BIOGRAPHY
This is the biography section of THESTEELO.COM
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In the mid2000s, alternative hiphop duo Kidz in the Hall became the new face for the revamped Rawkus Records, the underground rap powerhouse responsible for introducing groundbreaking acts like Mos Def and Talib Kweli before its operations were temporarily closed in 2004. Naledge's intelligence, imagery, and lyricism combined with the progressive and often jazzinflected sounds of DJ/producer DoubleO easily recall the early 90s aesthetic of hiphop groups such as Pete Rock C.L. Smooth, Gang Starr, or Souls of Mischief. |
| Before she could utilize her talents for her own solo endeavors, R&B singer, vocal arranger, and songwriter Keri Lynn Hilson wrote a slew of songs, many of them chart-toppers, for several popular artists in the mid-2000s as part of the five-person production/songwriting team known as the Clutch. The dynamic songwriter was born in Decatur, GA, only a few miles outside of Atlanta. Addicted to TV talent shows like Star Search and Showtime at the Apollo, she was already plotting out her career in music at age 12. Even though her mother hired a piano teacher to encourage those talents, she mainly wanted to sing; therefore, Hilson converted those sessions into vocal lessons, accompanying the teacher on piano. In her mid- to late teens, her career jumped off as a songwriter and background vocalist, working under producer Anthony Dent (Destiny's Child, Diddy). |
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Today, Wildman Teddy T., President of Street Hustler Enterprises, is a household name as the flamboyant on-air personality of Power 96 and an underground hit maker for emerging artist throughout the Southeast. He began his music industry career as a record promoter in Atlanta, Georgia when he promoted his first single “I Wish” by Ske-lo a Scotti Bros Recording Artist to gold record status. |
| Monica Denise Arnold (born October 24, 1980) professionally known as Monica, is an American R&B singer and entertainer, who has sold over five million albums in the United States and over 15 million worldwide. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, Arnold was a member of Charles Thompson and the Majestics, a traveling 12-piece gospel choir prior to signing a solo recording contract with Arista Records in 1995. |
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| Onika Maraj (Born December 8, 1984) known as Nicki Minaj is a female rapper from Southside Jamaica, Queens, NewYork. She grew up in a troubled home, with a father on drugs and a struggling single mother. Despite her hectic environment, Minaj went on to graduate from LaGuardia High School in Manhattan where she studied singing and acting. Working as an administrative assistant, she dedicated all of her free time to pursuing a potential music career. Nicki Minaj started off singing, from background r&b vocals, to hooks for local hip hop rappers. |
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Hip hop MC from Brooklyn, New York. Kweli first gained recognition through Black Star, a collaboration with fellow MC Mos Def. As a youth, he was drawn to Afrocentric rappers, such as De La Soul and other members of the Native Tongues Posse whom he had met in high school. Talib Kweli was a student at Cheshire Academy, a boarding school in Connecticut. He was also a student at Brooklyn Technical High School, before he was kicked out. He later studied experimental theater at New York University (NYU). |
| Olubowale Folarin (born September 21, 1984), better known by his stage name Wale, is an hip hop artist from Washington, D.C. He rose to prominence in 2006, when his song "Dig Dug (Shake It)" became popular in his hometown. Wale became locally recognized and continued recording music for the regional audience. |
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