Che Grand

It's well known that hard work pays off, and London-born, New York-raised performer/songwriter Che Grand is a testament to that. Years of persistence have paid off for the young rapper as he dropped his solo debut album ''Everything's Good Ugly'' on August 18, 2009 in conjunction with Believe Digital. As he's seen associates like trio Tanya Morgan rise through the ranks of independent shows and the internet to gain critical acclaim, Che Grand set his sights on doing the same. Without grappling at others' coattails, Che took it upon himself to collaborate with like-minded artists and producers to create his own sound. Beat crafters like Wale Oyejedi, Illmind and singer/songwriter Colin Munroe all incorporate their unique touches on the album. Through the release of promotional mixtapes, singles and videos online, Che Grand has amassed his own fanbase, while maintaining the collective approval of his rap associates. The son of Nigerian immigrants in Britain, Che always dreamed of reaching the American Hip Hop audience with global appeal, and reaching the world with his sound. "I've never believed in setting boundaries for the music I make," explains Che. "Artists respected for making great bodies of work have always caught my ear. I wanted to take my time and create something capable of leaving a mark one day." Che Grand has focused immensely on live performances, and has shared the stage with the likes of Kid Cudi, Wale, The Cool Kids, Blu and Tanya Morgan. He's also gotten approval from more established performers like Lupe Fiasco and Busta Rhymes, further solidifying the direction he has taken with his movement. ABOUT CHE GRAND After one or two reviews of Uche Anosike’s motif - better known as Che Grand in this setting - some may believe he’s discovered a way to positively twist moonstruck patterns and place it on exhibition musically. Living the early part of his life similar to a hoi polloi army brat, (his parents were Nigerian immigrants who gave birth to him in London) Che's heart and mind has been set on one place; New York City. Making a conscious decision at the bright age of nine to become an artist, he spoke his world into existence. Fueled by the saying that persistently buzzed in his ear from English private school playgrounds and later to dingy after-hour nights clubs in the boondocks of Virginia - “if you could make it in NYC you could make it anywhere” Che was determined to squeeze truth from the phrase by fusing his own unique experiences with the ideal score of the time. Landing 2003 in Bed-Stuy Brooklyn, a place immortalized on record by some of his most notable Hip Hop influences of present day, Che Grand has been undergoing an intense training course in life, the kind that makes and breaks many. Heavily promoting his name through various resources and releasing several mixtapes online for free consumption for the past five years, Che has managed to build up anticipation for his full length debut in an organic, grassroots manner. Che Grand began to see a few fruits of his labor in 2005 after the critically acclaimed digital EP Official Bootleg Import. Released thru the now-defunct San Francisco-based Loud Minority imprint - also responsible for the breakthrough “Moonlighting” by group Tanya Morgan - Che’s EP helped create the increasingly growing buzz with two rich yet polar opposite songs “Gold Chains” and “Trainspotting.” Both songs managed to depict his slightly avant-garde way making Hip Hop records with rich hooks, vivid thoughtfulness and clever wittiness. Following up the EP with a few more mixtapes, his October 2008 mixtape Breakfast @ Wimbledon helped Che realize how much of attention his music had been garnering, when in only two months over 55,000 people responded to the free download offer on various websites. Now with the ceremonious debut album Everything’s Good Ugly ready to be unveiled on August 18, and several guest appearances also under his belt, Che Grand is busily perfecting his craft yet resting assured that he is growing closer to making it in New York City, and everywhere else. For more information on Che Grand, go to www.Myspace.com/CheGrand, www.CheGrand.blogspot.com and www.Twitter.com/CheGrand Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.