underground hip hop

The Nextmen are critically acclaimed DJs and producers working with a range of hip-hop artists. Dom Search (aka Dominic Betmead) and Brad Baloo (aka Brad Ellis) often express a funk and reggae influence, and they have worked with many urban artists from the UK, US and Jamaica. The two members also run their own independent record label, Custom Records, a joint venture with Fat City Records. Their name is a reference to the Afro-American term "next man", which is explained on Urban Dictionary and can be heard in use in the song Find A Way (lyrics at OHHLA.com).

There is more than one artist with this name: (1) Pedestrian (AKA The Pedestrian) is the pseudonym of rapper James Brandon Best. Possibly the least well known of anticon's co-founders, his first release, the 12" "The Toss & Turn", wasn't issued until 2004, though he had made several appearances on compilations and was part of one-off groups Stuffed Animals & Object Beings. Pedestrian's full-length debut, Unindian Songs, Vol. 1, came out in 2005. Asides from guest spots on records by other anticon accomplices such as Telephone Jim Jesus and Themselves, he has not released anything since.

Louis Logic started rapping at a young age but it wasn't until he attended Penn State in the mid/late 90s where he recorded his first release, "Logistics 101" which ended up being the B-side for his first 12 inch, "Planet Rock" featuring L-Fudge. Banking L-Fudge's popularity on Jedi Mind Trick's Superregular Records in 1998, Louis started gaining notoriety. He released a series of 12 inches "General Principal" featuring J-Treds (with the widely favored B-side, "Factotum")...

Aesop Rock (born Ian Bavitz on June 5, 1976) is an alternative hip hop artist/producer from Northport, New York, United States. He has released five albums: "Music for Earthworms" (1997), "Float" (1999), "Labor Days" (2001), "Bazooka Tooth" (2003) and "None Shall Pass" (2007). He is also a member of the groups Hail Mary Mallon, The Weathermen and Two of Every Animal.