Audio Imagery
Encyclopedia
----
Audio Imagery, also known as A.I., is an unsigned hip-hop group from Pennsylvania
. The group consists of three emcees: Digress, George "Cos" Webster, and EP. Each brings his own regional influence to the group: Philadelphia, Virginia
, and Jamaica
, respectively.
In early 2003 the group of three formed and quickly adapted the name Audio Imagery. The group sets themselves apart from other hip-hop groups and bands by involving a large amount of instrumentation into their recordings and live show. Audio Imagery currently consists of eight members: The three emcees previously mentioned, Javan "Q-Keys" Mason on keys, Andy "Tangible" Mackey on turntables, Ian Callanan on bass guitar and Michael Keller on drums. As stated on CollegeDJ.net, "[Audio Imagery's] most impressive attribute is the fact that they do everything themselves. From writing to mixing, from production to recording, these guys do it all."
First breaking into the college scene in early 2004, A.I. has performed with the likes of Fall Out Boy
, Rusted Root
, Ill Niño
, Oleander
, Sponge
, The X-Ecutioners, Freeway
, Bowling for Soup
, Black Thought
, Zion I
, Rupee
, Ness
, Clipse
, and Blackalicious
.
In 2007, Audio Imagery participated in a major music competition put on by Epic Records
: Music Nation
. Out of thousands of artists the group made it to the quarterfinals in the hip-hop category.
Additionally, Audio Imagery has been a regular finalist in multiple categories on OurStage in the Summer of 2008: R&B/Soul in June 2007, Jazz in June 2007, Hard Rock in June 2007, R&B/Soul in July 2007, and Experimental August 2007. Audio Imagery has also been a part of OurStage's "Winner's Circle Showcase" which was held at the Paradise Lounge in Boston, Mass, had a feature spot on their URB/OurStage Microsite and has been interviewed by the OurStage staff. OurStage allows artists to upload their music and video to compete against one another in a democratic voting process.
Most Impressively, in October 2007, Audio Imagery was invited to the first round of the Bodog
Battle of the Bands.
The Bodog Battle allows bands from across the globe to battle for the chance to not only be on the reality TV show portion of the competition, but to also fight for a 1 million dollar contract. After the group took one of six winning spots in the round,
the group went on to take first place in the second competition held December 10, 2007. Bodog is quoted as saying, "Audio Imagery took the first place spot of the night. This group bought the house down. The rappers had a killer backing band and their DJ was cutting it up like a Ginsu knife. The crowd went B-A-N-A-N-A-S!" On January 26, 2008, Audio Imagery again took the first place spot in three round (Semi-Finals) of the Bodog Battle. They moved on to the finals which were held in New York City on March 5, 2008 at the famous Fillmore East
in Manhattan, New York. A win in New York would have secured their spot on the televised portion of the competition, however they went home taking second place.
Audio Imagery is self-important most of the album, however Don Debiase of Studio D Productions co-produced three of the tracks.
Coinciding with the release of the album, Audio Imagery released a remix to Kanye West's "Say you Will" Lil Wayne's Prom Queen, Lady Gaga's song "Poker Face" and has released a rock version of Lady Gaga's song "Love Game". These songs have been released digitally.
Audio Imagery's third full length album Hush was released in April 2007. There are twenty tracks on this 73-minute album with special guest performances from Blac & Tann, Phantasm
, Everything Ends, & Mattie Leon. The album is distributed digitally and otherwise though many online outlets. These sites include iTunes
and CD Baby
.
Associated with Hush's release, released a remix an unreleased Michael Jackson
song, "No Friend of Mine (Gangsta)." Additionally, Audio Imagery has had the opportunity to be featured on J-Lo's "Do It Well
" Remix.
Audio Imagery, also known as A.I., is an unsigned hip-hop group from Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The group consists of three emcees: Digress, George "Cos" Webster, and EP. Each brings his own regional influence to the group: Philadelphia, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, and Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, respectively.
