Bossman
Encyclopedia
Bossman, aka Travis Holifield or Jimmy Hash, is a hip hop artist from Baltimore
, Maryland
.
He has appeared on mixtapes promoted by DJ Kayslay who is well known through Baltimore Club
music. Bossman began his rapping career as a part of N.E.K (Northeast Kings) where he was known as "Jimmy Hash". The rap group gained a moderate level of popularity throughout Baltimore. Bossman has released his debut album Law and Order in 2004 in Baltimore only as well as Mixtapes hosted by DJ Envy
and Big Mike
.
, Maryland
. When he was 11, Holifield's parents were sent to prison for their involvement in a robbery, and he and his younger sister lived under the care of their grandmother for the next two years until their mother was released. During his time as a student at Hamilton Middle School, he had his first experiences performing when he and a childhood friend performed a Kriss Kross
song at local talent shows. Shortly thereafter, Holifield and friends created the underground hip hop group N.E.K., or Northeast Kings.
Its original single was "Oh!" (also known by his fans as The Baltimore Anthem) and was produced by Baltimore Club
producer Rod Lee
. Its second single became Off da Record after it got massive radio play on 92Q and was produced by 1Up Productions, Off Da Record was the song that got Jermaine Dupri
to sign Bossman to Virgin Records
and his label So So Def.
member scola. The Second single was Break Me Off. The album was officially released June 15, 2010.
right after their deal with Capital Records, Bossman signed a $2.5 million-plus deal with Sony Records under the Sony Urban Music
label, later after he signed, Bossman announced that his long awaited major debut album version of this 2004 Baltimore Underground album "Law & Order" will be officially released in Mid December 2007. While He's got his fans getting ready for his album, he released a Pre-album CD entitled End Of Discussion which is only found in Baltimore stores only. Five Days after End Of Discussion released, it then went on Datpiff as a free download. End Of Discussion also came with another mixtape called The Overdose which was by N.E.K member Dollars. Recently, Bossman featured on the song "Rain" With Myspace Records
artist Jeremy Greene. The Single released on the iTunes
store July 22, 2008 and its Bossman's first major guest appearance since "A-Yo!" was released. Also on Bossman's track featuring Raheem Devaughn entitled " I Wonder" he states that he closed his deal with Myspace Records becoming an official artist of the label. Myspace Records is distributed by powerhouse music label Interscope. A music video for the song was then recorded by Sleeping Giant Media and directed by Gearie "The Grench" Bowman. It was released on August 26, 2008 on Sleeping Giant's YouTube
page making it Bossman's first music video. On April 14, 2009, MySpace Records
officially released "Break Me Off" on Amazon MP3
and the iTunes
store as his first single for his upcoming album "Home Of The Wire. Bossman has also released two new mixtapes. The first mixtape was called ATM: After These Messages and the second mixtape was called Street Kings. In November 2009, Bossman released and EP with MySpace Records entitled B.O.S.S Vol. 1: Based On Struggle and Success.
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
.
He has appeared on mixtapes promoted by DJ Kayslay who is well known through Baltimore Club
Baltimore Club
Baltimore club, also called "Bmore Club" or "Club Music" is a breakbeat genre. As blend with hip hop and chopped, staccato house music, it was created in Baltimore, Maryland, United States in the late 1980s by 2 Live Crew's Luther Campbell, Frank Ski, Big Tony , Scottie B...
music. Bossman began his rapping career as a part of N.E.K (Northeast Kings) where he was known as "Jimmy Hash". The rap group gained a moderate level of popularity throughout Baltimore. Bossman has released his debut album Law and Order in 2004 in Baltimore only as well as Mixtapes hosted by DJ Envy
DJ Envy
DJ Envy is a mixtape DJ from New York. He is known as New York's leading mixtape gardener. He currently serves as the President & CEO of BLOK Entertainment, his own management and production company that has already produced tracks for such artist like DMX, Murderers, Funkmaster Flex, Foxy...
and Big Mike
Big Mike
Michael Barnett, better known by his stage name Big Mike, is an American rapper from New Orleans, Louisiana. He was originally a member of Convicts with Houston rapper Mr. 3-2. Its album would be the first of many releases Mike would put out on Houston-based Rap-A-Lot Records...
.
Early life
Bossman was born Travis Holifield and grew up in Northeast BaltimoreBaltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. When he was 11, Holifield's parents were sent to prison for their involvement in a robbery, and he and his younger sister lived under the care of their grandmother for the next two years until their mother was released. During his time as a student at Hamilton Middle School, he had his first experiences performing when he and a childhood friend performed a Kriss Kross
Kriss Kross
Kriss Kross may refer to:* Kris Kross, an early 1990s rap/hip hop duo best known for their 1992 hit song "Jump"* A variation of a Fill-In word puzzle* "Kriss Kross", A song by the band Guillemots on the album Red from 2008...
song at local talent shows. Shortly thereafter, Holifield and friends created the underground hip hop group N.E.K., or Northeast Kings.
