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| Str8jakkett :: Biography |
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With the completion of his debut solo effort, Napalm, former DVS Mindz leader Str8jakkett is poised to join the elite list of Midwest Hip Hoppers who are making national (and international) noise. Combining influences from myriad rap genres and grinding it into his own peerless style, Str8jakkett walks a thrilling lyrical and musical tightrope on Napalm.
Str8jakkett’s mind-blowing verbal abilities are showcased on Napalm’s lead single "Take It There," - a hard-hitting, upbeat anthem that’s custom made for the streets and the clubs. "Take It There’s" infectious, head-bobbing production was crafted by 5150 Mental Productions, a respected team of knob-twisters that has manned the boards for a number of Hip Hop heavyweights, including Petey Pablo, Tech N9ne, and many more.
Str8jakkett’s mighty efforts on Napalm underscore what critics and underground Hip Hop fans have been saying all along: that Str8jakkett is the Midwest’s brightest rap talent - an super MC who is able to create waves in a number of ways. Combining his own distinct flavour with Eminem’s creativity, the energy of Busta Rhymes, Redman’s sense of style, the appealing voice of Jay-Z, Kurupt’s viscous "attack", and the rawness of Xzibit, Str8jakkett proves to be the complete package.
A new era of Midwest Hip Hop has dawned, and Str8jakkett is taking us there. We hope you will agree after looking at and listening to the media on this site. We also hope you will contact us immediately to see how Str8jakkett can help you cause a stir.
Str8jakkett is beyond image, beyond hype, and beyond the paradigms of formulaic music making. With a pummelling rap style and a flow that surges like a raging river, the Kansas-City based MC is one of the most unique spitters in Midwestern Hip Hop. A legend in his Topeka hometown and a well-known veteran of the regional rap scene, Str8jakkett offers a peerless voice that stands head and shoulders above the competition.
Str8jakkett was the original founder of DVS Mindz, one of the Midwest’s most
respected Hip Hop groups. Formed in 1993 while the members were still in their
teens, the Topeka, Kansas quintet barnstormed the region with an unforgettable
sound and image that reflected the group’s mean-street origins. DVS Mindz’s
seminal debut, Million Dolla Broke Niggaz, was hailed as a Midwest classic,
packed with memorable songs and beats that stuck to the brain like cranial
fluid. Str8jakkett’s influence can be heard all over the album — from the first
notes of the introduction, a headspinning freestyle to “Me, Myself, and I
Prevail” a solo track that found Str8jakkett battling the three sides of his
schizophrenic personality: Stu, the affable everyman; Special Agent Wrexxx, a
dangerous psychopath; and Str8jakkett, the rap phenomenon with the unbeatable
flow.In its ten years together, DVS Mindz earned a reputation as one of the region’s fiercest live acts; the band’s concerts were cathartic energy blasts that became one of the most popular shows in the area. Working its way up from house-parties, sugar shacks, strip clubs. and other tawdry venues, DVS went on to share stages with a number of Hip Hop hall-of-famers, including Wu Tang Clan, Run DMC, Digital Underground, Too Short, De La Soul,Das Effects, Black Sheep, Hieroglyphics, Del, Redman, Keith Murray, Xzibit, Phife of Tribe Called Quest, Sugar Hill Gang, Goody Mob, DJ Cash Money, Tha Coup, Mix Master Mike of the Beastie Boys, Montel Jordan, U God, Shyheim, The Arsonists, Rubberroom, Boss, Onyx, Homicide, Techn9ne, M.O.P., Defari, Killa Army, 57th st. rdv, P.Y.T., and Jim Rome.
When DVS finally called it quits earlier this year, local Hip Hop fans buzzed with speculation as to what would happen next. While all five members of DVS pursued various projects, Str8jakkett hit the studio like a madman, cranking out a number of far-reaching rap anthems that covered a range of topics never previously imagined - as if all of those years in DVS paid sonic dividends in his solo work. Eventually, the best of these recordings were compiled into Str8jakkett’s debut solo outing, Napalm.
NAPALM bursts out of the gate with the brash energy of its lead single, “Take It There,” a red-hot track that underscores Str8jakkett’s keen ability to twist everyday phrases into interesting new shapes. One listen and you’ll instantly recognize the sound of a seasoned rap veteran at the very top of his game. A new era had dawned for Midwest Hip Hop and Str8jakkett is taking us there.
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