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Mackalevin

“I got my name ‘cause I used to just kill people in rap battles. They said, ‘We’re gonna call you Mackalevin, ‘cause you just keep firin’ bang, bang, bang…’”

With a name like “Mackalevin,” it’s easy to assume that this is just another rapper romanticizing a life of violence, drugs, and promiscuity. There is much more to this son of Brooklyn than you might think. He is similar to the Mac-11 in the way he delivers his verbal ammunition. Once he starts spitting he is very difficult to control, lyrically firing gems that hit you unexpectedly.

Mackalevin is akin to a great painter, using his words as the paintbrush that imprints onto the palette of your mind. “Every word is tailored exactly to paint a picture for the audience so they can see what I’m writing about.” Mackalevin’s talent is placing you in his shoes to help better envision his words. His vision encompasses many things and he uses his entire worldview as fuel for his creative fire. “I don’t limit myself to one beat; I don’t subject myself to one category.” Mackalevin refuses to be boxed into just one form of music, mindset, or thought. The music he creates is as diverse as the experiences and views the world has to offer. From his sampling of the Foo Fighters in ‘Born to Resist’ to “Sitting on the Clouds’ to “So Open” It is plain to see that his music is inclusive to anyone with an ear. And more than just an artist, Mackalevin is a vessel bringing to the forefront the unifying pursuit of truth and enlightenment.

A prolific wordsmith who writes every lyric of his songs, here is a man who knows not only what he wants to tell the world, but how. Mackalevin knows how to write a hook that will burrow into the corners of your psyche. “I want to draw out raw emotion from my audience.” Listen to the proof in ‘More Than Life’ or ‘Why We Live.’ Try to walk away from his music without feeling something move in the cogwheels of your being.

Mackalevin

Since the age of 8, Mackalevin has always had a talent for freestyling and expressing himself – rapping over Biggie’s songs on his Walkman, freestyling during breaks while his friends made impromptu beats on the lunch table. In the beginning, however, rapping was just a hobby. He focused his energy on nurturing his talent in basketball and considered the possibility of going pro. Mackalevin continued to freestyle and wow anyone who would hear him. He realized how much of a role music played in his life; it was the one thing that was constant. He then decided that music and rapping was more than a mere hobby or even a passion; it was life. Looking back, Mackalevin realizes how much he has grown as a songwriter. His talent has garnered interest from his peers which led him to write hooks and songs for RnB artists and other rappers. He also acknowledges how much growing he has to do as a bona fide rapper. The 25 year-old up-and-comer says, “I took rap seriously when my hoop dreams were over. I used to practice basketball every day; I thought I was going to be in the NBA. I graduated from college, but I knew music was always going to be with me. It’s something I’m going to strive to do no matter what.” The road to success is far from easy for Mackalevin, but he finds consolation in telling himself, “The best part of making it is the journey, so I’m enjoying the ride as I go along.”

Asked what inspires him, Mackalevin says “I’m inspired by everything….my family, the situations I face, the people in my neighborhood, those who didn’t make it, and those who are successful”. Mackalevin is thankful for his Hip Hop group, Fric Frac, which motivated him to develop and expand his lyrical dexterity. They offered different insights and encouraged his creativity. He also draws inspiration from artists such as Eminem, Lupe Fiasco, Jay-Z, Fabolous, and Andre 3000 who show no boundaries. And while he has nothing but respect for the trailblazers of hip hop who have inspired him, he wishes to reach new heights they haven’t achieved.

Now, with the 2011 release of “DREAMLAND,” Mackalevin is more than ready to earn his place among music’s greats. This album embodies who he is – versatile. Mackalevin has a range of songs to draw out every raw emotion, each with its own message. He is able to mirror the ebbs and flows of life in his music from being in the hood to changing the world. “It’s just a reflection of life, life encompasses every situation and emotion, so I just portray every angle of it.” Mackalevin’s music reaches out to the Hip-Hop, R&B, Rock, and Pop crowd. DREAMLAND” demonstrates the unifying trait of music. The elastic trait of his music makes it accessible to anyone who simply feels. Versatility is a rare commodity in the rap scene today. Mackalevin not only has it, he uses it like a weapon, disarming you and then hitting you at your core.

