RISE

With a resume that stretches all the way from recording artist, to

movie actor, to published author, Virginia rapper Rise Rashid is fast

becoming a modern day renaissance man.



The 25 year old began his musical journey at the age 13. "I just use

to grab beats from instrumental mix tapes and write songs to them,”

says Rise. He began to take it all more serious in his 10th grade

year in high school when he put together a CD titled "Coming for the

Game". "I wouldn't really call it a album, Rise explains, “it was

just some tracks I put together and people started loving it, so I

knew this was a calling."



As the years passed, Rise consistently recorded music on an

independent level, but says he considers 2008 to have been a break out

year for him. In May of that year, he released his second independent

LP "A Mic and A Dream.” With the help of the production team of DJ

Illustrious and The Culphonics, Rise infiltrated local radio rotation

and collected numerous accolades and praises on major Hip-Hop

websites, most notably for the uplifting, U2 sampling track “Be

Yourself”. "Be Yourself” was the biggest track from the CD. That

track took me to another level" explains Rise. "It took me so many

places from the hoods of Richmond, Virginia, to the election

conventions in 2008."



Rise is currently planning to release another album of all original

material this year, but in the meantime he is busy heating up the

streets with a series of mix tapes called "The Rise and Grind

Project". Rise adamantly states he “doesn't want to sound like any

other artist in the game”. "I take the beats that I feel can be used

different. No disrespect to the original song but sometimes I just

grab the beat and spit over it without even knowing who it originally

belonged to."



With a bright artistic future ahead of him in music, acting, and

writing, Rise Rashid will be one name too keep a close eye on.