Tribe of Levi profile picture

Tribe of Levi

About Me


TRIBE OF LEVI ALBUMS IN STORES NOW!
POOR "...FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH"
MIC JORDAN "LEVIATHAN"
Available NOW @ RECORDS (1618 Broadway, Sacramento CA 95818), THE BEAT (1700 J street, Sacramento, CA 95814), R5 RECORDS (2500 16th street, Sacramento Ca 95818)
Available SOON @ Dimple Records, Amoeba, Rasputin, etc...
RETAILERS: If you're interested in stocking Tribe of Levi music, please holler at us at: [email protected]
PROMOTERS: Tribe of Levi wants to rock in YOUR town, no matter where you are! Holler at us! We are willing to work with you if you have a limited budget.
TRIBE OF LEVI consists of Sacramento residents POOR, NON, MIC JORDAN, and DJ FILTH. Unsatisfied with the current state of the art, these purists have taken it upon themselves to make the music they wish they were hearing. TRIBE OF LEVI strives to bring hiphop back to an era where only the best rappers became superstars, where an MC was more concerned with his craft than his image, and when it was still considered wack to bite. As members of the Sacramento-based hiphop collective TPR, the emcees of TRIBE OF LEVI have performed with numerous hiphop luminaries such as Nas, Dead Prez, KRS-ONE, Prince Poetic (Organized Konfusion), Black Sheep, Butterscotch, Zion I, Illogic, Bru Lei, Chuck Taylor, The CUF, Righteous Movement, and the Neighborhood Watch. Featuring production by Daddy Longlegs, DJ Doin' Somethin', DJ Filth, Jeremy Pearson, MahtieBush and NON (among others), their sound is raw, old-school, circa-'94 hiphop...a throwback to what many folks consider the golden age of rap music. If you like Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Souls of Mischief, MF Doom, People Under The Stairs, Shape Shifters, or Mr. Lif, you'll like the TRIBE OF LEVI.
a message from NON (NowOrNever) As kids, my brother and I would spend a lot of time with our aunts and uncles, who were from the Islands. One of our uncles would host little get-togethers in his yard. There was a sound system with a turntable, tape deck, and microphone set up at the back of the garden. He would cook Ital, and play mostly reggae songs and riddims (sometimes hip hop intrumentals). People would come over and chant on the mic, which inspired my brother and me to try ourselves, starting with songs we'd heard and learned and eventually moving on to some original rhymes. When I was in 7th Grade, I met Poor. Back then he was known as MC Kool-Aid, and he was already doing shows. Later, we both became members of the Cave, where I started to learn how make beats and continued writing and freestyling. After the Cave members each went their own respective ways, Poor and I decided to continue working on music together and even rocked a few shows in Sacramento. Later on, I met ENS aka Mic Jordan. We freestyled and got to know each other, became friends and even recorded a song. Around this time, Poor and I formed the Tribe of Levi, and quickly included Mic Jordan. This was in the fall of 2005. Since then, we've made mixtapes and albums, made songs, gotten radio play, and done dozens of shows with all kinds of artists in different genres. Check us out, I hope you like our music because we put our hearts into it.
a message from POOR To whom it may concern: My name is Poor. I've been into hip hop since i heard the song "Word up" by Cameo. I'm 24 now so that means I've had a 20 year relationship with rap. I feel as if I have a responsibility to speak to the people. There's a whole lot of misguided youth who are hungry for the truth, true art and something real. I don't play myself out like most rap artists today by trying to be something I am not (big shot). I'm just me. I've been putting together songs since I was eight years old and doing shows since I was 13, and I still feel as if there's more room to grow. peace to you. yours truly, poor.
a message from MIC JORDAN (aka EnsiteNonStop) My brothers introduced me to hiphop in the early 80s when they moved out from the East Coast, but by then I already loved jazz because of my dad. My mom taught me to be creative. I wrote my first rhyme when I was 11, but it took me years to gain the skills to execute the ideas I had; until then, I didn't rhyme in public. After recording my first track for my homie's mixtape in 1998, I got down with Dank Chamber in Pasadena (DJ Ironic, DCypher, NASA*1, me, Joself, ChekOne and others) and Neighborhood Greenhouse in Sacramento (DJ Carl Larado, Peabody Greene, me, and Hasani the Black Ninja). After years of making albums while going to school, I finally devoted my life to this and got down with the Levis and the TPR crew. I strive to be a complete MC, like KRS-ONE; I want to make classic verses, songs, and albums. My goal is to be a legend.
