Apathy
Being the “King of Connecticut” might not be hip-hop’s most illustrious title, but there isn’t a state, country or world wide web where Apathy’s rap royalty doesn’t reign supreme. For nearly 15 years, the Demigodz and Get Busy Committee co-founder has wowed audiences and hip-hop purists around the globe with his breathtaking brand of ferocious and multi-stylistic lyrics. While his production is too often slept on, beat placements with Cypress Hill and others, as well as his work with GBC, Ap’s work behind the boards is getting extremely hard to ignore.
With the backing of Top Spin Media and Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda, the Get Busy Committee featuring Apathy, producer-du-jour Scoop DeVille and Style of Beyond’s Ryu made plenty of noise in 2010. Recorded in Los Angeles, GBC’s debut album, Uzi Does It, allowed the members of GBC to write more than just verses and push both their creativity—inside the studio and out. The album’s throwback-to-the-future single “Chillin Out Maxin” and lo-fi dance cut “I Don’t Care About You” perfectly synched with Kogi Truck parking lot BBQs and koalas holding Uzis on t-shirts. The free download “Dancin’ On Your Grave” and its remix featuring Paul Wall, Murs and Xzibit, as well as a follow-up full-length coming at the start of 2011 promises that GBC isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
After experimenting with song structure, Apathy says that his third album, Honkey Kong, will be a return to the harder bubblegoose-weathered hip-hop that purist fans have memorized. Scheduled for a 2011 release with appearances from Evidence, Chino XL,Bishop Lamont and more, Ap will once again be handling the bulk of the production. He’s also been ghostwriting for “active hip-hop legends.” And if that wasn’t enough, the long awaited return of the Demigodz, Apathy and Celph Titled’s heralded crew and record label, is also on deck.
Apathy made his debut in 1997, on Jedi Mind Tricks’ classic first full-lenth, The Pyscho-Social LP, and followed it up with The Godz Must Be Crazier EP, alongside business partner and friend Celph Titled in 2002. It was also Jedi Mind Trick’s Vinnie Paz that linked Apathy up with Army of the Pharoahes, an underground hip-hop who’s who of emcees that included Esoteric, Celph, Outerspace, Jus Allah, and more. On the solo tip, Apathy had a four-plus-year stint with Atlantic Records (which curiously yielded two incredible mixtapes, It’s The Bootleg Motherfucka, Vol. 1 and Where’s Your Album?, but no official release), before returning to his independent roots. He released Eastern Philosophy, officially his debut album, in 2006 through Babygrande Records and another mixtape, Baptism by Fire, in 2007 on his own Demigodz imprint. His purposefully misleading Wanna Snuggle? was released in 2009 and featured J-Live, Phonte, B-Real, Chip Fu, and others. Apathy has toured the U.S., Europe and Australia, sharing the stage with Snoop Dogg, Linkin Park, Cypress Hill, Ghostface Killah, and more. He may be the King of Connecticut, but the sun never sets on Apathy’s throne.
Celph Titled
Vic Mercer, better known by his stage name Celph Titled, is an American hip-hop solo artist and record producer and a member of the hip-hopsupergroup Army of the Pharaohs, as well as The Demigodz.
Mercer was born in Tampa, Florida, to a Cuban-American mother and a German-Scottish father.
In the 1980s, his parents videotaped the classic videos on MTV, which Mercer watched regularly. His uncle was in a popular local rock band, which had a big impact on the scope of Mercer’s musical inspirations. “My dad used to show me all the classics. “Thriller”, “Owner of a Lonely Heart” and everything else from Herbie Hancock to ZZ Top, so I was always glued to MTV.” After viewing a Fat Boys music video, Mercer decided on a career in music.
Mercer moved to New York City and began working as an in-house producer and A&R. The now-defunct BUDS International and Bronx Science Records released all of his early records on vinyl, including those of his original group, Equilibrium, and singles from his longstanding partner, Apathy.[1]
Grammy Award-winner Mike Shinoda, of Linkin Park, invited Mercer to join his Los Angeles cohorts, Styles of Beyond, as an official part of Fort Minor‘s album The Rising Tied (2005), released on Linkin Park’s Machine Shop Recordings/Warner Bros. Records imprint and executive produced by Shawn Carter (also known as Jay-Z).
After working with DJ Green Lantern on the Invasion “Fort Minor: We Major” mixtape, Mercer embarked on a nationwide tour with Fort Minor in 2006.
Mercer released a compilation titled The Gatalog, a four-disc set of his guest appearances and freestyles, going back to his early releases from 1998, as his official first offering to a thriving fanbase that already viewed him as a seasoned veteran.[2] After the release of The Gatalog and a move back to Tampa, Mercer spent three years working with the Diggin’ In The Crates (D.I.T.C.)multi-platinum producer, Buckwild, on his first album, Nineteen Ninety Now, released on October 26, 2010, on No Sleep Recordings.
Snowgoons
The Snowgoons are Hip Hop producers based in Europe. The Goons consisting of, DJ Illegal, Det Gunner, Sicknature & J.S. Kuster already released 5 albums that feature a veritable who’s who of today’s underground elite! In 2011 Snowgoons collaborated with legendary New York duo M.O.P. to release the album “Sparta” as well the “Your Favorite MC” album with Philly’s own Reef The Lost Cauze.
Throughout the years, the buzz surrounding the Snowgoons has steadily escalated as their gritty, authentic and eclectic beats have gained recognition in both the US as well as within the burgeoning European Hip Hop scene. DJ Illegal & Sicknature also represent the Snowgoons live show and are killing stages from Europe to U.S.A. and Canada with artists like M.O.P., La Coka Nostra, A.O.T.P., Goondox, Sabac Red and many others
