Upon finishing his final exam to complete his Master's program at Cleveland State University, Paul Richardson aka Paulie Rhyme did what any college student would do... He hop on a plane to NYC to finish up a documentary, flew back to Cleveland to put on a Roots Concert, and packed his bags to move a week later to the Bay Area with his band, Finless Brown. Such is the life of the aspiring emcee/producer/hip hop torchbearer that is Paulie Rhyme. Growing up in the 80s in a lower middle class neighborhood in Cleveland, OH, PR was exposed to Hip Hop at an early age through the vibrate music of East Coast Legends such as Just Ice, Slick Rick, and KRS-One. Being situated in the Midwest also allowed PR to soak up some of the westcoast as well, such as Ice T and NWA, as well as Cleveland legends Brothers for the Struggle, Serge, and Robie Man. This unique situation proved instrumental in the development of PR as an artist who moves the crowd and can rock the party, but also make you aware of what is going on in this world. While the 80s laid the foundation for PR, it was the DIY efforts of artists such as E40 and Master P combined with the raw and uncut styles of Wu Tang, that prompted PR to grp the mic in the early 90s to record a impromtu track for a friend's college radio show and record his first demo live on air at his own radio show at Hiram College, where he was studied Political Science. In 1998, PR would record his first Ep, Ultraman, and garner respect not only from his peers,but from regional media, venues, and radio. This newfound network provided avenues not only for PR, but for area artists as well and prompt Paulie Rhyme to don mulitple hats, from emcee to dj to promoter to engineer to producer in an effort to help Cleveland hip hop regain regional and national attention. In 2001, PR would step back to the mic fulltime as a part of the live hip hop band Finless Brown. Finless Brown gained immediate attention through their unorthodox and interactive live shows and open mics, getting nominated for Best Cleveland Band in 2002 and Best Hip Hop Band (Cleveland Scene) in 2003. Releasing three projects to date, the Browntown Ep, Next Caper, and a live cd at WRUW, Finless Brown has received airplay not only in the states but in Europe and Asia as well. Now Paulie Rhyme is stepping to the mic for dolo with his new solo project, The PDA Ep. Featuring production by Dj Lord Jazz, Dj Besto, Dj Deetalx, Digi Darko, and SinceEighty6 as well as guest appearances by Mark Spitz, Tut, Vic Freeze, Anon, Moto, and Heiruspecs' Felix, The PDA Ep is a testement to Paulie Rhyme as hip hop culture torchbearer. The PDA Ep is the first chapter in a emcee's journey through Rap and Hip Hop, poverty and empowerment, life and enlightment.
Hip Hop, Politics, the everyday...
A mic, A dj, and my mind...
www.finlessbrown.com
