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FEATURED SONG
Big assault Riffle prod. black spade
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Big assault Riffle prod. black spade
Album:
Released: Jun 25, 2009
Label:

General Info

  • Genre: Hip Hop / Jazz / Soul

    Location Atlanta by way of Saint Louis, Missouri, US

    Profile Views: 38056

    Last Login: 10/31/2010

    Member Since 12/28/2005

    Website youtube.com/watch?v=YHo4Sh0LY84&feature

    Record Label Cobblestone Rock Music Inc.

    Type of Label Indie

  • Bio

    “The exemplification of the Hip-Hop movement down to its core.” – The Smoking Section .... “Fire!” – Vast Aire.... Gruff-yet-dexterous emcee Gotta Be Karim loves the streets. “Not necessarily the killing streets, but the energy the streets give you,” he explains. “It makes you hungry.”.... Few are hungrier than the St. Louis-born emcee, who recently settled in Atlanta and has impressed nearly every critic who has heard his work. Creative Loafing gave his new digital album 10,000 Apples four stars, calling it “energizing and intelligent” and him “a master of atmospheric, metaphor-heavy hip-hop.” .... Karim’s 2008 “Bean Pie” EP was picked as one of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s top five albums of the year, and it was among venerable St. Louis record shop Vintage Vinyl’s top 50 sellers. The St. Louis American called him “One of St. Louis’ most well-respected lyricists.” Recently, Karim has played memorable shows at South By Southwest and CMJ, has performed with Detroit icon Royce da 5’9” and won kudos from Cannibal Ox’s Vast Aire. .... Born Karim Hameed into a middle-class Muslim household, he has been hustling since he was a baby, working as a welder, at record stores, as a soda-bottler and for his parents’ flower store. The title 10,000 Apples comes from a memorable trip to Washington D.C. he made with his family in 1995 for the Million Man March. .... “We got a U-Haul and a rental van, and went out there with 10,000 apples, 1,000 pastries and 1,000 bottles of water,” he remembers. The guy selling cheesesteak made a killing, but the Hameeds needed another week in town to unload their inventory. Still, it was a great family-bonding experience and a lesson well-learned. Says Karim: “10,000 Apples symbolizes the hustle.” .... At 15, he became the youngest-ever poet selected for the 2001 National Poetry Slam in Rhode Island, but gave up the spoken word in favor of rapping and joined St. Louis’ influential Soul Tyde crew. There he collaborated with rising-star singers and emcees like Coultrain and Black Spade. Karim appeared on the latter’s Pitchfork-praised 2008 album To Serve With Love, and Spade also does the bulk of 10,000 Apples’ production. The pair are currently preparing Karim’s debut album, Bullets And Books, due out later this year on their independent music label Cobblestone Rock Music. .... Though his influences include Jay-Z, Eminem and Pharoahe Monch, with his fierce, acrobatic flow, beard and Muslim background, Karim is often compared to Philadelphia rapper Freeway. His complex narrative structures and the fact that he doesn’t curse in his rhymes, however, give him a unique edge. “I like guys that go in rhyming,” Karim says. “This ain’t ’85! You’ve got to have something innovative about your flow. I can’t listen to an album unless the beats and the lyrics are touching me.”.... “I’m not into hipster rap,” he adds. “I don’t like the image and tight pants, I’m not into that. If that’s what somebody wants to do, that’s on them, but that’s not me.”.... With his powerful voice, great ear for beats and on-point messages, there’s no doubt you’re going to be hearing a lot from Gotta Be Karim this year.

  • Members

    gotta be karim.

  • Influences

    first off, all praise is do to Allah. my musical influences stem from my family(my mother, father, 2 sisters, 1 kaamilya the oldest and jewel the youngest and my younger brother juba and my older brothers). marvin gaye, ghostface, redman, mos def, jay z, common, the roots, and project pat, stephany mills, and curtis mayfeild. pretty women, my squad the 87 billion dollar click, the environment, dead prez, freedom, my people, the high point cafe every monday night, Nat turner, Malcolm X, faith, genghis khan, the moores, coultraine, a bunch of ganstas i know that do gangsta ish i cant name no names. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXGnCIP4ZeE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHo4Sh0LY84&feature=related .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHo4Sh0LY84&feature=related

  • Sounds Like

    god speaking

Videos

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Comments

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  • supp

    SHOWING SUM LUV
    HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND.

    2 years ago
  • George Reefah

    Just stoppin by to see what's up. How you been?

    2 years ago
  • Naeem Oba

    Peace, come thru and chop it up.

    2 years ago
  • Marko-V

    who produced Harmonica? That's super tight and should get more burn at the top of the page.

    2 years ago
  • Brianna Porter

    Thank You For Being A Friend!...


    2 years ago
  • Paul Pre

    Hey,
    it has been a while but here's a new one.
    check my site - download - listen!
    Cheerio, Paul

    2 years ago
  • JUICILLE (THAT DEAL)

    SUP MY DUDE?!?!? HOW'S THE GRIND COMIN

    JUICILLE

    2 years ago
  • AYANNA CLARKE

    Hey Karim!

    THanks for the add! =) Hope you enjoyed my music!

    2 years ago
  • 4 Sale But Not 4 Sale

    What it does big Reem, just keepn shit movn got a few new joints 2 peep,was n Atlanta 4 a hot sec n and out but you know what it is with me. marination.peace fam

    2 years ago
  • Jazzy

    Thanks 4 Adding JAZZY F!

    2 years ago
10 of 453More

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