Gully Davis born and raised on the mean streets of Brooklyn in the heart of East New York, where only the strong

GULLY DAVIS

survive. He began rapping at the young supple age of eleven.  May 8, 1999 a tragic turn of event occurred when he was in accident in Staten Island being hit by a truck and a bus left young gully in a coma, it took a lot of strength, but he managed to bounce back. More enthusiastic and more focused he began to take rap more seriously.  With the help of Asiah Lewis he started ghost writing for known artist and besides recording in the cutting room he also worked for bad boy entertainment that was only until he decided to become an artist himself.

After losing his oldest and favorite brother, he felt as though he had to make away for his family with that as his motivation he headed for greatness with no turning back he continues to move forward with only success on his mind in his words “The stakes are high all the chips are on the table” so with that said much love to 718 the producer.

Born Ruler is one of today’s reminders in Hip-Hop, letting us know that the conscious MC didn’t go anywhere.  Born

BORN RULER

Alfred T. Farrar, 3RD, in 1977 in  Bronx, New York, his single parent environment was the perfect condition to form the MC that he is today.
Coming of age in a time when Hip-Hop was showing and proving its power to dominate the world.  Born has kept his fingers dusty digging in crates at a very early age.  As a child and young teen he experienced various musical talents while traveling up and down the East coast.
Located in Richmond, Va he dominates local MC’s in rhyme battles, Born has a gift for preserving the feeling that was once felt in the atmosphere of Hip-Hop.  He is what you would call MC/ Producer, choosing to have MC placed first.  Born Ruler has written, produced, recorded and mixed all of his own music and beats.   Born has produced albums for groups such as The A-Alikeminds, Project Feed the
Baby, and also a project called Dark Matter.
So when you hear any music done by Born Ruler, you leave knowing that the Bronx was here.  His beats are very universal and have a Boom Bap Hip-Hop foundation. He says, “He is here to bring the passion back to conscious rhyme”.  Many people who have heard Born’s work mostly reply with, “Hey, where can I find more Hip-Hop music that sounds like this”.
You can find Born every Friday from 9pm-11pm at the Richmond University Radio WDCE, on The Bumrush Show.  He is known as the resident MC.

When it comes to cool names, there’s no doubt that AZitiZ (AS IT IS) a native of New Orleans, is a master. Derived from

AZITIZ

the subtitle of the ancient Sanskrit classic, Bhagavad Gita As It Is. The phrase, AZitiZ means the unadulterated truth.
Growing up, AZitiZ went to school in Florida to an all girl’s spiritual boarding school where the girls learned yoga, meditation & practiced strict vegetarianism. With the school, she traveled the world, including India , doing theatrical performances and music. Over the years, her music excellence became apparent as she mastered different styles of drumming. AZitiZ has always been attracted to percussion and drums, so after school she went to study at Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, California and also lived in India for eight months, to further her study of percussion.

Global Attack MixTape is the first mix tape series to bring urban music together from around the globe on one project – from both successful and up-and-coming artists. For more information, visit www.GlobalAttackMixTapes.com or stay tuned in the music new

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From a less fortunate life all the way to a successful music career, the last few years have been an amazing adventure for IL mc professionally known as MAFF TEST. Maff always knew that the music business would make way in his life for as long as he could remember. Unlike many young adults growing up less fortunate in a single parent home, TEST would never allow this type of stigma to slow him up from what his ultimate goal was and that is to make a name for himself as a recording artist and songwriter.

When asked the details of the hood or city he was from, TEST simply states that he was from “Harvey” and then tells

Maff Test

reporters to do their own research and be the judge. We found Harvey to be a poverty stricken suburban city of 3 or 4 projects, corrupted law enforcement, complete with gang and drug pollution. Later in life, TEST’s would be nicknamed YOUNG HARVEY, since he is the first to represent their city by “putting it on the map.” While he doesn’t talk much about his painful early years, fans learn about his childhood as his struggles are often expressed through his songs.

