This hip hop purist has put together an album packed with lyrical onslaught and relentlessly, head jerking beats, totaling in 16 tracks.

16 MP3 Songs
HIP-HOP/RAP: Alternative Hip Hop, HIP-HOP/RAP: Underground Rap

Details:
In a time when over-commercialization has begun limiting artistic boundaries, Nickel emerges as an MC whose success thrives on his individualistic nature. Through an onslaught of charismatic, lyrical fury, he conveys a message to the listener to live their lives to the fullest, as they feel fit, not as they are expected. In a backdrop set in New York City, where an overwhelming demand has been resurging for âreal hip-hop,â Nickel stands out as a prime candidate to lead the way. Nickel was born and raised in Hartford, CT during the â80s. This city was one of the earliest to embrace rap after the initial boom, which took place in NYC. Surrounded by breakers and boom boxes, the music and culture became a part of him from an early age. But it wasnât until the late â90s, upon starting college, that this prolific MC made his first steps toward being the lyricist that he is today. A new friendship and a four-track recorder became the foundation of the focus of Nickelâs life for the next eight years.
He founded a group called The Linx, a soulful hip-hop band which set up itâs camp in Miami, FL. Within this progressive group of talented rappers, singers, and musicians Nickel stood front and center as the lead lyricist and spiritual backbone. The group boasted many accomplishments. But as the college years winded down, so did the cohesiveness of the group. When it became evident that it was time for him to begin a solo career, Nickel made the decision to return to the North. He decided to move to Brooklyn. But he chose to take an alternate route. Armed with an arsenal of beats by producers such as Miami phenom, Giogrephy, Nick V from The Baka Boyz, and himself, Nickel chose to travel around the country, and then the world, taking advantage of this time to write the majority of his first solo debut, âThe Journey of Plato the Orphan.â Through these travels he established strong ties in cities such as Los Angeles, Tampa, and Tokyo, Japan. The album set to be released in early 2008. In the meantime Nickel has begun campaigning in multiple cities. His mixtape cd, âLoose Lips Vol 1.â Is receiving much praise and airtime from college radio. Via Internet, Nickel has been making a lot of noise with a crew of rappers that span the nation, known as, âMoney Hungry Bastards.â He has been performing in NYC, CT, and Florida. His aim now is to expand out to the West Coast and overseas.
At the heart of Nickelâs music lies a message of rebellion; against the social norm, against corporate/government corruption, against what he calls âcookie cutter rap.â His catchy flow and larger than life attitude is certainly appealing to the masses. If you ask Nickel who his influences are, you may be surprised to receive a response such as Bob Marley, or Jimmy Hendrix. This is not something that you may expect to hear from someone whose sound has been compared to the likes of Talib Kweli or Andre 3000. But when you understand that it is not the style of presentation, but the ideal, which he draws from them, you begin to see the making of an icon.

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