ABOUT AWKWORD
AWKWORD is a paradox, an anomaly, a contradiction. Descendent of the 12 Tribes of Israel, I am the fallen angel of hip hop — my wings are clipped, torn and tattered, bloodied. I am a tragic personality, the Charlie Brown-slash-George Costanza of rap — that is, someone who has gotten so used to bad luck that he has learned to turn around and laugh at it. I am the Hunter S. Thompson of hip hop — brilliant but dangerous. I am the modern-day Abba Kovner — I risk my life fighting for the underdog, the impoverished, the powerless. I am the people’s champ. In high school, I had a 4.3 grade point average but was suspended half the time for beating up racist hicks and misogynist jocks. This didn’t stop, until I found hip hop. For me, this music, this culture, is, and always has been, my outlet. I love hip hop, because it saved me, and I would therefore do anything to keep the culture creative, instead of destructive.
ABOUT WORLD VIEW - THE MIXTAPE (Summer 2009)
“AWKWORD & DJiPerfection present: the World View mixtape", hosted by PaceWon and Block McCloud, a free download, will feature today's hip hop greats, including ILL BILL, Jeru the Damaja, Skyzoo, Wale, PaceWon, The Cool Kids, BLESTeNATION, Jay-Z, Hollywood Holt, M.I.A., Block McCloud, L.I.F.E. Long, Shi 360, Apathy, Raekwon, Sean Price, Ruste Juxx, Poison Pen, Sav Killz, Masta Ace, Wordsworth, Main Flow, Soulstice, Naledge of Kidz in the Hall, DR. AMA, Akir, Pharoahe Monch, Immortal Technique, Jedi Mind Tricks, Talib Kweli, Royce da 5′9”, Planet Asia, Substantial, AWKWORD, GuessWho?, Whatzisface? Phil Anastasia, Method Man, and more.
ABOUT WORLD VIEW - THE ALBUM (Fall 2009)
AWKWORD is the mastermind behind World View, the earth’s first 100% nonprofit global hip hop project, brought to you by The Morgan Stanley Foundation and the world-famous EOW (End of the Weak; EODub).
All proceeds from World View, the album, will be donated to Guns 4 Cameras (a.k.a. Aim to Live), a registered 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to eradicating gun violence through the hip hop-inspired education/empowerment of our inner-city youth. The organization’s founder, Hezues R’ was shot at 22 times at age 22 for the chain around his neck — and survived to re-dedicate his life to saving the streets. The organization’s Spokesperson is Universal Motown Recording Artist and Hip Hop Icon Pharoahe Monch; he and Hezues travel the country speaking to the youth about hip hop and making the right choices.
With World View, AWKWORD is continuing that tradition of using hip hop music to connect people for positive change.
AWKWORD stands behind a decade-plus in the music business. His first release, “the Sub-Way mixtape,” featured such hip hop icons as Raekwon, Killah Priest and Remedy of Wu-Tang, ILL BILL & Necro, Tragedy Khadafi, GURU of Gang Starr, Scram Jones and others, and received rave reviews industry-wide. According to Elemental Magazine, AWKWORD showed the most heart on the album, while Juicy Magazine said standing out from Eminem would be easy…
The AWKWORD solo debut, “See the Light” (an Exit 97.7 Top Album of 2008), was the inspiration for World View, which is growing as a phenomenon on a daily basis. As AWKWORD puts it:
“When my solo debut dropped in August 2008, I began receiving ever more frequent requests for acappellas for remixes. So, I decided to hold the World View Remix Mixtape Contest for producers around the world, from Malawi to Malaysia, New York City to Norway. The plan was for the best remixes to comprise an AWKWORD remix album, but I received about 100 submissions before I cut off the contest. So, after a few listening parties, and with the help of some friends, I cut the track list down to the top 20, representing every continent on earth. Together, these tracks provided a survey of the world of hip hop, through the eyes of AWKWORD and some of our greatest hip hop composers… But that wasn’t enough — so I asked some of the dopest MCs in the game to join me. And, with that, World View, the Album, was born.”
When it drops in late 2009, World View will feature production from 15 nations and every continent on earth. Expect cameos from Pace Won, Block McCloud, KRS ONE, Jadakiss, French Montana, El Gant, ILL BILL, Main Flow, Sha Stimuli, and many others.
Remember: This is the FIRST time anything like this has ever been done in hip hop. AWKWORD is a revolutionary. And World View is the revolution.
SELECT REVIEWS
Block McCloud, founder of Brooklyn Academy (with Pumpkinhead and Mr. Metaphor) and member of Army of the Pharoahes (with Jedi Mind Tricks, Apathy, King Magnetic, etc.), says: "I respect AWKWORD's gangsta, his grind, his hustle, his tenacity to see his project through, the fact that he's politically driven, that he is creative and artistic... I think AWKWORD is a dope MC."
Elemental Magazine
- "proves himself as a talented MC with a solid delivery"
- "thoughtful, subjective and compassionate writing"
Urban Magazine
- "Koch needs to give this guy an indie deal A.S.A.P."
UBO Magazine
- "one of the hottest underground lava flows"
- "One thing about AWKWORD that the public should know is that this guy is a community activist.
Not only is he a talented emcee spewing consciousness to his community"
Hat City Entertainment Journal
- "emcee AWKWORD is more than just a stage performer...
he finds his material in the world around him"
Juicy Magazine
- "standing out from Eminem will be easy if he keeps drawing on his education"