Jena 6
Bossman is a supporter of the Jena 6 and made a song called Far Too Long dedicated to the Jena 6. He released it on his Myspace page. The song first appeared on DJ D-Mob's Put B-More On The Map Volume 7 mixtape which came out October 27, 2007 on Datpiff. It later appeared on the N.E.K mixtape N.E.K All Day Part 1.Law & Order
Bossman's Debut album was called Law & Order. The album was released on December 21, 2004 on Double Down Entertainment and was produced by 1Up productions (which is now known as 1Up Entertainment).Its original single was "Oh!" (also known by his fans as The Baltimore Anthem) and was produced by Baltimore Club
Baltimore Club
Baltimore club, also called "Bmore Club" or "Club Music" is a breakbeat genre. As blend with hip hop and chopped, staccato house music, it was created in Baltimore, Maryland, United States in the late 1980s by 2 Live Crew's Luther Campbell, Frank Ski, Big Tony , Scottie B...
producer Rod Lee
Rod Lee
Rod Lee is a Baltimore DJ, producer, and party MC. who is known for the popularization of Baltimore Club music. Described as "the original don of Baltimore Club" by The Washington Post, in 2005 he released "Vol. 5: the Official," a DJ mix that was the first Baltimore Club CD to be distributed...
. Its second single became Off da Record after it got massive radio play on 92Q and was produced by 1Up Productions, Off Da Record was the song that got Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin , known as Jermaine Dupri or JD, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper.- Early life and career :...
to sign Bossman to Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
and his label So So Def.
The Re-Up
The Re-Up is marked as Bossman's second LP release since 2004 and is due for a June 8, 2010 release via Myspace Records/Interscope. The original title of the album was Home Of The Wire but was changed to The Re-Up in October 2009. The first single was supposed to be "Colors" but was switched to "Ghetto" featuring former Dru HillDru Hill
Dru Hill is an American singing group, most popular during the late 1990s, whose repertoire included R&B, soul, and gospel music. Founded in Baltimore, Maryland, and active since 1992, Dru Hill recorded seven Top 40 hits, and is best known for the R&B #1 hits "In My Bed", "Never Make a Promise", ...
member scola. The Second single was Break Me Off. The album was officially released June 15, 2010.
From Virgin to Sony Urban Music to Myspace Records/Interscope
In Early August 2007, Bossman left Virgin RecordsVirgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
right after their deal with Capital Records, Bossman signed a $2.5 million-plus deal with Sony Records under the Sony Urban Music
Sony Urban Music
Sony Urban Music was a division of Sony BMG, active from 2004 to 2006, The division handled R&B, soul, and hip hop releases by artists nominally signed to Sony's Columbia and Epic labels...
label, later after he signed, Bossman announced that his long awaited major debut album version of this 2004 Baltimore Underground album "Law & Order" will be officially released in Mid December 2007. While He's got his fans getting ready for his album, he released a Pre-album CD entitled End Of Discussion which is only found in Baltimore stores only. Five Days after End Of Discussion released, it then went on Datpiff as a free download. End Of Discussion also came with another mixtape called The Overdose which was by N.E.K member Dollars. Recently, Bossman featured on the song "Rain" With Myspace Records
MySpace Records
Myspace Records is a record label founded in 2005 to sign artists who appear on the social networking site MySpace. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of MySpace and parent News Corporation, operating as a joint-venture between MySpace and Interscope Records...
artist Jeremy Greene. The Single released on the 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....
store July 22, 2008 and its Bossman's first major guest appearance since "A-Yo!" was released. Also on Bossman's track featuring Raheem Devaughn entitled " I Wonder" he states that he closed his deal with Myspace Records becoming an official artist of the label. Myspace Records is distributed by powerhouse music label Interscope. A music video for the song was then recorded by Sleeping Giant Media and directed by Gearie "The Grench" Bowman. It was released on August 26, 2008 on Sleeping Giant's YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
page making it Bossman's first music video. On April 14, 2009, MySpace Records
MySpace Records
Myspace Records is a record label founded in 2005 to sign artists who appear on the social networking site MySpace. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of MySpace and parent News Corporation, operating as a joint-venture between MySpace and Interscope Records...
officially released "Break Me Off" on Amazon MP3
Amazon MP3
Amazon MP3 is an online music store owned and operated by Amazon.com. Launched in public beta on September 25, 2007, in January 2008 it became the first music store to sell music without digital rights management from the four major music labels , as well as many independents...
and the 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....
store as his first single for his upcoming album "Home Of The Wire. Bossman has also released two new mixtapes. The first mixtape was called ATM: After These Messages and the second mixtape was called Street Kings. In November 2009, Bossman released and EP with MySpace Records entitled B.O.S.S Vol. 1: Based On Struggle and Success.