In the early days of rap, TEST wrestled with the transition from the streets to the music industry, although it was obvious right from the start, he had a way with words. MAFF was not at first inclined to choose music, “its a gift i was chosen to be given”. Hustling simply to survive, he sought the few extras in other income producing forms that he believed he could not obtain working at a 9 to 5, hard work and risk here & there. Before long, he was addicted to the fast life, one that provided not only for himself, but for his family as well. But, his family and friends observed his incredible ability to create, not only a verse here and there, but richly filled complete songs with very little effort.

With critics saying his skills are beyond equal to many of today’s acts, he is a true lyricist delivering incredible narration of not only the streets but night life and plenny more. He combines pain and struggle through clever metaphors fueled by raw energy and confidence. To quote TEST: “I bring forth significant realism and add in a sense of security that demonstrates I’m not afraid to be myself. People accept you as you are, not some made up image that appears as something you’re not.

After moving to Atlanta a year ago and benefiting from the progressive flow of the rap scene with help from the likes of DJ Khaled on Big Bizness; Volume 1, Test is back adding and multiplying his buzz with his second mixtape, Big Bizness; Volume 2 and the message is clearly one that everyone can relate to: “It don’t come like that”.

Currently on tour with stops in The Bay Area, Ohio, Indiana, Jacksonville and New York, Maff Test is on a mission to make his sound known, which he describes as well rounded and versatile enough to reach a broad audience. “You may hear one song that sounds completely different than another song. My music is like gumbo,” a well rounded variety.

Learn more about Maff Test at www.mafftest.com

jon wain

The credits or lack thereof for producer John “Jon Wain” Frazier shed little to no light on what this creative genius is more than capable of. Born the oldest son to a mother struggling to find her way in a southern suburb of Chicago, Frazier was inspired by an uncle at an early age to explore the world of music. As he grew, he dedicated more and more time to the seriousness of his undiscovered talent. By his teens, he wanted to become a singer and decided to form a trio, which caught the attention of his close family and friends. His first attempt at a professional singing career didn’t come until after high school, when a local independent label signed John and his then group “Kwiet Storm” to a recording deal, during which time the group shot two music videos and recorded an album which was prepared for a national release. Aside getting radio play and national exposure for their music video, in 2001 Frazier served the label with his letter of resignation from any dealings with the trio for personal reasons. Shortly after regrouping from the breakup, Frazier decided to turn his musical creativity to the production side of the industry. It was 2-3 years of trial and error for the perfecting of his craft as a music producer when the name “Jon Wain” was given to him by one of his rap artists. He has since worked with countless local and professional acts (none to credit), none of which has had the consistency to take him to the next stage in his career. Realizing that there are more ways to break into the industry than through the “front door”, he decided to take the opportunity given to him by a former friend to compose music for the “Oprah Winfrey Show”. Frazier signed a deal with Harpo Productions in the Spring of 2005 and has had countless spins on the show. Today he’s being offered commercial spots for “Mc Donald’s” and the “Pillsbury” companies. At the age of 26, John is far beyond his talent years and on his way to becoming the production powerhouse he’s longed to be. With styles and inspirations coming from influences such as Rodney Jerkins, Dallas Austin, Warren Campbell, and Rich Harrison to name a few, Frazier is a force to be reckoned with and well deserving of his rightful place in the music industry.

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Global Attack MixTape is the first mix tape series to bring urban music together from around the globe on one project – from both successful and up-and-coming artists. For more information, visit www.GlobalAttackMixTapes.com or stay tuned in the music new

Curtis Batiste known as Young Curt was born in Lacombe,Louisiana outside of New Orleans.He fell in love with music at

YOUNG CURT

the age of 5.He began writing at the age of 9.Throughout the years he would write in class trying to better his self as an artist.He started recording at the age of 17.With his music, he began to find creative ways to play with words and catch the listener’s ear.One day he was in the studio recording and decided to create a voice that sound like no other.Some of Young Curt’ s influences comes from Dr.Dre,Eminem,Lil Wayne,Kanye West, Drake, and ect.. He has a passion for music that is out of this world.

