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       While hip-hop stereotypes perpetuate the illusion of fast money and lavish luxuries, any artist will let you know that that is a mirage. The reality of the hip-hop game is one of never ending work schedule that includes grinding road work and months spent away from family and friends.
Vancouver based Swollen Members have paid their dues and while they’ve tasted success in their homeland of Canada where the group is one of the top selling urban acts of all-time, they continue to work their way towards the top of the hip-hop totem pole. Swollen Members are ready to let the industry and fans know they are some of the most lethal MCs spitting in the game with the release of their new studio album “Armed To The Teeth” on September 15th, 2009.
       Founded by two of Vancouver's best MCs, Mad Child and Prevail, along with the help of DJ Rob The Viking, Swollen Members quickly became one of the most talked about groups in the west coast underground. After a series of 12" singles and live performances, Swollen Members released their debut album "Balance" through the group's own label, Battle Axe Records. The album quickly became a cult classic selling 50,000 copies and allowed them to tour relentlessly across the country.
       Building on the foundation the group laid down with "Balance", Swollen Members recorded their sophomore effort "Bad Dreams" and went from underground kings to being the most talked about group’s in hip-hop. The album's universal appeal caught the attention of both underground and mainstream audiences and earned them a 2001 Juno Award (the Canadian version of a Grammy) for Best Rap Recording.
       Since then the group has amassed an impressive back-catalog of albums and collaborated with some of hip-hop’s biggest names including Chali 2na (Jurassic 5), Dilated Peoples and Everlast. Meanwhile the group has rocked stages from Vancouver to Amsterdam performing hundreds of shows a year in front of massive audiences with underground legends like Tech N9ne to mainstream chart toppers like Nelly Furtado, Black Eyed Peas and Avril Lavigne.
Swollen Members have their sights firmly set on making a name for themselves in a hip-hop world crowded by gangsters and gimmicks. Swollen Members ‘ Armed To The Teeth” proves that hip-hop doesn’t need be accompanied by flashy chains or platinum grills. The strength lies within the songs.