ILLSPOKINN
Hailing from Boston, MA iLLspOkiNn has blessed the stage with such artists as KRS-1,RUN DMC, Rahzel, and countless others. In 2001, iLLspoKiNn moved to New York to pursue music. He has won numerous battles all over the US and Overseas. Currently, iLLspoKinN has been co-hosting a Live Hip Hop Open Mic weekly since 2002 in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. This weekly event – Sin Sin Freestyle Mondays, is where he met the members of SPOKINN MOVEMENT. With his Freestyle Skills more than Up to Par and his ability to paint pictures with writtens, iLLspoKiNn is a force to be spittin with.Want to know about the rest of his life? Cop the album when it drops! see ill online www.illspokinn.com http://www.myspace.com/illspokinn

MARIELLA
Mariella Gonzalez began her career as a dancer performing with such notables as Hank Willianms Jr,and Sergio Mendes. She has been a featured performer at the Superbowl, Sugarbowl, and jazz festivals around the Country.A consumate artist, she discovered her voice as a soulful vocalist and poigniant songwriter in early 2001 and has not stopped.She has graced many of New York City’s top venues including Blue Note Jazz Club,SOB’s,Joe’s Pub,and the famed Summerstage series opening for Grammy nominated latin funk band,Yerba Buena.Mariella returned to Summerstage in 2006 as a principle actress in the musical “Bricolage”, showcasing her dynamic range as a singer,dancer,and actor.After completing her first asian tour she is now workin on a full length album. see Mariella online http://www.myspace.com/mariellaxo

JAKE LEFCO

Fueled by his relentless hunger to rhyme and his quest to tell it like it is, Jake Lefco is realer than most. Born and raised in Philly and currently residing in New York City, Lefco’s passion for emceeing has paved the way for a fast growing career as a recording artist and performer, earning him critical acclaim and widespread recognition. With his unique blend of clever lyricism, brutal honesty, and light hearted humor, Jake Lefco is described by many as “a breath of fresh air!” (Elemental Magazine, issue 77).  His debut 12″ single “Headphones”, which reached #2 on national college radio charts, and his debut full length “And You Are?” have attracted attention from numerous publications such as Elemental Magazine, Philadelphia Weekly, OkayPlayer.com, RapReviews.com, RapMusic.com, and many more. Lefco’s follow up album “Missing Trooth” will drop in Spring of 2007 on Karma Response Unit Records, so keep an eye out for Jake! He’s just getting started. Challah!!! see Jake online www.myspace.com/jakelefco

WHY G
Why G was born in Jamaica Queens where he fell in love with music, creating mix tapes out of his favorite songs spun by Dj’s Such as Marley Marl and Red Alert. His father published poetry so in his early school years he began to write poems and creative essays. Why joined the Universal Zulu Nation meeting legends such as Afrika Bambatta who showed him the essence of true Hip Hop. After high school Why decided to attend the Institute of Audio Researchto learn the technical side of creating music in order to record and release his music. He also worked at a local Sam Ash studying the latest gear and doing tech work to improve his skills on the equipment. Hungry to take things to a higher level Why G would move onto Interning at the world famous Electric Lady Studios the once creative Home of Jimmi Hendrix. Here he would expanded his musical know how beyond Hip Hop while at the same time releasing his 1st Independent project “The Beginning of the End” with DjEmmo.Why and several friends created the Optimus Foundation to bring social programs to the communities in need. When asked what the future holds for Why G he simply says ” I’m going to keep putting in work making music and giving back to the people… Peace and Respect”
see why G online. http://www.myspace.com/emceewhyg

GUSTAV GAUNTLETT
Gustav Gauntlett is a Hip Hop Playwright from California now living in Brooklyn.  Writing plays in completely rhyme form only, he is passionately adding to the changing definition of Hip Hop and Theater.   For the past two years, Gustav has been working with fellow Urban Art Beat mentor Why G? at the sister program in Queens with the Optimus Rhyme Foundation and is now a part of the Urban Art Beat family finishing his first semester in Spring 2009.  His Hip Hop theater piece, “Big Apple Turns to Cider” has been showing around the city for over a year now and is now incorporating student workshops into the shows for schools… Entertain, inspire, educate. http://www.myspace.com/appletocider

BUSY BISC1
From below the surface of New York City Busy Bisc 1 emerges with skill, style, and a serious need for movements. Alive off the pace of city blocks, his creative forces are used in all realms. From record art work for labels such as Definitive Jux, Nature Sounds, and Ninja Tune. To the release of his words over beats on New York’s block building label, Embedded Music (www.embeddedmusic.com), Bisc1 can be found in your town, on your walls and in your ears. His work had been played, performed, exhibited and distributed all over the globe, from The Queens Museum to the walls of Fat Beats in Amsterdam and back to the speakers banging in Hong Kong.. To dig deeper go see Bisc1 online. www.bisc1.com stay up!!