YOUNG CURT CONTEMPLATES

Global Attack MixTape is the first mix tape series to bring urban music together from around the globe on one project – from both successful and up-and-coming artists. For more information, visit www.GlobalAttackMixTapes.com or stay tuned in the music new

TYREIK WAS BORN AND RAISED IN ASPEN PLACE PROJECTS LOCATED IN PASSAIC, NEW JERSEY. HE FOUND HIS

OX DA GENERAL

LOVE FOR MAKING MUSIC AT THE AGE OF 13 WHEN HE RECORED HIS FIRST TRACK CALLED “FROM JERSEY”. HIS INFLUENCES WERE BIGGIE SMALLS,NAS, JAY Z, AND CAPO REGIME . HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS WERE FEATURING ON MIXTAPES SUCH AS NEIBORHOOD NIGHTMARES and O.G STATUS ECT.  AND HE WON THE HOT 97 FREESTYLE BATTLE IN 2009 AND APPEARED ON STAGE AT SUMMER JAM FOR THE BOOST MOBLIE FREESTYLE BATTLE. HE’S NOW LINKED UP WITH  LONG TIME FRIENDS  RASHON WILDER(YOUNG RAZE), WILLIAM HANSFORD(B DOT), WHICH THEY FORMED THE GROUP “TRIANGLE OFFENSE” MANAGED BY DARNELL BURLLESS CEO OF “WE DO THIS MUSIC GROUP”. OX DA GENERAL IS ON THE RISE TO BECOME ONE OF THE MOST RESPECTED RAPPERS IN THE GAME WATCH OUT FOR THIS RAPPER.

Global Attack MixTape is the first mix tape series to bring urban music together from around the globe on one project – from both successful and up-and-coming artists. For more information, visit www.GlobalAttackMixTapes.com or stay tuned in the music new

Joshua Lee Minnick (AKA, Joshie Sullivan) was born on December 27,1995 in Roanoke VA and grew up in Basset VA.

JOSHIE SULLIVAN

As a boy he always loved singing and performing in front of his family. He frequently sung for his grandmother, father, mother & aunt (Joann, Butch, Mamie, & Pattie) and they always knew he had  talent.

The first time he sang in front of a crowd was in the 7th grade, it was in front of the school. Everyone thought he was great, and he loved it. During this time in his life he was going through alot so he started writing his own songs as a way to vent his emotional frustration and anger. His mom, Melissa Minnick, had breast cancer, and his cousin had passed away, this was very difficuly for him and it was a tough time to go through.

Joshua perservered and just kept writing and singing, that was his biggest escape. He started hanging out with an old friend to keep his mind off things and he found out the hard way they were not good freinds for him. When he realized it, it was too late and he had gotten screwed over, it was devistating. He fell in love with someone and then all of a sudden they hated him. He was real depressed after that happened, he could not do anything except continue to write songs.

JOSHIE

Heartbreak, he learned that while a fact of life, can also inspire many songs. He wrote all the time just to get all of his emotion out. One night he was out with his mom, she was telling him a story about how she found out her friend Kims mom had passed away so they went to see her. Kims daughter, Courtney and Joshua became best friends, they just clicked like she was his sister.

Joshua was happy again because he had people around him to hang out with. They gave him his nickname “Joshie Sullivan” which he started using as his name all the time. That made life easier for him.

Now he’s just trying to make it and become a singer, which has always been his dream. he wants people to know him, and accept him for who he is. Joshie Sullivan, singer, songwriter, and hopefully the next big thing.

“Everybodys different.. why judge.. everybody’s awesome and perfect the way they are! Always and forever is always nice. Love everybody and see whats right.” – Joshua Lee Minnick

“Pretty please, I know its a drag, Wipe ur eyes and put up ur head, Wish u could b happy instead, Theres nothin else i can do but love u …” – Joshua Lee Minnick

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Global Attack MixTape is the first mix tape series to bring urban music together from around the globe on one project – from both successful and up-and-coming artists. For more information, visit www.GlobalAttackMixTapes.com or stay tuned in the music news.