About Me
Nato Caliph, Live at SXSW '09 from Mark DiSalvo on Vimeo .
ARTICLES
+ RapReviews 2007: Best of the Underground
+ RapReviews “Cipher Inside†album review
+ Eleven Magazine performance review (4th paragraph down)
+ Riverfront Times: "We made you a mixtape! 2008: The year in music" (last paragraph)
Known as The Move Man, Nato Caliph gets audiences on their feet and dancing to
thought-provoking, socially conscious lyrics. The prolific
Knowledge-Battle-Rhyme Spitter (as coined in his hit single Move Pt. 2) has
collaborated with artists ranging from Murphy Lee of the St. Lunatics, Bits &
Pieces, Soul Tyde and Konfusion to Creation. Well-known to underground hip-hop
listeners, his impressive body of recordings have generated sales and interest
from the Midwest (Vintage Vinyl, Disc Connection) to New York (Fat Beats) and
across the globe via the Internet (virginrecordsonline.com, cdbaby.com,
soundclick.com and funkytracks.com). Hes moved crowds at the Missouri Black
Expo and a number of St. Louis hot spots: Mississippi Nights and The Pageants
1st Fridays, Blueberry Hill, Hi Pointe, Red Sea and Creepy Crawl. Caliph has
performed with The St. Lunatics and Bilal on stage while also contributing to
several compilations, including Soul Tyde: Hip-Hop & Soulfulish and
Dream-Reality records All about the Benjamins featuring Mystical and Cee-lo.
His eagerly anticipated new album, "Cipher Inside" is due to hit the streets winter 2006.Born Shedrick Remon Kelley on August 9, 1980, the St. Louis natives most
influential years were spent growing up in the suburbs of University City. At
U-City Senior High School in 1995, he met and befriended a schoolmate and
hip-hop artist Phact to form KTC Konfusion to Creation. They soon enlisted a
third member, Cin, to round out the hip-hop trio. As a finished product, KTC
worked diligently to become three of St. Louis prospering underground minds and
voices to be heard and felt throughout the streets. KTC received their first
taste of fame when they performed their debut hit single, Smoken Verbs, at a
performance at Washington University. Their individuality, originality and heady
lyrical content grabbed listeners from the onset.Among his musical influences, Caliph cites the likes of Jay-Z, Rakim, Wu-Tang
and The Lost Boyz. As an artist, however, Caliph is in a league of his own.
He seasons his witty wordplay without use derogatory or foul language. He
eschews the glorification of drugs, sex or violence in his music.
Caliph founded Cipher Music Group in 2004, and has recently entered an alliance
with F5 Records (www.f5records.com). Standouts among his previous solo work
include Wisdom Cipher, The Home Work Series Volume 1: Class is in Session, The
Home Work Series Volume 1.2: Class is in Session + Bonus Tracks and The Home
Work Series Volume 2: Extra Credit. The vinyl singles Move Pt. 2 and This is
For received heavy rotation on St. Louis two hottest hip-hop radio stations,
Q95.5 and 100.3 the Beat. His latest 7 album All I Know b/w From Here
featuring Isis Jones was released in May 2005.With a pseudonym meaning to bomb with success, Caliph is determined to blow up
on the hip-hop charts. With many accomplishments under his belt and a creative
voice that demands attention, Nato Caliph has what it takes to successfully
excel further within the music industry... .. ..Written by: Aaron Berkowitz
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