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.. .. .... ....Otherwize first stepped onto the L.A. underground scene as a frequent visitor of the legendary Good Life, an open-mic cafe known for being the launching pad for many other L.A. hip-hop legends like Jurassic 5, Tha Pharcyde and Freestyle Fellowship. The Good Life is also the place where Wize befriended independent filmmaker Kevin Fitzgerald, who later featured him in his critically-acclaimed documentary Free Style, a Cannes Film Festival 2000 favorite. In the mid-nineties, the Good Life relocated to the Crenshaw/Leimert Park District where it was reborn as Project Blowed. Wize's rhyme prowess and stone-cold battle skills were first seen in battle circles inside and outside the Blowed, as he lyrically served many, including a few veterans of hip-hop who shall remain nameless here... Wize is probably best known as the winner of Rap Sheets' now infamous 1997 Rap Olympics battle against Eminem in the finals of what would prove to be Em's last emcee battle. However, in an effort to blow up on the merits of his own skills, Wize has refused to use the victory as a stepping stone in his career and, until recently, preferred not to answer questions about the battle. Although this battle was the end of Eminem's underground career, this was only the beginning for Wize. Just prior to the Rap Olympics battle, Wize teamed with Zig E.S.P., another former Good Life emcee, and together they formed the Footsoljaaz. Soon after, The Footsoljaaz joined the ranks of The Blak Forest, a local crew of veteran emcees, deejays and producers who were in the process of releasing their debut album, 'You Are Now Entering…' on Rhino/Atlantic. The Footsoljaaz released a few 12" singles and began touring with the Forest. At the same time the legend of Otherwize, the battle emcee, was growing at Elements, a weekly open-mic club where he maintained a 90 percent winning ratio over a 3-year period, often battling as many as 4 times a night. After establishing himself as one of the best freestyle emcees in Los Angeles, Wize's reputation led to the recording of a couple of tracks with Dr. Dre in 1999 for The Chronic 2001 project. Although recording with Dre was a dream, the request for Wize to be more 'gangster' wasn't the direction he intended to travel. That same year, Wize was featured on the cover of SP Music Magazine with his Blak Forest crewmates alongside Jurassic 5, Dilated Peoples, Visionaries and the Beat Junkies as the future of Los Angeles hip-hop. Constant recording in 2001 and 2002 led to the development of several different solo projects including 'Disturbin' Tha Peace', an eclectic, underground classic which Wize has independently sold over 10,000 undocumented copies. The best songs from those two years of recording have been accumulated to create 'C.U.N.Traffic', the highly anticipated new album from one of the best lyricist on the West. 'C.U.N.Traffic' (released in September of 2003 on 7th Avenue Music Group, LLC) is a statement that 'the ghetto' and 'real hip hop' can co-exist without sacrificing one's integrity in either category. Wize's meticulous delivery combined with his vivid urban imagery bridges the gap between underground and commercial extremist and creates a sound that can be appreciated by all lovers of good hip hop. Otherwize is one of the most recognized independent artists in L.A.'s hip-hop scene. In the realm of rap, Wize has all bases covered: a merciless battle hand, lyrics that run the gamut from universal to mindbending, a distinctive voice, a darkly twisted sense of wit, a captivating live show, and a history full of street dues paid.
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