Psalm One
Encyclopedia
Psalm One is a Chicago
-based hip hop
artist described as a cross between Lauryn Hill
and Devin the Dude
. Psalm One was born Cristalle Bowen in Englewood
, where as a child she attended Church, singing in the choir and playing guitar, piano, organ, and drums. In junior high she began gravitating to hip-hop acts like A Tribe Called Quest, Digable Planets, and Fu-Schnickens. During her junior year in High School, she began attending neighborhood rap battles. Influenced by the Battle Rap Scene, Psalm One began to take part in battles, many time as the sole female. Her most notable battle was the Historical Final Scribble Jam.
Her passion for hip-hop was rivaled only by her interest in chemistry. In 1998 she entered the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, pursuing a chemistry major and creative-writing minor. She also began rapping at showcases sponsored by the black student union, where she developed her skills.
She recorded her debut, 2001
EP
Whippersnapper as a junior attending the University of Illinois
. Released in 2001, the disc caught the ear of Pugslee Atomz, leader of the south-side hip-hop collective Nacrobats and cohost of WHPK's CTA Radio show. Atomz placed the Nacrobats' "Simply Beautiful," which showcased her, on Network of Stars, a 2001 Chicago hip-hop compilation he produced. Shortly before graduation, she released Bio: Chemistry, her first LP
, in 2002
., then returned to the Chicago area to work at Chemist, where she tested and reported on nutritional values for food manufacturers. In the meantime she released another EP, Personal Surplus, on Birthwrite, and she opened for 50 Cent at E2 in February 2003, a week before the club's stampede disaster. In 2004
, Psalm issued Bio:Chemistry II: Esters and Essays on Birthwrite and performed on the Warped Tour
.
2006
saw the release of The Death of the Frequent Flyer on Rhymesayers Entertainment
. Psalm One then toured with Rhymesayers for three years until 2009. In 2010 Psalm One released a series of free original compositions through The Official Psalm One Website entitled "Woman at Work." She is currently working on her follow-up commercial release with Rhymesayers Entertainment, slated for 2011.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
-based hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
artist described as a cross between Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Noelle Hill is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress.Early in her career, she established her reputation as a member of the Fugees. In 1998, she launched her solo career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album, The Miseducation of...
and Devin the Dude
Devin the Dude
Devin Copeland , better known by his stage name, Devin the Dude, is a Houston hip hop artist, and rapper. He is best known for his unique rapping style, his long career signed to Rap-A-Lot Records, and his 2002 song, "Lacville '79"....
. Psalm One was born Cristalle Bowen in Englewood
Englewood, Chicago
Englewood, once known as "Junction Grove" , is one of the 77 official community areas of Chicago. At its height, over 97,000 people lived in its approximately 3 square miles , but the neighborhood's population has since dropped dramatically...
, where as a child she attended Church, singing in the choir and playing guitar, piano, organ, and drums. In junior high she began gravitating to hip-hop acts like A Tribe Called Quest, Digable Planets, and Fu-Schnickens. During her junior year in High School, she began attending neighborhood rap battles. Influenced by the Battle Rap Scene, Psalm One began to take part in battles, many time as the sole female. Her most notable battle was the Historical Final Scribble Jam.
Her passion for hip-hop was rivaled only by her interest in chemistry. In 1998 she entered the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, pursuing a chemistry major and creative-writing minor. She also began rapping at showcases sponsored by the black student union, where she developed her skills.
She recorded her debut, 2001
2001 in music
See also:* 2001 in music Record labels established in 2001-Events:*January 1**Comeback of Guns N' Roses in House of Blues**Hum disbands.*January 17 – Bass player Jason Newsted leaves Metallica after 14 years with the band....
EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Whippersnapper as a junior attending the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
. Released in 2001, the disc caught the ear of Pugslee Atomz, leader of the south-side hip-hop collective Nacrobats and cohost of WHPK's CTA Radio show. Atomz placed the Nacrobats' "Simply Beautiful," which showcased her, on Network of Stars, a 2001 Chicago hip-hop compilation he produced. Shortly before graduation, she released Bio: Chemistry, her first LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
, in 2002
2002 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2002.-Events:*February 3 – U2 perform during the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXVI...
., then returned to the Chicago area to work at Chemist, where she tested and reported on nutritional values for food manufacturers. In the meantime she released another EP, Personal Surplus, on Birthwrite, and she opened for 50 Cent at E2 in February 2003, a week before the club's stampede disaster. In 2004
2004 in music
See also:* 2004 in music Record labels established in 2004-January:*January 1**The Vienna New Year's Concert is conducted by Riccardo Muti.**Kurt Nilsen wins World Idol....
, Psalm issued Bio:Chemistry II: Esters and Essays on Birthwrite and performed on the Warped Tour
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour is a touring music and extreme sports festival. The tour is held in venues such as parking lots or fields upon which the stages and other structures are erected. The BMX/skateboarding shoe manufacturer Vans, among others, has sponsored the tour every year since 1995, and it is...
.
2006
2006 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2006.-January:*January 10 – Eric Burdon releases his album Soul of a Man and begins touring with a new band....
saw the release of The Death of the Frequent Flyer on Rhymesayers Entertainment
Rhymesayers Entertainment
Rhymesayers Entertainment is an independent hip hop record label based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, co-founded in 1995 by Sean Daley, Anthony Davis, Brent Sayers and Musab Saad....
. Psalm One then toured with Rhymesayers for three years until 2009. In 2010 Psalm One released a series of free original compositions through The Official Psalm One Website entitled "Woman at Work." She is currently working on her follow-up commercial release with Rhymesayers Entertainment, slated for 2011.
Discography
- 2001: Whippersnapper
- 2002: Bio: Chemistry
- 2004: Bio: Chemistry II Esters and Essays
- 2006: Death of the Frequent Flyer
- 2010: Woman @ Work
- 2010: 500 Bars (Woman @ Work Vol. 2)
- 2010: Woman @ Work Vol. 3
External links
- Official Website
- EV Productions Press Release(2004)
- Interview with Psalm One on Centerstage Chicago (February 2007)
- Spotlight on Psalm One(2007)
- New Music from Psalm One(2009)
- Chicago Reader New Music Review(2009)
- Spinner.com Feature on Psalm One at SXSW(2010)
- Interview with Psalm One(2010)
- Chicago Reader New Music Review(2010)
- ReadJack.com People with Passion interview (2010)