Fresh off his 2005 Grammy win for co-writing the rap song of the year "Jesus Walks" with Kanye West, Chicago native, Rhymefest is set to release his highly-anticipated debut album Blue Collar, this summer on Allido Records/J Records. The sharp-witted MC is expected to have fellow Chi-town representatives, Kanye, Twista, Common and Carl Thomas as well as Q-Tip and the late Dirt McGirt (aka ODB) featured on his album. Despite the great guest appearances, it's Rhymefest's sharp wit and lethal sense of humor that sets him apart and carries this opus driven album from track to track. The self-described "wack-tose intolerant" MC offers a new viable sound for the hip-hop deprived. Armed with production from West, Mark Ronson, No ID and Cool & Dre, Blue Collar is not simply a combination of songs, but an epic. The album showcases Rhymefest's versatile style from the poignant commentary on "Tell A Story," to his smooth flow on "Feva" and every track in between.An underground and mixtape mainstay, Rhymefest can currently be heard on "Mark Ronson Presents Rhymefest in A Star is Born", which features "exclusive freestyle battles" by 50 Cent vs. Ghostface and Nelly vs. KRS-One, all remarkably impersonated by Rhymefest. Other standout tracks on the A Star is Born mixtape include "Some of These Days," "Dirty Dirty (Remix)" featuring Dirt McGirt and "Chi-Town," an ode to Chicago featuring Kanye and Twista. Rhymefest's foray into hip-hop began as a battle MC in Chicago, which led him to traverse the world winning battles against such notables as Eminem, Juice, Swann and many more. With an impressive discography of guest appearances, singles and mixtapes, Rhymefest has been honing his craft for years and is poised to be the artist to watch out for in 2005.