Viva La Hip Hop

Biz Markie:
The legendary Biz Markie brings more than 15 years of solid hip-hop acumen and an overwhelming fan-base that stretches from New York City to Japan to Europe. At the age of 14, Marcel Hall dazzled his neighborhood under the alias of Biz Markie. First breaking onto the music scene in 1985 as a beat box for Roxanne Shante of the Juice Crew, Biz began constructing his own destiny in the mystifying world of rap and hip-hop. Now 15 years later and several years wiser, Biz continues to be universally praised by the ever-fickle and unforgiving hip-hop industry. No easy feat to accomplish, Biz has defined longevity to the highest power and has managed to still be one of the most notable artists and DJs in the industry. Born to embrace hip-hop, Biz is originally from Harlem but later moved to Long Island where he gained notoriety by his early teen years for beat boxing and rhyming. The Biz began his journey to musical anarchy, beat boxing his way into hip-hop heads hearts and delivering humorous, witty rhymes that made him loved and admired by music fans all over.

Casual:
Jon Owens, known by his stage name Casual, is an American rapper from Oakland, California and one of the founding members of the alternative hip hop collective Hieroglyphics. After his debut album Fear Itself garnered both critical and commercial success, Casual went on to become one of the most prominent and recognizable faces on the Hieroglyphics roster, releasing five full-length LPs over the span of his twelve year career. Owens has garnered a following amongst devoted hip hop fans, particularly in the Bay Area hip hop scene, largely due to his specialization in hardcore battle rhymes.

Z-MAN:
A charismatic emcee from the Bay Area, Z-Man is best known for his unusual flow, extensive slang dictionary, and comical, party-centric tales. He got his start as a member of 99th Dimension, but also put in time with local underground favorites like Sacred Hoop and Gingerbread Man. After building up a sizable rep releasing numerous cassette-only albums and performing around Northern Cali, Z-Man signed with Hieroglyphics’ label to put out his most high profile LP to date, 2004’s Dope or Dogfood.

Vin Sol:
With a style and sound as eclectic as the city he calls home, Vin Sol is a DJ/Entertainer/Promoter who ignites dance floors from behind the decks of the rawest hip-hop parties to the sweatiest indie clubs in America. The San Francisco native has gained recognition for his unique approach to “party-music” blending original mixes ranging from indie to hyphy and club staples creating a highly evolved sound that speaks to the cross pollinated music world of today.

Kool Karlo:
Kool Karlo got his first taste for vinyl in the mid 80s. Digging through his father’s LPs as a kid and growing up fascinated with the art of scratching, it’s no surprise he started collecting LPs and sneaking into nightclubs to begin his career. His carefree style has made him a known personality in the San Francisco DJ scene. Catch him every Tuesday at Damn Gina! at The Ambassador, and skateboarding down your neighborhood streets.