Thinking Out Loud. Three simple words, one idea, and the best way to describe Harlem bred rapper ESSO’s approach to making music. An observer of life’s contradictions, ESSO is by his own description a contradiction himself. A former NCAA athlete and alum of Howard University, ESSO doesn’t subscribe to many of Hip-Hop’s cliches. In fact, music was an afterthought. The kid from Harlem that walked on to the Baseball team at The University of Michigan and then went on to play at Howard University had his sights on playing for the New York Yankees. It was at The University of Michigan that ESSO met Disco D, a young DJ and aspiring producer. ESSO and Disco instantly began working together, and forged a friendship that would prove to change ESSO’s life. 3 years later, Disco landed a placement on 50 Cent’s second album The Massacre and called on ESSO to come work with him in his Brooklyn studio.ESSO and Disco D parted ways before Disco’s untimely death in 2007, but ESSO’s fire for music had been lit and he starting writing and performing at venues around New York City. At one such venue, he made another connection that would open more doors for the young artist. The next weekend he was introduced to then mixtape DJ Sickamore. ESSO and Sickamore began working immediately on his first mixtape ESSOcentric Volume I: History in the Making which would go on to win “Best Mixtape†honors at the 2007 Underground Music Awards. Sickamore would go on to become an A&R Director at Atlantic Records.Since releasing ESSOcentric in October of 2006, and the follow-up ESSObama: The Champagne Campaign, ESSO has quickly become one of the most visible independent artists in New York City. Appearances on BET’s Rap City and MTV’s Sucker Free: Straight From the Streets and write-ups in The Source Magazine and SCRATCH Magazine have brought ESSO a national following. Currently ESSO is at work on his third mixtape E3: E-Day, and his first album Real Life – The Movie.CD RELEASES: ESSOcentric Volume I: History in the Making Hosted by Sickamore (September 2006) E2 – ESSObama: The Champagne Campaign Hosted by Cipha Sounds & Sickamore (March 2007) ESSOcentric Volume 3: E-Day Hosted by DJ Rhude (XXL Magazine) & Sickamore (May 2008)TELEVISION APPEARANCES: MTV’S Sucker Free // Straight From The Streets (12/4/2006) BET: Rap City // The Cipher (11/3/2007)RADIO AIRPLAY: Sirius Satellite Radio // The Cipha Sounds Effect (SHADE45) HOT97fm (97.1 WQHT) // The Drama Hour w/DJ Kayslay, Show Intro/Promo for DJ Megatron XM Satellite Radio // 66 RAW: SHINE w/ DJ Furious Styles, 66 The City - The Pulse w/DJ Xclusive 90.3 WHCR // Thermal Soundwaves Radio w/C Truth, Kev Lawrence & Cleopatra 1.fm JAMZ // Hate Money Radio w/DJ Bedtyme357, J Hatch & Drawzilla 1.fm JAMZ // Kitty Radio w/Jen the Pen & Maya the Brasillianaire BrooklynCollegeRadio.org // True Stories Radio WPUB.org/Pace University Radio // “Crack Distributors†showPRESS: The Source Magazine // Unsigned Hype (December 2006) SCRATCH Magazine // ESSOcentric Volume I reviewed (Jan/Feb 2006) AllHipHop.com // Breeding Ground (Oct. 2006), “The Life and Grind of ESSO†Interactive Journal Ballerstatus.net // Scouting Report (November 2006) XXLMag.com // Mentioned as one of Sickamore’s “Influential 80†80’s Babies YORaps.com // Next 2 Blow (February/March 2007) Exposure Magazine // Cover Article (Fall 2006) RapMullet.com // ESSOcentric Mixtape Review (3.5/4 Tapes), mentioned in various other reviews UrbanBridgez.com // Sho Ur SkillzOTHER: 2007 Underground Music Awards // Won “Best Mixtape†for ESSOcentric Volume I: History in the Making 2006 Underground Music Awards // Nominated “Most Promising Male Rapper†AZZURE Denim // Featured in Spring 2007 Ad Campaign center>