In early 2003 the group of three formed and quickly adapted the name Audio Imagery. The group sets themselves apart from other hip-hop groups and bands by involving a large amount of instrumentation into their recordings and live show. Audio Imagery currently consists of eight members: The three emcees previously mentioned, Javan "Q-Keys" Mason on keys, Andy "Tangible" Mackey on turntables, Ian Callanan on bass guitar and Michael Keller on drums. As stated on CollegeDJ.net, "[Audio Imagery's] most impressive attribute is the fact that they do everything themselves. From writing to mixing, from production to recording, these guys do it all."
First breaking into the college scene in early 2004, A.I. has performed with the likes of Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, formed in 2001. The band consists of vocalist, guitarist and composer Patrick Stump, bassist and lyricist Pete Wentz, guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hurley. The band released five studio albums from 2003–2008...
, Rusted Root
Rusted Root
Rusted Root is a band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania known for their unique fusion of acoustic, rock, world and other styles of music, with a strong percussion section that draws from African, Latin American, Native American, and Indian influences...
, Ill Niño
Ill Niño
Ill Niño is an American six-piece metal band from New Jersey founded in 1998. The band has sold over 3.3 million units worldwide; they have 5 studio albums and 10 music videos.-History:...
, Oleander
Oleander (band)
Oleander is a post-grunge band from Sacramento, California, USA. Its name is derived from the poisonous wildflower oleander, which line the highways of Northern California. In their nine years of activity, the band released four studio albums under various record labels...
, Sponge
Sponge (band)
Sponge is a post-grunge band from Detroit, Michigan formed in 1991 by Vinnie Dombroski, Mike Cross, Tim Cross and Joey Mazzola. Sponge was signed to Sony Records in 1994 but have since switched to other labels....
, The X-Ecutioners, Freeway
Freeway (rapper)
Leslie Edward Pridgen , better known by his stage name Freeway, is an American rapper. Best known for his tenure on Roc-A-Fella Records and his affiliation with Jay-Z and Beanie Sigel, he is recognized by his high-pitched delivery and for the long beard he keeps due to his Muslim faith...
, Bowling for Soup
Bowling for Soup
Bowling for Soup is an American pop-punk band which originally formed in Wichita Falls, Texas in 1994...
, Black Thought
Black Thought
Tariq Trotter , better known as Black Thought, is an American hip-hop artist who is the lead MC of the Philadelphia-based hip hop group The Roots and occasional actor...
, Zion I
Zion I
Zion I are a hip hop duo from Oakland, California. The duo consists of producer DJ AmpLive and MC Zumbi. The group is known to its followers for Amp's futuristic production techniques, using a mix of live instrumentation and samples, and Zumbi's positive and socially conscious lyrics. Zion I...
, Rupee
Rupee
The rupee is the common name for the monetary unit of account in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Mauritius, Seychelles, Maldives, and formerly in Burma, and Afghanistan. Historically, the first currency called "rupee" was introduced in the 16th century...
, Ness
Ness
- Places :* The Germanic word for promontory, found in Northern European placenames* Loch Ness, a large, deep, freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands** Loch Ness Monster, a cryptid that is reputed to inhabit Loch Ness...
, Clipse
Clipse
Clipse is a Virginia Beach, Virginia-based hip hop duo. Formed in 1992 by brothers Malice and Pusha T , the group is heavily affiliated with production team The Neptunes and signed to Star Trak Entertainment.- Exclusive Audio Footage :The Thornton brothers were born in The Bronx, New...
, and Blackalicious
Blackalicious
Blackalicious is an American hip hop duo from Sacramento, California made up of rapper Gift of Gab and DJ/producer Chief Xcel . They are noted for Gift of Gab's often "tongue-twisting", multisyllabic, complex rhymes and Chief Xcel's "classic" beats...
.
In 2007, Audio Imagery participated in a major music competition put on by Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
: Music Nation
Music Nation
Music Nation is a self-described artist development company. In 2007, it attempted to gain publicity by holding an online music video competition in which the finalists would have a chance to sign recording contracts with Epic Records. Artists registering with Music Nation must submit their videos...
. Out of thousands of artists the group made it to the quarterfinals in the hip-hop category.
