Like hip-hop greats
Queen Latifah, LL Cool J and Sean "P Diddy" Combs, Octavia Harris proves the
key to an artists longevity and continued relevance in contemporary music is
a combination of versatility and the ability to convey the ever-fluid interests
of today's youth. She evolved from being the tough-talking pioneer of Portland's
underground hip- hop scene (as "151") to "Jymini" -one of the West Coast's most
highly respected female lyricists/producers.
In 1994, she debuted
on the growing Portland rap scene with the tape "Drank, No Chasa".
By now she was "151" aka Octavia, the Mic Strangla, a razor-sharp
word smith with beats and flow that shook the city's most respected male
and female MCs. The tape became an instant classic. In 1999, long before
Kanye West was honored with a Grammy award for the religious-themed "Jesus
walks", Harris released "Walking On Water" -an ambitious double
CD that explored social and spiritual issues that were yet to be addressed by
the hip hop community. The incredibly talented youngster displayed a creative
genius at an early age. She taught herself to play piano (from watching musicians),
sang in the school choir and would astound her teachers with poems & compositions
that rang with vision and maturity.
After defying expectations
with the groundbreaking "Walking on Water", Octavia moved to Oakland,
CA.
Her production skills were now widely known and she quickly became an even hotter
name on the independent rap scene. She released a compilation CD and 2002's
"The Solo Child" which featured some of the Bay area rap's biggest
names (Suga-T, Agerman of 3xKrazy and Assassin).
She then relocated
to Long Beach, CA. where she continued to be a popular live performer, opening
for Montell Jordan, Spearhead & others. She's amassed an impressive
list of credits appearing on compilations and producing/performing on soundtracks
for film, animated DVD and internet PC games. She took over for Queen Latifah
as guest MC on Meredith Brooks "Lay Down" (Z100's last chance summer
dance) and makes a special appearance on Myra's "Quit Chasin Me".
After establishing
herself as a premier artist and creative force with her "All of Me"
release, Octavia Harris has come full circle. Like the decision to drop aliases
and use her beautiful birth name. She gave her life to the Lord in July 2005
and shortly after released the "Inspired By God"
CD (2005) which is full of sincerity and honesty. This project
stands as a bold testimony of her rejuvenated sense of purpose and her determination
to use rap music as a motivating force in the lives of people all across the
globe.
Since her transformation, she's released: "4 The Children" (2006),
"The FREE Octavia Harris Mixtape" (2007), & "Radical
Sabbatical" (2008) where she loses only the aliases but retains
all the qualities that made her a local legend. The tales of street life and
themes that resonate with listeners of all ages are benefited by her quest for
spirituality and understanding. Tunes like "God in U"and "Make
U a Star" move the feet and have knowledge for the head. Her message is
clear: give the youth something more.
Always the innovator,
she is a step ahead with promotional plans that include outreach
opportunities, youth events, clubs and international platforms to promote God's Love. As a rap pioneer, entrepreneur
and producer, Octavia Harris has overcome many obstacles. As a witness to the
human condition, she's used her talent to seek solutions. She is one of
the genre's shining lights and looks forward to once again expanding the
horizon for her old fans and welcoming the new ones from the spiritual community.
Other
Octavia Harris ministries:
Da
CFRN Buzz
Octavia is a Radio Personality for da CFRN Buzz which is a monthly Pod cast
on Flavor Radio Network.
It gives you hot Christian Female Rap/R&B music, and a recap of the CFRN
newsletter.
www.thecfrn.com/buzz.htm
Beats
by Octavia
Octavia Harris produces professional beats for all your new projects! Whether
you're a rapper, singer, spoken word artist, or looking for the perfect
music to put behind your next film or DVD, You've come to the right place!
BBO has creative beats 4 creative artists!
http://www.octaviaharris.com/bbo
Help
& Info Guide 4 HOT Rappers/Singers!
Octavia put together a 50 page ebook which gives artists hundreds of tools and
resources needed to advance their careers. Based on her 10 plus years of experience
as an independent artist, she uncovers important tips that have helped her become
knowledgeable about music business and ministry.
http://www.octaviaharris.com/newguide.htm
Other
skills:
Web design, Recording/Mixing,Marketing, Promotions, Event Planning.
Contact
info:
Octavia Harris
www.octaviaharris.com
or
http://myspace.com/octaviaharris
(971) 255-1757
info@octaviaharris.com
