The Rhyme Factory

The Rhyme Factory - The Rhyme Factory is a collective of MCs from New York City who perform an innovative combination of freestyle and written rap. Founded in 2004 by MILs, the collective features artist Mils, Pattydukes, PTP, Lines NYC, Rich Nice, Vinnie Cosmo, Renaissance ART, Nova, and Ije SOUL. Guest MCs and musicians also participate in their shows. The collective ranges in age and in professional experience. Artist that have performed on Shakespeare's stage in England with the Royal Shakespeare Company to MC's who battle on the streets of NYC everyday. College degrees mixed with GED's. The Rhyme Factory’s freestyle MC's are stepping up to the plate to bring you a fully interactive show based on the principles of improvisation and crowd participation. Through their rhymes these MC's are able paint a vivid picture of both the hardships and beauty of everyday life. You can catch the Rhyme Factory performing throughout NYC accompanied by a band, DJ, beat-box, instrumentals, and/or acappella.

MILS - MiLs is an MC, Producer, Dancer, Mixed Media visual artist and Activist from Washington Heights, NYC. Growing up entrenched in an environment where hip-hop is not just a type of music but a way of life, MiLs developed his passion for the spoken word through cyphering on street corners throughout Manhattan and the Bronx. That coupled with a passion for technology, history and social change is what led him to the work he is doing today with computer graphics, video and sound. MiLs visions his work as a reflection of the human experience through the eyes of the Hip-Hop generation. He hopes that in everything he does he acts as a source of inspiration for others who want to free themselves of institutionalized oppression. MiLs is currently in the studio working on whatever inspires him with his rhyme collectives NSA and the Rhyme Factory.

LINES NYC - The quintessential Hip-Hop head, Lines NYC embodies the culture. He is a B-boy - House dancer, MC, Graffiti artist, aspiring filmmaker, and skater. His journey began when he started dancing House and Breakdancing at the age of 13. He learned to b-boy with Rocafella and her company Full Circle while still in high school. He went on to join up with some of the best b-boys from Washington Heights like the Lethal Floor Rockers (LFR) and Living on Concrete (LOC) crews. Lines NYC has also danced at world renowned clubs throughout NYC like Speed, Shelter, Copacabana, Latin Quarters and Carbons now known as club Exit. He has participated in the Truth campaign summer performance at the South Street Seaport, The Puerto Rican Day Festival, and at the Arts and Ideas Festival at Yale University along with Mils and the Floor Lords. Lines NYC is also a teaching artist who has taught b-boy classes at JHS 164, Stitt Junior High School and The Children Arts and Aid Society. As an aspiring filmmaker he has worked with IFCO (Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization) media project and Vee Bravo's Estilo Media Project on various documentaries. Lastly as an MC Lines NYC is a prolific writer and performer who use’s his life as his everyday source of inspiration. He’s performed his freestyle and written rhymes at venues like The Living Room and The Bowery Poetry Club. You can peep Lines NYC performing throughout NYC as a part of The Rhyme Factory and New School Artist.

"If you want something u never had do something u never done"

PATTYDUKES - PATTYDUKES is an actor, writer and filmmaker from the South Bronx. She recently performed in TILL DA BREAK OF DAWN written and directed by Obie award winning actor/playwright Danny Hoch at The Public Theater. CRIPPLED SISTERS at Center stage Theater, Baltimore & at NYU. EL BRONX REMEMBERED the acclaimed short stories By Nicholasa Mohr with Rubi Theater. Pattydukes has also appeared in several independent films, and the PBS special on the play she collaboratively wrote “Don’t See My Bones & Think I’m Dead ”. Patty also wrote STAKES IS HIGH, a play about a group of young girls in a juvenile detention center. STAKES IS HIGH the play, has been produced by the NYC Hip-Hop Theater Festival, The Songs from Coconut Hill Festival and has performed pieces at venues like Columbia University, George Washington University, Yale University – New Haven Arts and Ideas Festival at Yale University, Abrons Art Center, New York Theater Workshop, The Kraine Theater and The Bronx Museum of Arts. Pattydukes’ poetry has been published in The National Book Foundation’s anthology Vinyl Donuts, and in the A.Y.E International website as a featured artist, and has performed her poetry in various venues throughout New York City, like the Nuyorican Poets Café, Bowery Poetry Club and Camaradas. As a freelance writer her words have also appeared in The Hunter Envoy, Reyna Magazine, The Ave Magazine, Urban Latino Magazine, Kicksclusive Magazine and Fuego Magazine. Pattydukes' work in the arts and her community landed her a spot in the Random House Book, “Girls: Ordinary Girls and Their Extraordinary Pursuits” as a role model to young people. Pattydukes worked with UN Ambassador of Hip-Hop, Toni Blackman on A.D.I (Artist Development Institute) and Freestyle Union as a lyricist and mentor to a group of young female and male MC's. Pattydukes travels the country leading Hip-Hop/Poetry/Theater workshops and encourages new emerging artists. Pattydukes has participated in freestyle ciphers along the east coast and graced the stage of the 2004 National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta with Medusa and Jessica Care Moore. Pattydukes works closely with Tony Award Winning Def Poet Lemon. In the Fall 2004, Pattydukes was one of six performance artists selected from the U.S by the Royal Shakespeare Company to participate in the Big Voices project in England. Writing a collaborative play that was presented in the highly acclaimed New Works Festival. As a filmmaker she is working with Chica Luna Productions to write and direct hip-hop films. She is currently working on her second short film I Rhyme Like A Girl about female mc’s. Pattydukes is the recipient of the 2005 Community ACTION LAB grant from the Bronx Museum of the Arts to create The Girls Hip-Hop Project. Helping to motivate the next generation of female hip-hop artists.

RENAISSANCE A.R.T. - Renaissance A.R.T. is a 24 year old lyricist/poet grown in the South Bronx, NYC. The A.R.T. recognized the power of rhythm and rhyme at the early age of 13 after creating his very first rhyme in the car. As A.R.T. grew, he performed at High School talent shows as well as performing as parties throughout Manhattan and the Bronx. Around this time, he also began recording songs to reflect his outlook on society and its values. In 98’ A.R.T. moved to Baltimore where he performed at various citywide functions as a poet in the emerging culture of spoken word. In 03’ A.R.T. returned to NYC and began pursuing music full time. A.R.T. can be found now recording songs in the Bronx and performing around the city at different venues such as The Bowery Poetry Club, Hostos Community College, The Point and others. A.R.T. uses an undying passion for expression to create works of Freestyle and Written freedom. He hopes that one day he will inspire music to once again be about the Idea of freedom as opposed to the idea of oppression that so many artists put themselves under.

IJE SOUL -

PTP -

RICH NICE -

VINNIE COSMO -

NOVA -