Album Notes

Drayton Michaels: Drayton is a producer, engineer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. His love of hip-hop goes way back to the first time his mom took him to see Afrika Bambatta and Soul Sonic Force in 83'. He was a NYC resident for 12 years.
After many years as a studio rat and fronting many kinds of bands, Drayton has decided to produce the Degree of the Streets compilation. His deep love and respect for the genre combined with his musical skills and studio prowess make Degree of the Streets a powerful statement on the new styles of emerging hip-hop. Whether he is chopping up sounds with the MPC 2000, banging out sounds in Reason, dropping in a live track of guitar and bass or writing another hook laiden melody, Drayton is starting to turn heads towards his urban core hip-hop sound. Swearhead.com (home to Swear Shoes of London) released a compilation CD in 2002 of emerging underground producers and DJs. His track, High Alert Status, was featured alongside NYC hip-hop group Non Phixion and chill out masters Dining Rooms, it has been getting some very positive feedback from around the world. MTV cribs will air a series of 30 second spots for the fall season with High Alert Status music. RESIN8, a chill out CD is also available at CD Baby, so please peep that out. RESIN8 was voted best CD of 2003 by UMFM/UniversalMetropolis.com in Toronto. If ya like chill out downtempo give it a listen.

Jose Gutierrez Jr., AKA Luvva J: The quintessential hip-hop aficionado. Growing up in LA, his mother's break-dance crew held court around town. He's been rocking the mic since he was old enough to speak! Luvva J hosts The BEAT - Live From I-5, a radio show ranked as the 2nd longest running hip-hop show in the Northwest. Every Sunday night he fills the airwaves from BC to Sea Town with the best in new and old school hip-hop for millions of listeners. His mix CD's Live from I-5 are a favorite among many heads. Luvva J writes for Sea Spot Magazine, a premier urban zine in Seattle. As CEO of Crowd Control Productions, Luvva J presents and promotes events throughout the Northwest and beyond. Past Crowd Control events include the super bowl parties of Dennis Rodman and the Playboy mansion. Recently he was the DJ for Too Short's Canadian tour.

Jace Ecaj: A legend on the Seattle hip-hop scene, Jace is known coast to coast. His crew, Silent Lambs Project, has opened for Nas, The Roots, Alcoholics, Del the Funky Homosapien,Blackalicious and many other internationally known acts. Silent Lambs Project has received worldwide recognition through press, college radio and madd word of mouth. In 2000 SLP recieved a SAMMY, The Seattle Area Music Awards. They were voted by the people of Seattle as best hip-hop group and hip-hop album of the year for Soul Liquor, which holds the distinction as being the most sold local indi CD out of Tower Seattle, with over 5000 sold. Ecaj has also released The Red Scribe Pages in 2004, another truly original full-length joint!

Yonnas Tesfi: Yonnas spent his youth in Africa until age 12. Upon moving to Seattle, he shortly discoverd his talents for spoken word, poetry and his love of hip-hop. His spoken word talents have been evident in the many events he has put on with Urban Scribes and Basement Nation Spies. Yonnas has shared the stage with spoken word artist Saul Williams and rock/soul band Maktub.

D-Flow: D-Flow is without a doubt one of the more animated and well-known figures around Sea Town. His ability to beat box and mouth scratch is quite astounding. His flow is aggressive, yet smooth. A long time wordsmith and a new comer to the recording game.

Emy: Emy's crew, Devagodsis, was one of the more adventurous hip-hop groups in Seattle. An all female group, they offered smooth inflections and tight grooves. On her own now and a full-time member of Degree of the Streets, Emy has a following all hers. From LA to Seattle she is busting rhymes and breaking hearts. Emy is also a member of The Tribe's Project, an international coalition of actors/actresses, vocalists and dancers. They are currently performing, "Ignorance Is B L I S S", a critically acclaimed play which was a recipient of the NW Coalition for Human Dignity 2001 Faces of Courage Award. Emy and the Tribes crew have recently completed a tour of Kosevo in the summer of 2003.

Chronic: Chronic is a mysterious street cat from NYC. He has been known to rock a street corner in a minute or less. Chronic spent 12 long years in the big apple, as a bike messenger he gained his skills rapping and beat boxing with various crews in the parks and streets of NYC. His MC name is taken from his mind state, one of chronic words and beats, not to mention the um... ...well you know... He is a silent man that comes and goes like the wind, though his chronicals of life are anything but quite. No one is even really sure where he is at the moment, but he always shows up on time for the sessions and slams on the mic.