Additionally, Audio Imagery has been a regular finalist in multiple categories on OurStage in the Summer of 2008: R&B/Soul in June 2007, Jazz in June 2007, Hard Rock in June 2007, R&B/Soul in July 2007, and Experimental August 2007. Audio Imagery has also been a part of OurStage's "Winner's Circle Showcase" which was held at the Paradise Lounge in Boston, Mass, had a feature spot on their URB/OurStage Microsite and has been interviewed by the OurStage staff. OurStage allows artists to upload their music and video to compete against one another in a democratic voting process.
Most Impressively, in October 2007, Audio Imagery was invited to the first round of the Bodog
Bodog
Bodog is an online entertainment brand launched in 1994 by Calvin Ayre.Originally the company traded at but the brand was later divested and intellectual property rights were assigned to and consolidated in BodogBrand.com...
Battle of the Bands.
The Bodog Battle allows bands from across the globe to battle for the chance to not only be on the reality TV show portion of the competition, but to also fight for a 1 million dollar contract. After the group took one of six winning spots in the round,
the group went on to take first place in the second competition held December 10, 2007. Bodog is quoted as saying, "Audio Imagery took the first place spot of the night. This group bought the house down. The rappers had a killer backing band and their DJ was cutting it up like a Ginsu knife. The crowd went B-A-N-A-N-A-S!" On January 26, 2008, Audio Imagery again took the first place spot in three round (Semi-Finals) of the Bodog Battle. They moved on to the finals which were held in New York City on March 5, 2008 at the famous Fillmore East
Fillmore East
The Fillmore East was rock promoter Bill Graham's rock venue on Second Avenue near East 6th Street in the East Village neighborhood of the Manhattan borough of New York City. It was open from 1968 to 1971, and featured some of the biggest acts in rock music at the time...
in Manhattan, New York. A win in New York would have secured their spot on the televised portion of the competition, however they went home taking second place.
Electric Ladyland
Audio Imagery's Fourth full length album "Electric Ladyland" is set to be released digitally by the end of April, 2009. The date of the CD's availability is set for April 7, 2009. There are 13 tracks on this 40-minute album and Audio Imagery states the reason for the album name being the same as Jimi Hendrix's album from 1968 is that, "Mr. Hendrix was at the pinnacle of his career when he created the ground breaking album that many consider one the most influential rock albums to date... Audio Imagery is at their peak... Audio Imagery's Electric Ladyland is the future of Hip-Hop/Pop"Audio Imagery is self-important most of the album, however Don Debiase of Studio D Productions co-produced three of the tracks.
Coinciding with the release of the album, Audio Imagery released a remix to Kanye West's "Say you Will" Lil Wayne's Prom Queen, Lady Gaga's song "Poker Face" and has released a rock version of Lady Gaga's song "Love Game". These songs have been released digitally.
HUSH
Phantasm
Phantasm may refer to:In comics:* Phantasm , a short-lived member of the New Teen TitansIn film:* Don Coscarelli's Phantasm series** Phantasm , a 1979 horror film** Phantasm II...
, Everything Ends, & Mattie Leon. The album is distributed digitally and otherwise though many online outlets. These sites include iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
and CD Baby
CD Baby
CD Baby is an online music store specializing in the sale of CDs and digital music downloads from independent musicians to consumers. The company is also a digital aggregator of independent music recordings, distributing content to several online digital music retailers.CD Baby has achieved recent...
.
Associated with Hush's release, released a remix an unreleased Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
song, "No Friend of Mine (Gangsta)." Additionally, Audio Imagery has had the opportunity to be featured on J-Lo's "Do It Well
Do It Well
"Do It Well" is a song written and produced by Ryan Tedder for American recording artist Jennifer Lopez's sixth studio album, Brave . The track contains a sample of Eddie Kendricks' 1973 song "Keep on Truckin'", written by Leonard Caston, Jr., Anita Poree, and Frank Wilson, and was released to...
" Remix.
External links
- Official Website
- "Hip-hop band plays for the locals" from the Penn State Daily Collegian