a message from DJ FILTH I have been getting down in the graf scene since '89, when I also got down with Excursions clothing. I am a true practictioner of the various elements of hiphop. I speak with my hands. I dance for and cater to the one called karma, repaying debts incurred as a young knucklehead with a big heart. I spun on my back at the Mine Shaft in '92. I remember the old days at the ABC Wall, and when Getta Clue sold tips. I am MTV Raps, when they actually showed music. I have sucked krylon from my fingertips. And if you run into me, I'll let you know why Sac should love hiphop. I am what you get; nothing less, nothing more. Only here to serve you. Enjoy.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 22/05/2006
Band Website: www.tribeoflevi916.com
Band Members:T-shirts now available for $15, just send us an email, and we'll get that to you. MIC JORDAN , POOR , N.O.N. and DJ FILTH are TRIBE OF LEVI. These dreadlocked prognosticators of hip-hop are not just intelligence-espousing thought-provokers, they are fierce, word-playing emcees, just as proficient in a freestyle cipher as they are writing thesis-based raps. Their style shows influences from groups like Brand Nubian and Dead Prez, but their collective intelligence as musicians and lyricists can’t be matched. There’s nothing soft about this group, but that doesn’t at all mean they’re gangsters. Just hard-thinking, hard-performing, hard-working men trying to give our city a taste of their interpretation of hip-hop. -- Sacramento News & Review
Influences: Wu-tang clan-Pete Rock and CL smooth-De La Soul-Brand Nubian-Ras Kass-Nasty Nas-X clan-Project Blowed-Living legends-e40-Devin the dude-Public Enemy-Dead Prez-Shape Shifter-Geto Boyz-Heiroglyphics-the D.O.C.-Big Punisher
Sounds Like: DON'T TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT...HERE'S WHAT THE REVIEWS SAY:
Josh Fernandez of The Sacramento News & Review on Mic Jordan's currently-available LP "LEVIATHAN" : "From the first verse--"I've been told that I'm an old soul/ It's not that exactly/ It's just this world is so cold,/ You gotta be wise just to have a chance to grow old"--it's clear that Mic Jordan is an emcee who steps beyond rap writing and ventures boldly into hip-hop poetry. From Daddy Longlegs' flute-laced beat on "Fa Sho" to 26 Hours' action movie-esque production on "Until the Day," this album is a gold mine for fans of real hip-hop. The star of this album, of course, is Mic Jordan, who consistently displays trademark wisdom combined with stunning wordplay on each track. If for one second you doubt the talent of Sacramento emcees and producers, find this album and be silenced for good."
Aaris Schroeder of UBO Magazine on Mic Jordan's currently-available mixtape "STYLEABUSE VOL. 1" : "Mic Jordan brings hip-hop to a higher level in Sacramento"
Josh Fernandez of The Sacramento News & Review on Poor's currently-available EP "...FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH" : "In this oversaturated rap market full of self-conscious and boring emcees, Poor's brutally honest approach is a breath of fresh air. And so is Mic Jordan, whose imaginative production takes interesting turns--from rock to straight-up hip-hop. "Sex Sells" flaunts Poor's obvious love of language, while Jordan hops on the mic to round out a beautifully obscene track. The disc's highlight, though, is "Dark Blue," produced by Jeremy Pearson, who loops breathtaking jazz piano over a lazy drum track to mesmerize the listener into a near-trancelike state. Poor uses the beat wisely, not merely as a backdrop but as a tool for his voice to craft structurally sound compositions with. Ingeniously, Poor rhymes underneath, over and through this texture-heavy track. Stay on the lookout for this rich emcee."
Todd Osterhout of The Local Slice on Mic Jordan's forthcoming LP "AIR": "Introspective, conscious, deep, intense, creative, soul-felt lyrics glide over dreamy, "barefoot" beats with a 70s feel... keeps all aspects of his music relevant, connected, and in harmony.... [Mic Jordan] includes creative tales of wonder along with the real street knowledge he's learned from California life. He often speaks positively of religion but against using power to deceive the people. Jordan alludes to modern and ancient mythology in the context of keeping an open mind - respecting diversity. He tackles topics such as politics, race, class, drugs, alcohol, and youth to adolescence to making a living... with fast and complex yet clear and compelling deliveries transferring to a calm, easy style... close your eyes and let Jordan guide your imagination and transform your perspective."

