter account, and he replied approximately 5 minutes later saying how grateful he was and how much he enjoyed the article. He even posted it on his own Twitter page. Below I have provided some screenshots as evidence of that.
Jesse Abraham
2011 UMA Lyricist of the Year, Jesse Abraham was born in Manhattan as the first child to two public school teachers. A published poet at the age of 15, Jesse suddenly realized his true passion was for hip-hop, inspired by such artists as KRS-1, Kool G. Rap and OutKast. However, it wasn’t until he went to college at Atlanta’s Emory University as a philosophy major that he began to realize that he wasn’t just writing lyrics, he was composing songs.
Upon graduating and moving to Brooklyn, Jesse founded a tutoring company of which he is still the managing director. By the summer of 2009, Jesse Abraham began to attract considerable attention on the open-mic circuit and in the online world of hip-hop, winning numerous freestyle competitions and establishing his reputation. Mixtapes he released such as Alphabutter and XS only increased the buzz.
His 2010 debut album, Bars & NoBull spent weeks on DJBooth.net’s Top 10 Charts, and the singles "Yoga" and "Little Bit of Everything" were major hits in the underground and their respective videos were YouTube successes. The project’s lead single, "Spiderman on Vitamins", made major waves throughout the online world of music, peaking at #3 on DJBooth.net’s reputable Top 10 Singles chart. Debuting at #5 on DJBooth’s Top 10 Charts, the album was nominated for Indie Album of the Year at the 2011 Underground Music Awards, along with Abraham’s win for Lyricist of the Year.
More than just an emcee, Abraham also contributes to the hip-hop culture as a producer, marketing consultant and concert organizer. He has produced shows in multiple cities through his Skill or Be Skilled production company, has performed in over 50 venues on the east coast, including sold out shows at Joe’s Public Theater and Southpaw, and has participated actively at the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas and the CMJ Music Festival in NYC year after year. He continues to reinvent the responsibilities a hip-hop artist holds, and his potential is only surpassed by his passion for the genuine essence of his genre. But if you ask him, he simply aspires to inspire.
“Brimming with innovation, creativity and sincerity.” – DJBooth.net
• “Abraham has been a hip-hop head from day one, and his understanding of the music itself allows him to come across as an intelligent and well-versed rapper. He has a fresh and unique feel that is hard to ignore.” – RapReviews.com
• “Jesse Abraham can very capably put words together over beats, often with a humorous slant, with a mixture of intellect and diction that make him quite the entertaining MC.” – Birthplace Magazine
I think Jesse Abraham was only the second or third person that I had interviewed so I was still pretty nervous and new and appointment time came around. However, Jesse was very accommodating and easy-going; we connected as if we were old friends. This is a connection that is still very much currently alive, seeing as how we often talk to one another via text message and Twitter. He, actually, was the one who reached out to me about doing a follow-up interview, just out of the blue. This is how I know I am progressing as a journalist, and it brings me much satisfaction; I am building a network over here. Below I have provided some of the screenshots of the conversation we had about a follow-up interview via Twitter.
Upon graduating and moving to Brooklyn, Jesse founded a tutoring company of which he is still the managing director. By the summer of 2009, Jesse Abraham began to attract considerable attention on the open-mic circuit and in the online world of hip-hop, winning numerous freestyle competitions and establishing his reputation. Mixtapes he released such as Alphabutter and XS only increased the buzz.
His 2010 debut album, Bars & NoBull spent weeks on DJBooth.net’s Top 10 Charts, and the singles "Yoga" and "Little Bit of Everything" were major hits in the underground and their respective videos were YouTube successes. The project’s lead single, "Spiderman on Vitamins", made major waves throughout the online world of music, peaking at #3 on DJBooth.net’s reputable Top 10 Singles chart. Debuting at #5 on DJBooth’s Top 10 Charts, the album was nominated for Indie Album of the Year at the 2011 Underground Music Awards, along with Abraham’s win for Lyricist of the Year.
More than just an emcee, Abraham also contributes to the hip-hop culture as a producer, marketing consultant and concert organizer. He has produced shows in multiple cities through his Skill or Be Skilled production company, has performed in over 50 venues on the east coast, including sold out shows at Joe’s Public Theater and Southpaw, and has participated actively at the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas and the CMJ Music Festival in NYC year after year. He continues to reinvent the responsibilities a hip-hop artist holds, and his potential is only surpassed by his passion for the genuine essence of his genre. But if you ask him, he simply aspires to inspire.
“Brimming with innovation, creativity and sincerity.” – DJBooth.net
• “Abraham has been a hip-hop head from day one, and his understanding of the music itself allows him to come across as an intelligent and well-versed rapper. He has a fresh and unique feel that is hard to ignore.” – RapReviews.com
• “Jesse Abraham can very capably put words together over beats, often with a humorous slant, with a mixture of intellect and diction that make him quite the entertaining MC.” – Birthplace Magazine
I think Jesse Abraham was only the second or third person that I had interviewed so I was still pretty nervous and new and appointment time came around. However, Jesse was very accommodating and easy-going; we connected as if we were old friends. This is a connection that is still very much currently alive, seeing as how we often talk to one another via text message and Twitter. He, actually, was the one who reached out to me about doing a follow-up interview, just out of the blue. This is how I know I am progressing as a journalist, and it brings me much satisfaction; I am building a network over here. Below I have provided some of the screenshots of the conversation we had about a follow-up interview via Twitter.