Rabbi Darkside (Sam Sellers) is an emcee/deejay/educator born and raised in Buffalo, New York, becoming a Brooklyn transplant in 2000. After completing a 4 year tenure teaching junior high social studies at MS 88 in Brooklyn, he moved on to become the director of a Self-Government After School program for teens on Manhattans Lower East Side. In early 2005, Rabbi D left his job and the country for a brief trip to the Middle East. Upon his return, he began work as a Working Playground Teaching Artist, developing and instructing classes in Hip Hop, Performance Poetry, Songwriting and Music Production for middle school and high school students. Currently, he holds down artisitic residencies at New Design High School and the Heritage School, both in Manhattan.
While schooling the kiddies, Rabbi D was also making a name for himself as an emcee and deejay in the NYC underground. In 2001 he signed to Sit-n-Spin Records, a fledging indie label that was born and buried at the close of the millennial window for “fledgling indie labels." While with Sit-n-Spin, the group "Speakeasy" released a 12 single and full-length album that received rave reviews from online and print publications. But like they say, out with the old and in with the new...
Since linking with Say Word Entertainment and 3rd Party in 2003, its been a movement in motion. In 2005, 3rd Party (Hired Gun, Farbeon, Rabbi D, And I and DJ Watts) released their debut: "Pressed For Time" (4 Stars! - URB Magazine, September '05). They released their full-length follow up: "Separation of Powers" in 2006. Performing constantly has allowed the crew to reach many different crowds in many different venues, highlights including an appearance at the 2006 & 2007 Northeast Kingdom Music Festival (VT) as, the 2005 Twin Cities Hip Hop Festival and being featured at the 2004 and 2005 HOWL Festivals in NYC. Say Word and 3P held down a 3 year monthly residency at the Bowery Poetry Club called "Fourth Fridays." This all-elements event allowed them to share the stage with numerous musical luminaries including Rob Swift, The Last Poets, Slick Rick, Fatlip, Slum Village, Wordsworth, Breez Evahflowin, Mykah 9, Luciano, Matisyahu, and Beatboxer Entertainment, to name a few. These experiences have helped them refine their performance and sound. The 3 emcees are outstanding solo artists; when the 3rd Party gets together on stage, it is sheer elevation. Their interplay, intuition and improvisation combine to create a truly unique sight and sound.
As a solo artist, Rabbi D has enjoyed a great deal of success on the NYC freestyle battle circuit, accumulating a number of titles, thrills and millions of dollars (ok... tens of dollars). Along the road he became the 10-TIME Sin Sin Off the Head Freestyle Challenge winner, won the first-ever "Who's Rhyme Is It Anyway?" freestyle game show, is currently the 2 TIME DEFENDING A to Z Emcee Challenge Champ and was a 2004 NYC Kool Mixx Emcee Battle finalist, sharing the stage with Slick Rick, Kanye West, Common and John Legend at the Hammerstein Ballroom. Emcees slayed include cats who've been Unsigned Hype in the Source, appeared on the Smack DVD series, Fight Klub DVD series and major label signees. Not to mention school kids from classroom to classroom.
In 2007, Rabbi D began to expand internationally, building with the heralded Czech Beatbox All Stars. He appears on the first human beatbox album from Czech Republic, entitiled "Beat Apetit" by Jaro Cossiga with Fany & Nasty. The end of '07 found Rabbi D back and forth to Prague to celebrate the release of this record, appear on National TV and Radio, DJ and shoot a music video for the track "Just What to Do" (coming soon!).
2008? This is the year the long-awaited solo debut will drop. "Building the Better Bomb" is slated for a late-Spring release. Stay tuned for the single and the buzz. In the meantime, you can check him on the turntables every Saturday night at the Good World with partner in crime DJ Milk Money. And go to Say Word Entertainment to join the mailing list and stay up on the goodness that Say Word offers.
"Re:Education" is a lifestyle, not just a slogan.
"JUST WHAT TO DO" MUSIC VIDEO (FILMED IN PRAGUE, CZ)
Featuring:Rabbi Darkside, Jaro Cossiga, Fany & Nasty.
Produced by Da Ska Records. Directed by Tomas Pavlacky
BILL MUTHAFUCKIN MURRAY: THE VIDEO!
(Written, produced and performed by Rabbi D; video co-produced by Kevin Polowy (DJ Kevlar) and Francisco Bello, edited by Francisco)
SAVE THE MUSIC @ NEW DESIGN HIGH SCHOOL(Where I work)
Big ups to THE NEW POP
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"JUST WHAT TO DO" LIVE @ BEAT APETIT RELEASE PARTY, PRAGUE, CZ
FOCUS TV Coverage of BEAT APETIT RELEASE PARTY: PRAGUE September '07
Appearance on TV OCKO's "5th ELEMENT" with host RADU
"WORD ASSOCIATION" - Award Winning NYU Student Film starring CHAZ KANGAS and RABBI D; Directed by JED I. ROSENBERG (2006)
"SPHERES OF INFLUENCE" performed by RABBI D, dance accompaniment by BETHMOVES
