While a member of the New York City duo Organized Konfusion, Pharoahe Monch developed a reputation as one of underground hip-hop's pre-eminent lyricists, crafting intricate and intelligent raps with partner Prince Poetry. After recording three albums together from 1991-1997, the two split up amicably, and Monch pursued a more aggressive solo style with the terrific independent label Rawkus. He made guest appearances on other artists' records and contributed tracks to the Rawkus compilation Soundbombing II, which raised expectations for his solo debut. The single/video "Simon Says" was released in the summer of 1999 and became a massive hit among rap and club audiences, setting the stage for a surprising debut -- just short of the Top 40 -- for the full-length Internal Affairs upon its release several months later. While he didn't release a second album -- Desire -- until 2007, he was active throughout the intervening years, with fiery singles like "The Life" (with Styles) and "Agent Orange," along with featured spots on tracks by Ras Kass, J Dilla, Pete Rock, and Sa-Ra.

The Cypher has set a new bar for live hip-hop, delivering eerily precise interpretations of original hip-hop (that is mostly) originally void of live instrumentation. This is a laborious task nurtured by their collective passion for hip-hop and genuine musicianship—not simply or loosely emulating a song—but researching the science involved with exacting the quality of sound with that of the originals. The Cypher’s originality lies within their ability to perform any body of original hip-hop music and make it sound like the original. Their collective skill set—the ability to dissect samples and complex sounds with organic instrumentation—is unparalleled. Being deeply entrenched and committed to the hip-hop and jazz communities, the support that they have garnered is well earned.

QUOTES ON THE CYPHER

::: Questlove :::
For the record. The Cypher (house band for Pete Rosenberg’s Noisemaker) might be the ILLEST hip hop band. it would behoove ANY mc already established to scoop em now. Common would officially KILL SHIT if THIS was his band their attention to sample detail is to a level and standard that I DONT EVEN SET!!!

::: Peter Rosenberg :::
"I can honestly say that I've never heard another band outside of The Roots interpret hip hop better. I usually find bands that try to do it but it's flawed on so many levels but they just got the sound exactly right and translated it perfectly. " Peter Rosenberg- Hot 97

The Cypher has set a new bar for live hip-hop, delivering eerily precise interpretations of original hip-hop (that is mostly) originally void of live instrumentation. This is a laborious task nurtured by their collective passion for hip-hop and genuine musicianship—not simply or loosely emulating a song—but researching the science involved with exacting the quality of sound with that of the originals. The Cypher’s originality lies within their ability to perform any body of original hip-hop music and make it sound like the original. Their collective skill set—the ability to dissect samples and complex sounds with organic instrumentation—is unparalleled. Being deeply entrenched and committed to the hip-hop and jazz communities, the support that they have garnered is well earned.

My Name is MeLo-X AKA The 38Specialist. Known to many as a Emcee/ DJ/ Producer. Me and my boy Bruce always put each other on too new music. So when he hit me with Amy Winehouse's Back to Black album after a night of drinking, it inspired me massively. Who knew that this inspiration would lead to a crazy ass remix of her whole album.

The tracks you hear here on my MySpace page are 6 tracks out of the 8 that I created. All of them using elements from the Back to Black album. I hope you enjoy the listen and understand the depth of production being done here.

A Philly born veteran of the New York City Underground, Nyle has spent the past half-decade on a journey through rap that has acquired a legion of followers who identify with his persona as much as they are entertained by his storytelling. Upon his acceptance to New York University, Nyle would become a staple within New York City’s SinSin Circuit, (one of the city’s most respected collections of rappers) winning the Off-the-Head Game Show Battle, and 2006 Best Freshman MC award.

2007 saw the release of his debut album Frosh. A chronicling of his freshman year at New York University, Frosh quickly became a cult sensation that rose to the top of college charts as Nyle filled venues around the East Coast from clubs to college auditoriums.

Nyle closed out his college career headlining a sold-out concert which featured Hip Hop staples Asher Roth, Kidz In the Hall, 88 Keys, Izza Kizza, and Hot 97's Peter Rosenberg. The following day, Nyle release a music video for his hit cover single 'Let The Beat Build', which was immediately proclaimed as one of the year's most innovative music videos. The video garnered tremendous buzz, and was a featured piece on websites ranging from Gawker to Nah Right to Kanye West's blog, KanyeUniversecity.

Nyle has translated his growing buzz into performance success. This summer Nyle performed at the Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival alongside legendary acts such as Dead Prez, Black Thought from the Roots and Pharoahe Monch. The following week, he was premiered his new song 'GangReal' in a live performance/interview on MTVs 'It's On With Alexa Chung.'

Now, a well-respected NYC artist with a steadily growing following, he is set to release his next LP entitled Capstone, later this summer, in conjunction with a collection of video releases.

Drawn from all experiences, adult and childhood, Jeremy ‘BEAN’ Clemons and Mavis ‘SWAN’ Poole have created Soul Understated. Soul Understated is more of a musical “mother ship” than a band. The influences on their music are overwhelming and pleasurable all at once. Grabbing elements from all styles of music and bridging them under one roof is not an easy task but they have a strong grip on it. It is believed this is the true concept of Soul music: things internal generated to produce external beauty.

“The passion and drive of our music comes from a sincere longing to encourage and inspire people from all lifestyles, while maintaining the danceable element and groove. “

Somewhat of a dream band, Soul Understated features a diverse and eclectic mix of musical forces. These forces combined create a powerhouse band as well as a unique concept of music allowing each angle of the band to be independent yet part of a total musical thought. Having similar musical backgrounds and deriving elements from gospel, R&B, and popular music, Clemons and Poole’s compositions clearly state where they’ve been while simultaneous suggesting what may lay ahead. Their energy as composers, bandleaders, and performers will only make you want to know and grow with them in every way. Soul Understated is proven to be a true reflection of like-minded individuals who share common goals and desires in life and music. CREATIONS LIKE THIS ONLY COME ONCE IN A LIFETIME…………soul understated.