Wu Tang Clan's Inspectah Deck

2 Shows! Friday July 5, Saturday July 6

Violinist for Lupe Fiasco, Kane Beatz #TheBuilding, Symphony Crack, Producer + Arranger on over 30 albums, 5 x Grammy Nominee

In an era where hip-hop and pop culture are almost one in the same, Honors English takes us back to the true essence of Hip Hop as its own art form.

Class is in session…with Honors English.

In an era where hip-hop and pop culture are almost one in the same, Honors English takes us back to the true essence of hip-hop as its own art form. With a keen ear for soulful rhythms, Honors English is dedicated to organic and experimental sounds that will get listeners to pay attention to more than the beat.

Born and raised in Trenton, NJ, Honors Eng
lish is a true scholar of hip-hop. His love for rhyming started in the booth with his uncle Divine, who produced for the legendary hip-hop group Poor Righteous Teachers. ‘My first recording with him was at 13…my uncle gave me an appreciation for raw hip-hop,’ recalls English. During those early years, you could always catch Honors walking around with a boom box or battling with his friends.

Honors brought his rhyming skills all the way down to the halls of Florida A&M University, where he majored in African-American Studies. He was known around campus for his battle raps and soon met Serius Jones and producer Needlz (Ludacris, Fabolous, 50 Cent). It wasn’t long before they formed a group called First Ave. The collective got so popular with street singles like "Jersey State of Mind" that they were up for a record deal with Atlantic Records in 2001. Unfortunately, the deal fell through and the guys went their separate ways.

After the group disbanded, Honors took a break from hip-hop to become a professor of history. During that time, he also embarked on a deeply spiritual journey that transformed his ways of thinking and teaching. ‘My vision changed and forced me to develop as a person,’ says Honors. That development turned into months of writing that inspired his latest solo work entitled State of the Art.

Now that Honors English is back in the booth, he is more focused than ever. ‘I write all the time…I am a constant note taker of life.’ Honors has reunited with Needlz to create State of the Art, a collection of sample-based musical compositions and uplifting rhymes.
Songs like "Cymbals on the Sidewalk", an unprecedented play of words and music, will have you in awe. Songs like "Flying High"; where H.E. spars uplifting verses with huge Honors English supporter Lupe Fiasco, will raise your spirit. And the lyrics in songs like "The Name Is" will undoubtedly close the deal.

Honors prides himself in letting his career take shape organically. ‘There’s no one official single…we’re just doing videos and coming up with concepts based on what feels right.’ Honors English takes his lessons in life very seriously, and desires a long-standing career without compromise of his voice or his sound. ‘I want to make a brand that’s human and natural…I love to make music that has feeling to it.’

And with his origins, it’s no wonder that class is officially in session.

James Lopez, better known by his stage name Big Lo (born October 9, 1982), is a Spanish-American Hip-Hop emcee and producer now residing in Pensacola, Florida. Big Lo’s music has been described as containing “a balanced number of samples to ride with his at times comical yet seriously hardcore flow.” (Duss Rodgers, The Music Biz Buzz) It has been further noted that within Big Lo’s music “realism and knowledge is delivered effortless with ever flowing cascades of fresh rhymes and cuts.” (HipHopHotSpot.com) Big Lo is best known for collaborations with underground Hip-Hop luminaries Vast Aire, Tonedeff, and Beretta 9/Kinetic 9 of Killarmy, his mixtape First Priority (2008) hosted by Shadyville/G-Unit’s DJ Epps, as well as his critically acclaimed live performances. Over the past five years Big Lo has performed all over the Southeast United States including stops in major markets including Orlando for Florida Music Festival in 2007 and 2008, Miami for Sony Music’s Krib.Tv, and Atlanta for the 2006 Revolution Break Battle. Additionally, in 2009 Big Lo rocked the Bowery Poetry Club in New York City for MEANY Fest and since has opened for Lil Kim and Nappy Roots at Pensacola’s Vinyl Music Hall. Considering Big Lo’s live performance, music critics have remarked, “Equipped with minimalist attire, the Pensacola artist fired machine-gun alliteration paired with Shakespeare- sharp depth of content that set fire throughout the venue’s performance room.” (Michael L. Smith, Take Cover and Shoot/Pensacola News Journal) Moreover, it was stated that, “He [Big Lo] had conviction in his eyes…standing out from today’s mainly commercial brand of Hip-Hop.” (Alicia Lyman, Orlando City Beat) Throughout his career Big Lo has released three studio albums (Where Am I Going?, Mindstate: Freedom, and The Plague) and has been featured on a multitude of mixtapes. Big Lo has also released videos for the songs “Come on Down” featuring DainjaRuss, “Good Music”, “More Like” featuring Tommy 2 Face, “Inception”, and “Peace is for Buddhists” featuring Inferno. He is preparing to release his fourth studio album, Magnum Opiates, in early 2013.