NYLE
He is a graduate of New York University, Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music. Originally from Philadelphia, he started rapping in high school as the front-man for a funk band named Secondhand Sound. Experimenting with acting, and spoken word, Nyle found that his love of music was the strongest. Armed with the art of freestyle and newfound knowledge of the recording studio he has found a new home in New York with many of the artists featured in OUT OF THE BOX. Voted Sin-Sin’s freshman emcee of the year, and looking to release his first album soon, Nyle enjoys working with young emcee’s and poets in training.
see Nyle online http://nyellee.com/wordpress/?p=190

MISS ANGELINA
Miss Angelina, the sassy lady rapper, serves up a fresh dish of new wave Hip Hop with that old school flava. Her irresistible music includes the sounds of Salsa, Bollywood, Reggae, Hip Hop, and Soul fused together to make hit songs you can’t help but groove to. Along with her sultry back-up singers and dancers, The Jersey Girls, she tantalizes crowds everywhere with her vivacious stage presence and killer style. You may have seen her perform on the WB11 Morning Show, or on the Spanish television program “La Loca”. She’s dazzled the crowds at such venues as The Knitting Factory, Joe’s Pub, Southpaw, SoHo 323, and The Bowery Poetry Club. As an apiring fashionista, Miss A designs and creates all of the wardrobe worn by her and The Jersey Girls at their live performances. See Miss A online http://www.myspace.com/missangelinamusic

HIRED GUN
One of New York Cities unsung heroes amongst the hip hop and drum n bass communities, Hired Gun has repped various crews in the tri-state area over the past ten plus years. Moving permanently to Brooklyn, NY in 2000 “HG” has been one of the underground’s most consistent, versatile and creative emcees rockin the stage. Looking at art and music as a means of communication and a way to pass truth, HG strives to positively impact those around him with conscious music, not in the trite, played definition that has plagued artist because of mainstream characterizations but a more tangible idea of music that makes you think, reflect and feel. HG currently has two albums out with the group 3rd Party. see HG online http://www.myspace.com/freeradicalz

TAH PHRUM DA BUSH
Tah Phrum Duh Bush is an oddball amongst artists. Dude is so askew from the norm he is often labeled a weirdo-nonconformist-freak… “Hey man this cat just ain’t right!” Yet somehow, strangely, it’s actually quite cool! With the comparability to the rawness of Redman, the Energy of the Roots, the lyrical wizardry of Pharoe Monch and the savvy of A Tribe Called Quest, Tah has been seen on stage doing wide ranges of craziness. Tah can be found in the bowels of New York City on a stage dropping science and knowledge in one instant and in the next he’s a humor ridden lyricist performing as an array of provocative characters. Consequently, Tah Phrum Duh Bush has chosen to represent himself (GIVE ME SOMETHIN NEW) see Tah online http://tahonline.com

TK WONDER

TK Wonder’s notable skill for writing and “slamming” lyrics in a very unique hip hop/spoken word fashion seems to create a new genre with a significant electro punch. Her singing is as unique as her vibrant presence on stage and her outstanding live performance. Raised on a nourishing diet of Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson in Baltimore, TK first became interested in stringing syllables together when she performed spoken-word poetry at the since-demolished downtown venue Wetlands. Backed by Questlove on the drums and Scott Storch on the keys, TK Wonder polished her craft at the legendary Sunday night Black Lily events, always drawing raves for her work. She would go on to perform at Def Jam showcases, Nuyorican Poet’s Café and Nell’s. TK’s evolution from poetry to rapping was seamless, as the combination of her stage presence and sharply-honed writing skills merged to create a unique style of telling stories and addressing social issues with intricately-intertwined and multiple-syllable rhymes. She has performed at various venues such as Hiro Ballroom, Studio B, Nublu, Joe’s Pub, Hunter College, Apollo Theater, the legendary Lyricist Lounge show, Delano Hotel in Miami, The Viper Room in LA and the Jazz Cafe in London to name a few. TK Wonder has opened for artists such as Nas, Erykah Badu, Duffy, Talib Kweli and J*Davey. TK Wonder has also worked with artist Duke B and together they have opened for artist Kiril Dzjakovski in a few international electronica festivals such as VIP, Exit Fest, Belgrade Beer Fest and Tuborg Greenfest in Europe alongside the likes of N.E.R.D., The Prodigy, The Hives, Afrika Bambaataa, Sex Pistols and Gossip to name a few. TK Wonder utilizes current events and social issues as the backbone of the lyrics in the hopes of shedding light and awareness on situations at a local and global level. It is this approach that makes her music and her work with the youth a necessity! http://friendswelove.com/video/tk-wonder-120-secs/

ISLAM MAHMOUD

Islam Mahmoud was born in Egypt and came to the United States at the age of 7. He picked up music at the age of 17, and at the age 21, alongside some good friends he founded The Optimus Foundation to benefit underserved communities in Queens and city wide. He has been a mentor for the Optimus Foundation for the last four years, he also did some mentoring with sister organization Urban Art Beat. He has worked with students ranging from the ages of 7-18, participated in one day  art and music workshops, 12 week courses, and organized many field trips and live performances with students. With the excellent training he received at the Optimus Foundation, and Urban Art Beat, he is now equiped to write curriculae, organize fundraisers, mentor collaborative groups, and record vocals for students. He has been playing the acoustic guitar for the last three years, as well as the trumpet and key board, and he recently started performing with a live band. Working with youth mentoring programs has been a life changing experience for Islam (aka Izzy). He has found a place where he learned to interact with the younger generation in a way that allowed them to freely express themselves, through various forms of arts, and beyond. These workshops motivate him not only to become a better musician, but a better person as a whole.

