From performing overseas, to having their music featured on some of the biggest hip hop Web sites in the world, Rhyme University may just be the next best thing to come out of Missouri. Raised in a traditional Nigerian household, the two blood brothers were immersed in different styles of music. By 1996, Rhyme U, consisting of Black Caesar (Charles) and Grayhound Bustrip (Tony), began freestyling and e-mailing each other rhymes. The rest is history. "That's when I really began to sharpen my craft," said Charles, who was a high schooler at the American British Academy, an international private school in Muscat, Oman, at the time. "My dream of being a rap star began then."
In 2001, Charles moved to Columbia, Missouri to attend the University of Missouri, joining his brother, who had just received his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and had been studying toward his master's.
Every Monday night, the two would join a slew of local hip hoppers for a freestyle session at the student-run KCOU radio station on campus. After a series of strong performances, the two were urged by their fellow peers to pursue a career in rap.
The two did, and a year later, Tony purchased his first MPC and began making beats.
"I've always wanted to make beats and stay in the background," said Tony. "I actually wasn't interested in becoming a rapper at the time."
In 2005, Tony and Charles formed the rap group Rhyme University and established their own record label, Superbald Eagles Entertainment -- named in honor of the Nigerian soccer team.
They released their first studio album -- self-titled -- that summer and began performing at the "Mad Real Monday" open mic events at Sapphire Lounge in downtown Columbia.
Later that summer, Charles moved to Houston to pursue his master's degree at the University of Houston and although the two weren't able to perform with each other as much, the rap duo continued to create songs. Tony remained in Columbia to finish his PhD.
"I would send Cease beats through the e-mail and he would devour them," said Tony. "He is a prolific writer."
In the summer of 2006, Rhyme U released its second studio album, "Children of Uyo: Give It Your All," a politically-charged and personal record. With that album, Rhyme U began making an imprint on the Columbia Hip Hop scene, showcasing their album at a release party in July of that summer. But little did people know, Rhyme U had another album in store.
"I began penning our next album immediately," said Charles. "I wanted to keep the momentum going."
And he did.
In a matter of weeks, Charles completed his lyrics and came up with the album concept for the group's third studio album, "The Mo(u)rning Call," an uplifting and upbeat record, aimed at inspiring others to strive for their dreams. Again, Tony produced all of the beats.
The album was released through Indyground Entertainment, a burgeoning Hip Hop label based in Kansas City and run by Steddy P, an emerging Hip Hop act in Missouri.
Rhyme U's album proved a success, garnering radio play in stations in Texas, Louisiana and Missouri. A video for the single, "Shine", directed by Holly H, was subsequently released on YouTube. The group also graced the cover of Vox Magazine in Columbia, MO. and was featured in the Marshall News Messenger in Marshall, Texas, the Longview News Journal in Longview, Texas, The Battalion in College Station, Texas and The Daily Cougar in Houston, Texas.
In the summer of 2008, Rhyme U went on a four-day promotional tour in Missouri in support of The Mo(u)rning Call, performing at venues in Columbia, Saint Louis and Springfield. The tour was a success, and the two brothers emerged more confident and hungry for statewide recognition.
Now, the group is poised to release its fourth studio album, "Sunshine Tears" for the masses. The album is tentatively scheduled to drop late this summer.
"I think this album will help garner more attention, possibly statewide," said Charles. "We'll see, though."
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