The DMV rapper Substantial has been ripping mics for years. Starting with the self made label U.V. Ink, he began making his mark on the game. His debut solo did well everywhere but particularly in Japan where he hit the Top 10. This success set off a career touring Asia that led the emcee to touch down in Taiwan, China, Japan and more – not to mention Europe and almost all of North America. As things began to get busier he linked with QN5 to focus solely on artistic creation. His collaborations have been equally profound including work with the legendary DJ Kool Herc, Bootsy Collins, Chew Fu, Cunninlynguists, and even an appearance on Bruce Kulick’s (of KISS) album alongside all-star rocker Gene Simmons. His videos have appeared on MTV, BET, and VH1, while his music has made it to the second round of Grammy voting in 3 categories. Even the renowned car company Bentley reached out to have Substantial create a song for them and perform in China at their car show. Vogue Magazine included his music in a recent playlist. Not bad for the PG County rapper who has also contributed heavily to his community’s well being by way of building recording studios for disadvantaged youth in conjunction with the Covenant House and raising money for school music programs in VH1’s Save The Music Series. For his newest album “Home Is Where The Art Is” (Mello Music Group) Substantial enlisted the help of executive producer Oddisee who also mixed the record and contributed a large portion of the production. And that’s just the start, no wonder they call him Substantial.
