Album Notes

Do you truthfully promise to be brutally honest? If this question were directed to James Ciphurphace, the response would be an emphatic..."Yes!" Rising from the Segregated Lands Under Mountains and Sun where the scorpions and Gila monsters dwell, a subterranean revolutionary was born. Located between the East and West coast in the desert terra firma of Tucson, Arizona, James Ciphurphace represents the 13th & 3rd letter element with the devotion of a respected Hip-Hop pioneer and the hunger of an underground rhyme warlord. He labels himself as a W.R.I.T.E.R. (Working Realist Illustrating The Everyday Rituals). "If my music had to be classified, it would fall in a category called 100% pure hip-hop laced with raw energy and life," James says with heartfelt conviction.

With over a decade of experience, James Ciphurphace has been honing his skills and creating an original style which is an amalgamation of battle rhymes, punchlines & metaphors, thought-provoking concepts, and lyrical wordplay. To truly comprehend his style, imagine the old school braggadocio of Big Daddy Kane, the witty punchlines of Lord Finesse, and the infectious enthusiasm of Redman. Add a touch of Kool Keith's ludicrous creativity and Chino XL's fierce delivery and you have a bona fide MC named James Ciphurphace. J.C. was one of the founding members of the former Arizona based hip-hop collectives 13 Flok Skrolls & Seec Mellikew...the rebirth of his collective and movement is now known as The Effin' Sumbodies. James strives to build with fellow gifted emcees and eclectic beat professors who all share the same vision of preserving the art form. Teaming up initially with Easta Cali's scratch master DJ Tofu in 2003, it didn't take long for this duo to establish themselves as a force to be reckoned with. Representing the same crew, fellow turntable technician DJ Grapla became Tofu's replacement in 2005 and together they have been wreaking havoc on the hip-hop scene. Grapla's accolades include 1st place Phoenix Guitar Center 2005 battle and 2nd place DMC Phoenix 2004 battle.

In 1999, James (at the time known as R.A.W.thentik) formed a group called Reddirt Specimenz who released an EP entitled 'The Monsoon Cometh: Season of Redemption.' Over 1,000 copies were sold independently in the underground community. They opened up for renowned artists such as the Pharcyde, Raekwon & Ghostface Killah, and Fat Joe. Also voted best Hip-Hop group in southern Arizona, Reddirt Specimenz received an accolade for the '01 Tammies (Tucson Area Music Awards). Their self-proclaimed underground classic "Green Evil" was selected for 'The Alpha Project Vol. 1' compilation released by Chris Craft and alphabeats.com which featured the likes of Styles of Beyond and MF Doom.

Two time battle champion of 'The Mic Fights' in Tucson, AZ., this MC has proven to be a Hip-Hop juggernaut crushing everyone in his path. James has represented in ciphers stretching from Killa Cali to the Dirty South up to the Jungles of the East. Throughout his tenure, this assiduous lyricist has also performed on the same bill as Cypress Hill, Too Short, DJ Quik, 3RD Bass, Ol' Dirty Bastard, R.A. the Rugged Man, and the Clipse. Ciphurphace's current releases are: 'An Honest Day's Work' which is his official debut LP and 'Antique Skies' - the prelude. Production comes courtesy of I.C. YOU, Lee Hybrid, Nineteen7D9, Meshack, and Elgn Arts. Antique Skies is James's rendition of hip-hop nostalgia where he transports the listeners back to an era when raw lyricism really meant something. An Honest Day's Work is James's self-proclaimed hip-hop masterpiece that manifests the true essence of artistic integrity. Other current and upcoming releases include: Ciphurphace & Scorpioflo present Time & A Half: The Overtime EP, T.E.S - Straight Outta Tucson-Tha Mixtape, The Effin' Sumbodies - Cactus Stew, Bombatomik presents Nuclear Holocaust which includes collabos with Chino XL, Mainflow, & Copywrite and the highly anticipated sophomore LP Sunshine & Hand Grenades.

"With no sort of gimmicks-I pour the lyrics - murder the whole cipher & leave it haunted with morbid spirits - don't support the critics - who show love for artists who distort their image - pawns of the corporate business" -- World Underground: My Humble Abode (Antique Skies)

"I'm sick of the ignorance - I'm sick of the negligence - It's time we bring it back to the roots and the elements - I've been Ciphurphace from the start makin' my mark - while other emcees keep frontin' - I come straight from the heart" -- Factory Is Open: Just Over Broke (An Honest Day's Work)

So, who is this 13th & 3rd letter? What is the method to James Ciphurphace's madness? What is his modus operandi?...Coexisting in an industry plagued with champagne guzzlers and ice worshippers, this diligent wordsmith is a breath of fresh air, bringing genuine rhymes and originality to the spectrum of Hip-Hop music. James is the quintessential emcee who can infiltrate your soul with a combination of intense flows and spectacular vernacular. His amazing talent to manipulate the English language and transform words into verbal killing machines as well as spoken elixirs sets this Hip-Hop purveyor of scrolls apart from the countless mediocre emcees who have contaminated this industry with redundancy & worthless rhetoric.