You don’t often hear the terms “Crunk” and “Christian” in the same paragraph let alone the same band description, but Family Force 5 has accomplished the rare feat of combining Rap, Punk, Hardcore, Funk, Metal and Dance beats with a Christian perspective.   

 In the Rap game today, Danny Brown is a man among boys. Not only is his musical style unmatched in the underground Hip Hop scene but, at 31 years young, Brown was spitting rhymes long before Drake took his first spin in that wheelchair on Degrassi.  

When Michael Wayne Atha was born in 1979 in the relatively small Alabama town of Gadsden, it’s doubtful that his mother looked at her new son and said, “Future Rap superstar.” But that’s just where Atha — now known by his stage name Yelawolf — is heading.    

The recent death of the Beastie Boys’ Adam Yauch underscored the fact that Rap and Hip Hop have now been a major part of the musical conversation for over three decades. Earl Simmons, better known as DMX, is another Hip Hop figure whose evolution traces back to the genre’s nascence and whose success and gruff Rap style inspired a generation to follow his blazed trail.  

In the beginning, there was Tanya Morgan. And Tanya Morgan was good. Comprised of gifted Cincinnati rappers Ilyas Nashid and Donald “Donwill” Freeman, along with equally talented Brooklyn, N.Y., MC/producer Devon “Von Pea” Callender, Tanya Morgan was hailed as one of Hip Hop’s brightest young groups.  

In four short years, Dom Kennedy has gone from Rap dabbler to influential figure in the West Coast Hip Hop scene. In 2008, Kennedy and his film student cousin Jason Madison collaborated on Kennedy’s debut mixtape, 25th Hour, which became an underground sensation. Kennedy’s biggest break yet could be his sophomore studio effort, the upcoming Yellow Album, which he’s described as “more mature and forward thinking.” Dom Kennedy’s Westside love is ready for its global close-up.   

Rap MC Mark Aaron Glacken — aka Trademark Aaron — exudes quiet confidence, sharp focus and clear humility when discussing his music, life and goals.  

Like many rappers, Young Jeezy has spent a good deal of his career collaborating with other performers, including Kanye West, Rihanna, Usher and Akon. For Jeezy's show in Cincy Friday, we can’t promise any dream-team collaborations will go down, but we can promise one hell of a party.   

Notions of how a voice achieves agency in the world. Its linguistic vitality is incredible. All the things that bring pleasure in poetry are there the texture of a particular voice, complex prosody, anaphor, sophisticated rhyme schemes and explosive punning.