Biography
AWOL ONE
Los Angeles born, California artist Awol One is rumored to be over one thousand years old and every single one of those years can be heard within the cracks of his voice and lyrics. One may call him a crude poet, a drunken rambler or a melodic voice for slackers but nobody can deny that he's maintained an uncompromising level of intelligence, honesty, melody, dark humor and originality.
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Touring the planet as a solo act and a member of The Shape Shifters, Awol has collaborated with Xzibit, B Real of Cypress Hill, Aesop Rock, KRS-One, Buck 65, Factor and Slug, as well as members of Dilated Peoples, Living Legends, Sublime and 3OH!3 to name a few. He has played shows with the likes of Eminem, Common, Atmosphere and Barington Levi, and also having music featured in a Nike commercial.
In the early 2000's when journalists didn't quite know what to make of his strange alternative indie hip hop, Spin magazine tried to pin him down as one of the premiere voices of emo-rap, while Vice Magazine, URB and LA Weekly were singing the praises of his anthems. The Shape Shifters were also winners of the L.A Weekly Award for best hip hop. His 2001 collaboration with Daddy Kev, "Souldoubt", quickly became seen as a L.A. underground hip hop world wide classic and since, Awolrus hasn't slowed down a bit, touring both national and international, also playing Sound Set, Rock The Bells, Warped Tour, Paid Dues, Smoke Out and X Games.
When Tony Martin alias Awol One, is not touring he is an artist at a graphic design collective Brainheart Co. and author of an illustrated book and soundtrack titled The Mombie.
FAT JACK
If Dr. Dre represents the mainstream Los Angeles hip-hop scene better than any other producer, then Fat Jack (James Clark) best represents the L.A. underground. A mainstay on the South Central circuit since the Goodlife days of the early ‘90s, Fat Jack possesses the uncanny ability to match the feel of his beats with the sensibilities of each of the many emcee that he collaborates with.
His early work with Volume 10 and Ganjah K highlighted a fine taste in samples, enabling Fat Jack to effectively translate the haunted aura of riotous streets to music. His contributions to the Project Blowed compilation as well as to Alien Nation in 1994 illustrated a refinement of style, with his signature soundscapes taking on much more of a sparse philosophy.
The trend continued in 1995 with Fat Jack lending two of his beats to All Balls Don't Bounce by Aceyalone. Yet nowhere other than his role as the house producer for Abstract Tribe Unique has Fat Jack fit so appropriately. A series of albums titled Underground Fossils, Mood Pieces, and South Central Thynk Tank gave Fat Jack the perfect forum to display his knack for atmospheric hip-hop. The mystical combination of Abstract Rude on the mic and Fat Jack manning the boards is as impeccable a grouping as there is in rap. After another pair of soulful Fat Jack beats were utilized by Medusa for her Do It the Way You Feel It EP, the time came for Fat Jack to step to the forefront.
In 1999 he released his own album titled Cater to the Deejay, which featured Fat Jack's work with in upwards of 27 various emcees from the L.A. underground. While the album produced no hits, it stands as a historical document that proves the advanced capabilities of the Left Coast movement. In 2000 Fat Jack reemerged backing an album by P.E.A.C.E. that expressed a newfound interest in Southern bounce rhythms. Fat Jack continues to work with Abstract Rude as evidenced by the release of P.A.I.N.T. in 2001 and he has also built a strong link with AWOL 1.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.