About Me
It's a common complaint, but today's hip-hop radio struggles to provide lovers of the culture good food to chew on. Instead, a steady diet of club-happy candy is offered, leaving the listener hungry and malnourished - a struggle Kevin Joseph knows well. The 29 year-old Toronto native has spent the last ten years of his life infusing a dose of medicine into the music. The former member of the three-man crew Iron Sceptors is now solo in the game with this credo: I Never Tell Evil, Let Evil Know Truth. iNTELEKT: a description of the music and the lifestyle.
Although he joined the game later than most, iNTELEKT fell in love with hip-hop in classic fashion: freestyling in the park. Joseph spent his late teen years participating in the beloved pastime, which in turn, developed a devotion to his rhymes typically found in the old school. In 2000, Joseph and two friends formed the group Iron Sceptors and spent two years hitting any and every community spot they could think of, landing on stages such as Mel Lastman Square. To iNTELEKT, the community comes first: "The city we live in is increasingly becoming known for its gun violence. I want my music to encourage all young people to stop the foolishness." Joseph's debut project, The Beginning, is a creative blend of ear-catching beats, positive rhymes, and spiritual provocation.
The six-song EP is filled with challenging material that touches on many aspects of life. For the project, iNTELEKT teamed up with producer Relic the Oddity, a rising star known for his crisp, neck-snapping drums that pervade The Beginning. Songs like "24 Hours To Live" see Intelekt challenging the glorified “thug†image with a story of a criminal minded youth whose corruption catches up with him. iNTELEKT uses this example to ask his listeners, "If you had 24 hours to live, how would you act?" “Can't Stop Me†is a unique battle rap; a track containing witty punch lines yet simultaneously demonstrating Kevin's earnest focus of delivering a positive message. Joseph balances this with the intensely personal “I Need You,†a brutally honest self-reflection concerning absentee fathers. The beauty of The Beginning is in its diverse offerings, exposing many sides of the emcee and his fearlessness at providing music with depth.
After selling hundreds of units independently through his own label and having The Beginning ranked in CHRY 105.5 Top 10 albums list, iNTELEKT has created many opportunities for himself as an independent act. To his credit, Joseph has opened up for well known artists such as Manafest. Touring with various bands and performing in front of sold out venues such as the Rexall Centre in Edmonton and Paramount Canada’s Wonderland, keep this emcee busy. Preparing for the release of his second solo project, iNTELEKT is looking forward to a very successful 2007.
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