About The Unknown

I have always been a fan of music, no matter what it was as long as it moved me. Thanks to my parents it was always a constant thing in our household. Stevie Wonder the Temptations Q Jones James Brown .on and on the list goes,so I grew up with the grate's. I have two older siblings who were into hip-hop and r&b and it soon became my passion. I remember staying up late as hell on Friday's just to catch the music video shows on channel 20,4,and5 (pre cable pre bet). I would remember all the lyrics to popular rap songs and recite them for my friends also moving my hands in the air as if djing cause I remembered all the cuts to! I was most drawn to the beats in songs knowing I had to learn how to make them. However I grew up in the burbs and at that time it was hard to spot black people let alone hip hop heads, and rock was still doing its thang so I was alone. In my ignorance I thought that the DJ was the producer and every cut and drop was live like regular musicians (multi-tracking editing Who knew?). So naturally my first set up was two turntables a Gemini 7line mixer with the 12second sample pad two tape decks a busted keyboard one create records(my parents collection) and every hip hop record I could afford. I would start by sampling a drum looping it and recording it to tape. Then I would get another sample play back the tape and manually hit the sample over the drum. Then I would play back the new tape and ad little keyboard sounds and that pains taking process was how I made my first beats at 12 going on 13 (imagine the quality). After about 3 90min tapes full of beats I figured I need to find a rapper,but given my area at the time it was impossible. Figuring no one knows what I'm doing any way I started writing and The Unknown was born. Soon I upgraded to an alises sr16 drum machine a 24 second dj sampler with 5 banks and a better keyboard. The more hip hop grew the more I stayed inside working giving up all interest in sports and hanging out. Slowly I started meeting other kids that free styled and sang, but it was not until I was schooled by a friend of my sisters(Deja-vu of Starving Artists) who lived in Philly that I finally understood the art of using a box. The first sampler/sequencer I learned on was an Sp1200. Not having one made it hard and emu was still out of business at this time. So I applied for a credit card and in 1996 at the age of 16 I maxed out the card and got an ASRX turbo (the black joint). I frantically went to work making beat after beat recording on a Yamaha 4trk. My music started to get better as did the caliber of MC,s coming to the lab. My first hip hop show was at State of the Union 14th and U st D.C. and it was on from there. Since the beginning I've learned so much graduated as a recording engineer from Omega studios, produced for most of the areas artist,released songs in Europe and the U.S., teach after school programs in hip hop write compose rap arrange engineer discuss eat breathe live and die for my music. Its the fuel for my soul weather the worlds tuned in or not, I can not think of anything I'd rather do. This all started with the influence of timeless music and so my time on earth is devoted to making the same for you and yours. -peace- Thanks for the support and enjoy.