Aleon Craft, formally Big Marc of Da Backwudz, has reinvented himself as a solo artist. He has joined forces with production company SMKA to move forward on his musical journey, and together they have recently released a mixtape “The Stargazing Soundtrack” hosted by Mick Boogie & Terry Urban.

Sean Anderson, p.k.a. Big Sean, is the newest artist signed to G.O.O.D. Music/Island Def Jam at the young age of 20. Sean was born in Santa Monica, CA and relocated to the west side of Detroit, MI when he was 2 months old. He was raised by his mother and grandparents who worked steadfastly to instill in him the principles of hard work and determination. Sean attended the Detroit Waldorf School, a school of art, from Kindergarten to 8th Grade where he was introduced to a spectrum of art and culture.

Hailing from the birthplace of Hip Hop, the Bronx, NY, Camp Lo first hit the scene in 1996 with the certified classic single “Coolie High,” which appeared on the soundtrack of The Great White Hype (damn, when was the last time you saw that movie?).

The following year, the duo released an album which would go on to become of of the top 10 best Hip Hop albums of all time (in my humble opinion); Uptown Saturday Night.

Da Beatminerz consist of two brothers from Bushwick, Brooklyn: DJ Evil D and Mr. Walt. The two are responsible for some of Hip Hop’s most inspiring beats. Starting their career with Black Moon, the duo have made beats for the likes of Smif-N-Wessun, Heltah Skeltah, O.C., Black Star, Nas, Big Daddy Kane and M.O.P.

Coming strait outta DC, Diamond District keeps the boom bap sound alive and thrivin in the 21st century. Composed of producer Oddisee and Emcees YU and XO, rocked the stage at the Icehouse in 09 with A3C Alums Tanya Morgan as well as the Five spot for Perfect Attendence. Go cop their album In The Ruff. You won’t regret it.

Rising through the ranks to become one of New York’s most talented and recognized artists is no easy task, and Emilio Rojas has done just that. With witty flows, potent lyrics, and vicious rhyme schemes, Emilio has earned the respect of his peers, and a reputation as someone who shines in today’s competitive Hip-Hop environment. Confident, classy, and intelligent, Emilio finds balance between that cockiness and consciousness, with an awareness of who he is, where he’s from, and the larger issues at hand.

With one of the longest, most successful careers in the history of Hip Hop, Erick Sermon has not only made hit records with some of the illest groups all of time, including EPMD and Def Squad, he’s also killed it as a solo artist. He is undoubtably one of the best MCs and producers in the game.

Now two year veterans of the A3C (they performed both in 2008 and 2009) this ATL based group is one of the most creative, innovative forces in Hip Hop today.
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Hollyweerd Performs Live @ A3C Perfect Attendance (Part 2) from The Smoking Section on Vimeo.

He’s not your average rapper, Homeboy Sandman’s was born at the Bowery Poetry Club in lower Manhattan on March 30, 2007. In little more than a year he has garnered rotation on both 89.1 FM’s The Halftime Show and 89.9 FM’s Squeeze Radio, easily the two most well respected and followed underground hip hop radio shows in New York City.

Refusing to confine himself to simple categorization as an artist, J the S (short for Jake the Snake) brings the entire spectrum of his life experiences to the table in his music. Born in Massachusetts, J the S split his time between Montserrat and Nevis in the West Indies until age five. Upon returning to the States, his formative years were spent staying for brief periods in different cities in Massachusetts and Vermont. By the time he arrived in Boston as a teenager, a volatile domestic situation and flawed role models had already inspired a notebook full of rhymes and a dedication rarely seen in young artists.