Mixtapes
- This Is A Warning ( hosted by DJ EnvyDJ EnvyDJ Envy is a mixtape DJ from New York. He is known as New York's leading mixtape gardener. He currently serves as the President & CEO of BLOK Entertainment, his own management and production company that has already produced tracks for such artist like DMX, Murderers, Funkmaster Flex, Foxy...
) (2005) - Yellow Tape (hosted by DJ EnvyDJ EnvyDJ Envy is a mixtape DJ from New York. He is known as New York's leading mixtape gardener. He currently serves as the President & CEO of BLOK Entertainment, his own management and production company that has already produced tracks for such artist like DMX, Murderers, Funkmaster Flex, Foxy...
& Big MikeBig MikeMichael Barnett, better known by his stage name Big Mike, is an American rapper from New Orleans, Louisiana. He was originally a member of Convicts with Houston rapper Mr. 3-2. Its album would be the first of many releases Mike would put out on Houston-based Rap-A-Lot Records...
) (2005) - Bulletproof B (2006)
- No Law No Order - The Pre Album (hosted by DJ Lil Skrilla) (2007)
- End Of Discussion (2007)
- N.E.K All Day Part 1 (Group mixtapeMixtapeA Mix Tape or Mixed Tape is a compilation of songs recorded in a specific order, traditionally onto an audio Compact Cassette.A Mix Tape, which usually reflects the musical tastes of its compiler, can range from a casually selected list of favorite songs, to a conceptual mix of songs linked by a...
) (2008) - Obama Or Else (2008)
- ATM: After These Messages (2009)
- Street Kings (2009)
Singles
| Song Title | Release Date |
|---|---|
| "Oh" (B-More Anthem) (Local Release) | July 19, 2004 |
| Off The Record (Local Release) | December 4, 2004 |
| Hand Clap (Mainstream Mainstream Mainstream is, generally, the common current thought of the majority. However, the mainstream is far from cohesive; rather the concept is often considered a cultural construct.... release) |
November 29, 2005 (On 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.... ) |
| You're Wrong (Mainstream Mainstream Mainstream is, generally, the common current thought of the majority. However, the mainstream is far from cohesive; rather the concept is often considered a cultural construct.... release) |
July 25, 2006 (On 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.... ) |
| A-Yo! (Mainstream Mainstream Mainstream is, generally, the common current thought of the majority. However, the mainstream is far from cohesive; rather the concept is often considered a cultural construct.... release) |
December 6, 2006 |
| So Fresh (Local Release) | May 2, 2007 |
| Colors (Local Release) | November 14, 2007 |
| Ghetto (Local Release) | March 25, 2008 |
| Rain (Jeremy Greene Featuring Bossman) (Mainstream Mainstream Mainstream is, generally, the common current thought of the majority. However, the mainstream is far from cohesive; rather the concept is often considered a cultural construct.... Release) |
July 22, 2008 |
| I Wonder (DJ K-Swift & Mr. Wilson Dedication) (Featuring Raheem Devaughn) (Local Release) | August 19, 2008 |
| Is It Me (Stacie Orrico Stacie Orrico Stacie Joy Orrico is a Contemporary Christian and R&B singer-songwriter and occasional actress. In 1998, she signed to ForeFront Records when she was 12 years old, and recorded her first album Genuine , which sold 13,000 in the first week of release.After her first album she signed to a new record... Featuring Bossman) (Mainstream Mainstream Mainstream is, generally, the common current thought of the majority. However, the mainstream is far from cohesive; rather the concept is often considered a cultural construct.... Release) |
August, 2008 |
| Break Me Off" (Mainstream Release) | November 5, 2008 |
Music Video
| Song Title | Release Date |
|---|---|
| "I Wonder" (Bossman feat. Ryheem Davaughn ) (K-Swift Tribute) (Directed by Gearie "THE GRENCH"Bowman | August 26, 2008 |
Mixtapes & Albums He Has Appeared On
- DJ D-Mob's Put B-More On The Map Mixtape Series (all Volumes except for Volume 8)
- DJ Newport's In De Face Part 3
- The WireThe Wire (TV series)The Wire is an American television drama series set and produced in and around Baltimore, Maryland. Created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon, the series was broadcast by the premium cable network HBO in the United States...
Soundtrack (His song "A-Yo!" appeared on both versions of the soundtrack) - Baltimore Real Talk DVDs #1 & #4 (Bmore's #1 and only national DVD series)