El-P

Formerly known as El-Producto, New York producer/lyricist El-P is one of the underground's shining stars. He got his start as 1/3 of the legendary act Company Flow, a group that ushered in a whole new wave of subterranean artists and helped establish Rawkus as a formidable industry powerhouse during the late 1990s. Following Co Flow's break-up in 2000, he went on to develop his own label, Definitive Jux, which has since grown to include critically acclaimed heads like Aesop Rock, RJD2, and Cannibal Ox. Much-respected (and often mis-understood) due to his hyper-wordy rhyme schemes and ultra-grimy, chaotic beatscapes, El-P also produced Cann Ox's epic 2001 debut The Cold Vein. His highly-anticipated solo debut Fantastic Damage hit the streets in the summer of 2002. He explored the jazz landscape on 2004's High Water (Mark), and also released Collecting The Kid, a limited edition compilation later that year. In 2008, he released his second full-length, the widely heralded I'll Sleep When You're Dead.