S.H.H.H. TV & Sac Hates Hip-Hop present 916 Cyphers: TPR freestyle
feat. TaskOne of 2-4-1, Old Ghost, and Mic Jordan and Poor of Tribe of Levi

Record Label: T.P.R

My Blog

Cap City Rap Battles v.1... MIC JORDAN vs. FLOE MONTANA!

Watch two of 2009's "outstanding emcee" Sammie nominees (Vote at Sammies.com) going at it in this video!  I know that he's a Levi so we're biased but honestly this is one of the better battles I've se...
Posted by on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:05:00 GMT

MIC JORDANS TOP 55 SACRAMENTO RAPPERS

This was inspired by Volcano's "top 10 Sac emcees" bulletin. I started thinking about my own top 10, then top 25, next thing you know it's the top 50, and finally, after including some inexcusable ov...
Posted by on Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:20:00 GMT

Poor-Dark Blue

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkC1SpHdDiM
Posted by on Fri, 11 Jul 2008 20:42:00 GMT

F___ You, Pay Me!

Now that I've gotten your attention...I don't want to sensationalize this issue and make it "promoters vs. artists" because the fact is 1) many promoters ARE or were artists and 2) we need to cooperat...
Posted by on Sun, 09 Mar 2008 13:41:00 GMT

10,000 plays! A thank-you to our listeners.

"Okay, you've gotten 10,000 plays," you may be thinking. "Why should I care? Why do YOU care?"And in a way, you're right. It seems like everybody on MySpace has dozens of thousands, even hundreds o...
Posted by on Tue, 22 Jan 2008 15:26:00 GMT

The Making of "To Be Black" by Poor

The title says it all. "To Be Black (What's It Mean?)" BRAND NEW HELLA RIDICULOUSLY SLAPPING BANGER featuring 20 bars from rap LEGEND SADAT X! Production by DJ Filth. TPR in full effect! ...
Posted by on Wed, 12 Dec 2007 13:43:00 GMT

utensils, senses, gymnastics, and carjackers...

reposts from 13 June 2005 Chopsticks vs. forksIf you eat until you suddenly feel full, you have in fact already overeaten. This usually happens because we literally eat too quickly. Most of the time,...
Posted by on Mon, 03 Dec 2007 12:04:00 GMT

notes from the Sacramento underground

This is an interview with Jordan and his homie Marc by DJ Carl Larado on 13 June 2005. it's long but good. enjoy. Questioner: How long have you been listening to hiphop music?Marc: Probably like in...
Posted by on Mon, 03 Dec 2007 11:54:00 GMT

the real meaning of Sac Hates Hiphop

Whattup y'all. I'm glad this forum is both lively and confrontational. As Martin Luther King used to point out (in somewhat different words), things HAPPEN when shit comes to a head. That's what's up....
Posted by on Thu, 05 Jul 2007 22:25:00 GMT

A letter to the Sacramento News and Review

Dear Sir/Madam...whomever it may concern at the Sacramento News & Review:I am posting this letter on MySpace because the News and Review's spam filter rejected it when I tried to email it to you.1) In...
Posted by on Sat, 23 Jun 2007 09:57:00 GMT