JAKE RICH

Jake Rich was born and raised in Buffalo, New York and came to NYC in 2008 to study Music Business & Screenwriting at NYU.  After stints as a bassist & vocalist in bands ranging from funk & soul to experimental hardcore, Jake now focuses his creative and managerial efforts towards Wellness Exchange, a genre-blending hip-hop group formed with fellow UAB artist, Why G?  “I love finding inspiration throughout different forms and testing their applicability in both music and writing.  I might adapt one of Why G?’s vocal rhythms to create a bass line or change the plot of a story based on an interesting song structure.  You can never know your own ability or what works unless you abandon judgment give it all a try.”  With a background in bass, drums, singing, scream vocals, beat making, emceeing, and music theory studies along with a passion for filmmaking and dramatic writing, JR joined Urban Art Beat in 2010 to help kids develop multiple means of expression in order to discover and craft their own life’s narrative.  “I believe art is about genuine self expression & discovery, experimentation, collaboration and connection with others.  Giving back to the community and teaching those eager to learn is crucial for an artist to develop that connection with their fellow artists, their audiences and themselves.  Mutual growth through sharing is what makes UAB work so well and is the mindset behind Wellness Exchange.”  You can hear Wellness Exchange online at http://www.myspace.com/wellnessexchange

ILLSUPREMO

Chris Waller, better known by his stage name ‘illsupremO’ is a Brooklyn born performer, musician, singer-songwriter, lyricist, producer and audio engineer. In his early childhood he studied at Batoto Yetu, and learned the arts of dancing, drumming and singing. This is where, he claims, “it all started”. His Musical studies continued throughout grammar school where he played trumpet in the school ensemble and later drums and percussion in the marching band. Premo would go on to study at the world acclaimed Julliard Music School at the age of 13. It was around this time in 2001, when his father bought him some recording equipment, that he started to apply his musical abilities to producing records. He began composing songs as well as beats for many artists in the underground hip hop scene and recorded and mixed many mix-tapes and albums. Young Supremo began to make a name for himself as a producer and  adept lyricist with his album entitled “Supremo Massiv”. He interned at a recording studio in order to experience, first hand, life in a big time studio. He would later take his knowledge further by studying at the Institute of Audio Research. On his 16th birthday he received his first electric guitar. A year later he began playing out in the subways and streets of NYC. Here he would meet many musicians and friends while practicing in front of the world. In order to further his performance Supremo studied voice, guitar and cuatro as well as performance for six years under master teacher Roberto Fuentes, until his untimely death in June 2010. Since then Premo has continued studying while performing and working with a large array of artists, acts, bands and productions. He gives private lessons, works as a sound man and runs a recording studio in Brooklyn – Premo’s Pyramid.

RAE MAXWELL

After having travelled and lived all over the world with a camera always at her side, Rae eventually turned her love for photography into a career. Her work is inspired by everyday thoughts and feelings, whether its catalyst is society as a whole or a person she’s met; in capturing still images there is a story to be told. Her passion for working with youth began at an early age when she ran a kids summer camp for an orphange in Mexico and of course, every day was documented with photos. Since then, she has been involved with several volunteer organizations and continues to create art in the hopes to provoke and stimulate the mind. Rae currently lives in Brooklyn and has work on display throughout New York City. http://www.raemaxwell.com/

Pete Chatmon

In today’s age of Social Media, writer/producer/director, Pete Chatmon is the guy you want behind the lens. Whether feature filmmaking, commercials, music or viral videos, Chatmon develops content with one focus: to engage and entertain audiences and consumers through honest storytelling. Previous credits include the romantic dramedy ”Premium”, starring Dorian Missick, Zoe Saldana, and Hill Harper, ”761st”, a documentary on the first black tank battalion in WWII narrated by Andre Braugher, and a variety of social media campaigns for clients including Classic Kicks, New York University, and The Salvation Army. Chatmon is the recipient of the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival “All Access” Program’s Creative Promise Narrative Award for the bank heist screenplay ”$Free.99″ and his work has screened in over 30 festivals around the world, including the Sundance Film Festival. A graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he also serves as adjunct faculty, Chatmon has been featured in Forbes Magazine and Variety, as well as on Fox Business Channel and NBC’s Weekend Today in NY. Double7 Images, his media production and marketing boutique, is based in NYC. Please visit www.PeteChatmon.com for details on Production Consulting and Speaking Engagements.

Kate Hess

Kate Hess has been singing and writing since she was little.
She is currently working on a recording project merging beats, spoken word, and singing; along the lines of the floetry genre. That said, her influences are Erykah Badu, Meshell Ndegeocello, and the likes. Music and performance saved her throughout school, so she endeavors to give back to students in the same way by mentoring and assisting in the songwriting/lyrical process.
She also has a background in theatre and dance, which she is equally adept and passionate about. She believes all art forms are related and complement each other.