"I am the light in the dark, A rebel for the people, takin back what's rightfully ours..." There is a new arrival in the Hip-Hop game... Badi (pronounced Bah-Dee) is stepping onto the stage and taking the mic to become the next prominent figure in hip-hop's underground movement. His potent rhymes, sophisticated lyrical ability, and crowd moving tracks consume the ears and the minds of his audience. In a time when mainstream hip-hop and r&b have lost their direction, Badi has created a new compass... by combining love of self, recognition of the oneness of humanity, love of God, and using the struggles in life as stepping stones Badi's music is sure to inspire and uplift the masses.

Badi took his first breath in Springfield Massachusetts... minutes behind his twin brother. Born to two talented musicians from extremely diverse backgrounds he was immediately immersed in a sea of music from around the globe. With an early exposure to music including Jazz, Classical, and Soul, Badi's appreciation expanded to Hip-Hop and R&B. The raw power of Hip-Hop to convey struggle and growth grabbed his attention and opened a new door to his creativity. Digging deep into his rhyme books Badi explored his talent for writing and would often freestyle with friends to sharpen his skills. He spent a considerable amount of time trying to develop his own voice.

After graduating from high school... Badi traveled to Thailand in search of this voice. He spent a year offering service to developing communities throughout the country. He worked with children's education programs, rural schools, and aids orphanages. The experience inspired Badi to co-create a non-profit service organization to support an Aids orphanage in Thailand. (www.thearkproject.org) and through that service for others his own voice became clear. He resolved to be the change he wanted to see in the world...

When his plane touched down in the United States his focus was sharp. "Take these experiences of struggle and growth, write them down, make it sound hot and put it in the streets." His self produced mix-tape "Super Vision: The official mixtape" was born. It was a story of his life and included his transformation in Thailand. The effort was received with high praises from his peers... combining hot tracks with powerful lyrics was the beginning of the movement. To open it up to a wider audience Badi arranged a mini tour of the Northeastern states with a five piece live band backing him up.

It was during this tour that Badi caught the attention of Next Movement Records... NMR's focus is making music which makes change. Badi voice embodied that mission and was immediately signed. Working round the clock as a full-time college student, Badi burned late into the night working on crafting his songs. He worked closely with producers Marcus "Bellringer" Bell and Jon Rezin in studios around the country creating tracks and writing lyrics of what was to become his debut album. As songs were recorded the album began to take shape... in a very short time "The Departure" took flight.

"The Departure" is an exploration of Badi's personal experiences, with lyrics which encompass his personal struggles, search for meaning, and spiritual development. The album, comprised of 14 tracks, brings a hard-core challenge to the Hip-Hop community with tracks such as "Ain't Sayin Nothin", Introspective songs like "Full Circle" which elaborate on his own story, "Sister" in which he appeals his sisters to recognize their own dignity, and explorations into music as inspiration such as "In My Soul". The album, much like the name implies, is a departure from the normal rhetoric heard on the airwaves and is the beginning of a movement to create music which brings change.

Having already received the approval and praise of industry veterans... Badi is set to make his mark on the industry... "Prepare yourself for the departure..."