Bio:
Hmmm... What shall I start with? In 1996, after hearing yet another local wack MC who had his LP released, I felt like "Damn, I can surely do it better". I started writing my own rhymes, a friend of mine nicknamed Wookie made his first beats, for four years, with no help from the outside, we both learned from basics how to make music. In 2000 I finally decided to get on the stage and rock the mic during a freestyle session in one of the clubs in Warsaw. It went suprisingly well, which seriously boosted my confidence and gave me yet another reason for further developement.
After that performance I got approached by DJ / Producer / Also-An-MC-Back-Then nicknamed Spox, who gave me props for how I performed and asked me if I'd like to record something together. From that point, everything starts for real - Our friends, whom we started with, lost their interest in creating music and our two got to it seriously. In summer 2000 we officially named our duo Cisza & Spokoj (which could be translated as Peace & Quiet). In the beginning of 2001 we put our first tracks on some underground compilations and played our first shows in Warsaw. Between 2001 and 2004 we played around 100 gigs around Poland, including being an opening act for Lone Catalysts, Gentleman, Defari, Rahzel, DJ Vadim, Killa Kela, Mr. Thing, K-Otix and lots of local Hip-Hop stars, even though we had no official material released yet (we only released an undergound single back then), which must mean that people quite liked what we did. Meanwhile DJ Spox played lots of parties and I got quite known as an impressive freestyle MC, appearing in virtually every place in Warsaw where you could grab a mic and rhyme from the top of the dome.
Everything looked great, but after two years of such an "underground developement" we didn't move on significantly, and I felt like we needed a help from the outside to finally release something officially. I got in touch with a recognized polish beatmaker from Katowice named IGS, and we set up a recording session to see if the chemistry between us shall let us create something interesting. He liked my style of MC'ing and we quickly created a demo recording. It brought attention of a record label UMC. As a result, in mid-2003 we signed a record deal for my debut album, "Sinus".
Meanwhile, I used to freestyle at some reggae parties as well. During one of them I was spotted by a producer named Radikal Irie, who was looking for an MC who may join a dancehall group he was forming named Cinq G.
As a result, I found myself recording two absolutely different albums at the same time. It feels like it shouldn't have worked, but it really did. Both albums were released in mid-2004 and both of them were critically acclaimed both by fans and by music press.
Oh, I almost forgot (pt 1) - In April 2004 I won the all-national freestyle contest, getting a title of best freestyle MC in Poland.
Oh, I almost forgot (pt 2) - In 2004, together with Mista Pita & DJ Spox we recorded a track named "Od Tarnobrzegu po Bangladesz" for Masala Soundsystem, a nu orient/electro/world music group. They liked it so much, that it became a single from their debut LP recording "Masala". As a result, together with DJ Spox we got included in their ranks.
Oh, I almost forgot (pt 3) - In the end of 2003 I got approached by a world famous Polish jazz pianist / keyboard player, Wojciech Konikiewicz. He was looking for skillful & intelligent freestyle MC's who'd like to co-operate with his free jazz ensemble named TransTechnoLogical Orchestra. Just like in case of Masala Soundsystem, the performance with TTLO went so good, that together with DJ Spox we were asked to joined their ranks. Damn, it was quite a year (Please note, that I played quite many shows with all the bands mentioned above).
Keeping up the pace, in the second half of 2004 I decided to join forces with a fellow member of Cinq G, Mista Pita (MC/voc/kbd/prod), and a female upcoming star of Polish Dancehall, Lady Mocca (MC), to record an EP under the name of Banda Tre. Even though the EP was an internet-only release (still available at www.afterbeat.org), some of it's tracks got on the playlists of an all-national radio station.
In mid-2005 I recorded my vocals over Spox's beats for an album Cisza & Spokoj - "Cisza & Spokój". Meanwhile, we grew closer to the decision of parting our ways with UMC Records to release that LP through our own independent label ToSieWytnie Records. At the end of 2005 we made ToSieWytnie Records (Cut-It-Out Records) official and we started working on the business side of our first official release.
In January 2006 we released an internet-only bootleg blend album named "Sinus vs RJD2", where DJ Spox blended my accapellas from "Sinus" over the fabulous RJD2 beats. Soon after that ToSieWytnie Records released an internet-only-yet-still-great underground debut - "Greatest Hits" by Polish / German Hip-Hop group Smagalaz. We also gave our helping hand to Polish masters of Mash Up / Bastard Pop - El Barto & Liam B - releasing three parts of their famous Mash-Up Mixes called "Miksacje".
