Bed Stuy’s own Poison Pen is not new to the New York hip-hop scene, to say the least. The Brooklynite made his first appearance in 1996 at the first online radio station 88HipHop.com, before tearing through the streets as the undefeated champ of the NYC MC battle circuit. After participating in the Blaze Battle, Pen decided to retire in 1999 and later host the most popular lyricist competition to date, Da Cypha Emcee Battles featured throughout NYC. Although he retired as a battle MC, he then when on to form the indie rap group, known as Stronghold. The group gained respect as a classic collaboration of real hip-hop artists including members such as legendary underground MC’s, Immortal Technique and Breez Evaflowin. He received his first distribution deal through Landspeed Records in 2000, for his debut single “Top of the Food Chain“.
The hard hitting single lead to Pen being sought after by Rockstar Games for inclusion of his unique vocal talents in their top-selling video games, “The Warriors” and “Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.” After participating in some of the most influential video games of our culture, he then went on to collaborate with hip-hop purists MF Doom, Rass Kas, Littles as well as hit making production team, The Beatminerz. These consistent appearances with notable artists and producers have allowed Pen to maintain a large fan base, without dropping a solo album of his own, which is unheard of in the current fickle state of the music industry. Pen’s undeniable musical talents in combination with his charismatic personality have also taken him to the big screen with an appearance in the feature film, “Dave Chapelle’s Block Party”. He has also been highlighted in the “VH1 Hip Hop Honors” as well as securing his presence on MTV in hit shows “The Shop” and DFX.
Hunger, passion, talent and dedication to real hip-hop are the ingredients, which have allowed Poison Pen to remain relevant in the game. His latest venture is his unofficial first solo album, titled “Pick Your Poison: The Mark Of The East,” available in the spring on Fontana/Universal records, which is presented by Immortal Technique. Pen is currently on a national tour, and he frequently tours in Hungary, Amsterdam, and Norway, which has allowed him to maintain a strong following abroad. In addition to being the new poster child of true hip-hop artistry, Pen also is an accomplished journalist and has a blog on the industry website, HipHopGame.com. Pen’s journal of his life currently maintains the most hits of any of the postings on the informative site. Long awaited, and long overdue, the man with the Poison Pen will finally get his chance to make his “mark” on the mainstream. The lead single on the upcoming album is entitled “Stoopid.” One would be to stand in his way.
Azar S.
raynashine@gmail.com
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