Artist description Combining venemous wordplay, rugged street-flows, and the rawest voice, Sef the X-cutioner is the evolution of the MC.

Musical Influences Rakim, Big Daddy Kane

Artist History Ask the uninitiated what comes to mind when thinking of Chicago and you will get a plethora of colorful responses. Deep dish pizza, pontificating pimps, Bulls dynasties and crime ridden streets would doubtless top the litany, but only those familiar with the Go Illinois blossoming Hip-Hop movement would venture to mention its diverse pool of m.cs. Joining the list of thoroughbreds serving as the vanguard for the scene is perennial South Side wordsmith Sef the X-cutioner. Equipped with the requisite tools for stardom, including a one in a million vocal presence and an arsenal of jaw dropping flows, Sef enters the game with one mission in mind …. *to dominate the scene, like Halle Berry naked when filming Queen*…. Born on the rugged streets of Chicagos Low End neighborhood, Sef (a.k.a. Yusef Brown) was mesmerized by Kool Hercs birth child from the start. With fond memories Sef recalls his early exposure to the craft…”Dog, I remember taking hours to write down the lyrics to Slick Rick, Dana Dane and L.L’s shit… memorizing and practicing them, and then having contests with my cousins to see who could spit them the best. We did that type of shit for years….loving it… until I heard that one cat that got me open and inspired me to write my own shit…. Rakim.” Indeed, like countless others Sef the X-cutioner was amongst the legion of young would-be m.cs that was *mindblowed* by the brilliance of Rakims magnum opus, *Paid In Full*. Awed by the endless creativity and cleverness displayed by the *R* and other standouts like Big Daddy Kane, Sef spent his teen years mastering and perfecting his craft, all the while watching Hip-Hop spread like wildfire from East to West coast. But Chicago was in the midst of its own burgeoning musical movement…. House Music, and though the rest of urban America devoured hip-hop ravenously, the bulk of Chi-tillas creative impetus was spent taking its own art to the next level. It was in this climate that a college bound Sef determined to leave the cities distraction for the conservative habitat of the University of Illinois, Champaign. In this diverse climate Sef’s appreciation of the art heightened while the culture enjoyed its Golden Age spurred by seminal artist like the Native Tongues, Souls of Mischief, a young Common, Nas and Deathrow. Although it was obvious that Sef was a natural m.c, his aspirations of taking his talent to the penultimate level did not yet extend beyond amazing headz in intense ciphers. In the late 90’s however, Hip-Hop was bombarded by a slew of lackluster, uncreative artists whose motivation was less leaving a legacy of incredible music, but more exploitation of Raps growing commercialism. Determined to prove, once and for all, that an ill lyricist could have mainstream appeal, maintain his hardcore following, as well as sell massive units, Sef set out to put Chicago on the map permanently. Backed by the production of renowned beatsmiths Molemen and Rubberooms production arm, Opus, as well as the support of his own imprint, Flowasis, 2001 is destined to be the year of the X-cutioner. As Sef notes, *from a creativity standpoint, Hip-Hop is at its lowest point. Very few new artists are daring to be different and come with shit that will make folks be like *Damnnnnnn!*; which makes it an even better time for me to jump off because voice and flow wise, ya mans is nothing if not… distinct. More than just rapping, I am capturing the listeners imagination, all the while using a persona that is genuine, new and completely different from any cat out there…and thats my word.*

Albums Evian

Location Chicago, IL - USA

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