On another hand, in late 2005 and early 2006 I recorded my vocals for two upcoming Cinq G releases. First of them was an LP named "JUMA!", second was a concept-EP named "Fogga Ragga", where we created the dancehall versions of some songs by famous Polish singer of 1930 - 1960 period, Mieczyslaw Fogg.
In November 2006 both Cisza & Spokoj - "Cisza & Spokoj" and Cinq G - "Fogga Ragga" hit the stores. They both made quite a buzz. "Cisza & Spokoj" made us twice as proud, as it's the first album released officialy via ToSieWytnie Records and it's already said that no Polish abum EVER had such an illustrious cover. Word...
As if it wasn't enough, the political situation in Poland AD 2006 made us react (Kaczynski brothers & all that s!t, you know...). We got ourselves together and as Masala Soundsystem we prepared a Maxi EP named "Obywatele IV Swiata" ("The Citizens of the IVth World", as an opposition to the current government's statements that they founded the "IVth Republic of Poland"). This 7 track ADF-alike album hit the stores in January 2007.
In September 2007 Cinq G finally released "JUMA". We put lots of work in pushing the sound to another level, we re-recorded most of the vocals as well. This LP was released also in a 2 CD version, including a live album recorded during one of the Cinq G shows in 2005.
Currently, the second full lenght LP of Masala Soundsystem is on its way as well. I'm responsible for 80% of it's lyrical side. We are also preparing to record the next Cisza & Spokoj album already... As a matter of fact - I have around 50 tracks waiting to be recorded.
Oh, I almost forgot (pt 4) - Since 2006 I started appearing as a DJ (even though I won't ever call myself one - I just play some music I like and accidentaly it turns out that people start to dance as they hear it ;)). I spin Mash-Up / Disco Punk / Electro / Oldskool Hip-Hop / Anything-Else-I'd-Like-To-Play parties, and as both me and the people seem to like it, I don't feel like stopping ;) Of course sometimes I resort to MC'ing during my sets, but it's rather 'fatmanscoopish' "uh huh oh yeah!" than dropping complex rhymes (sorry folks, not this time). I often play together with DJ Spox, and as a DJ crew we go by the name of Tanie Dranie Soundsystem (Cheap Bastards Soundsystem).
Oh, I almost forgot (pt 5) - Since 2006 I organised over 15 local freestyle battles, out of which came some of the most promising freestyle MC's in Poland, like Muflon or Flint.
I haven't listed my guest appearances, and there are quite a few, but... Sorry - I'm afraid there is not enough place for them ;).
In the 2005 - 2006 years, together with DJ Spox I also had the only live-mix Hip-Hop radio show in an all-national Polish radio station "Radio BIS", before it got cancelled thanks to some wack-ass bureaucratic prick who was ordered to re-profile the station, so it will sound just like the others.
Ooooooooooooooompfffffhhhh...
That's it. At least for now (October 2007). I surely skipped something important - Sorry, but I always get lost while trying to dig through all the things I did.
Just to sum it up - Here's the list of my releases (both available & upcoming):
1. Cisza & Spokoj - "Para z Zielonej Herbaty" (SP / ToSieWytnie / 2002);
2. Duze Pe + IGS + DJ Spox - "Sinus" (LP / UMC / 2004);
3. Cinq G - "Panama" (LP / Funkydub / 2004);
4. Banda Tre - "Banda Tre" (Maxi EP / Afterbeat / 2005);
5. DJ Spox presents: "Sinus vs RJD2" (Bootleg LP / ToSieWytnie / 2006);
6. Cisza & Spokoj - "Cisza & Spokoj" (LP / ToSieWytnie / 2006);
7. Cinq G - "Fogga Ragga" (LP / Vision Music / 2006);
8. Masala - "Obywatele IV Swiata" (Maxi EP / Open Sources / 2007);
9. Cinq G - "JUMA" (LP / Funkydub / 2007);
10. Masala Soundsystem - "???" (LP / Open Sources / 2007) - TBR in 2008.
11. Cisza & Spokoj - "???" (LP / ToSieWytnie / 2007) - TBR in 2008.;