Spoken word artist and MC Ise Lyfe is poised to become the next break out artist from the Bay Area. Named one of the “Bay Area’s Top 25 Under 35” by City Flight magazine, Ise’s debut album SpreadtheWord, will finally give Ise a chance to test his mettle with a national audience.

At just 23 years of age, Ise Lyfe has become one of the nation’s premier Spoken Word Emcees. Fusing Spoken Word and Hip Hop, Ise’s unique style of delivery and powerful content grasps his audiences, deconstructing the façade of dominant narratives. Rising from the streets of Oakland, California, Ise is no stranger to challenging the status quo. In the midst of an ever-growing culture of "Going Dumb" and Hyphy-ness, Ise chooses to spin off of that energy, using that same force to empower and uplift, via his vocal and lyrical artillery. “Our communities are full of beautiful people that can’t see their own beauty. People look outside of themselves for anything to make them feel good about themselves, or just good period. Before all of this is over, I'd like to play a roll in influencing people to see the answer within.”

Inspired by Langston Hughes as a child, Ise began writing his own work as a teenager, interpreting the world as he saw it through poetry and rhymes, gaining popularity by traveling to local schools, battling other emcees and entering youth poetry slams, winning consistently. His ability to rap about change and empowerment without being preachy or corny is starting to resonate with not just Oakland's hardest Hip Hop heads, but people nationwide are beginning to take notice of the storm brewing in Oakland. Today, Ise is a well-known visionary artist and community leader. But it wasn't always like that.

As Ise got older he became more and more distracted by the same negative elements that many young men fall victim to when growing up in poor communities. He stopped writing and lost interest in not only art, but also his future. Despite losing friends and family members to drug abuse, incarceration and violence, Ise says that it wasn’t until he witnessed a murder, at a concert, that his outlook on life changed for the better. “I realized that I had become numb to the violence and had somehow accepted the idea of dying young……I never wanted to be that way.” It was this life altering experience that would return him to his rhyme books and journals; finding validation and encouragement in teen poetry slams.

Ise first got national recognition in 2000 competing in the annual Youth Speaks Poetry Slam Finals. In 2001 he would go on to represent the San Francisco Bay Area at the Youth Speaks National Poetry Slam. Soon, Ise was in high demand for his theatrical street-smart spoken word performance pieces that depicted daily struggles of common people. He has been featured on Russel Simmons' Def Poetry Jam on HBO. He has also shared the stage with Dave Chappelle, Ms. Lauryn Hill, dead prez, E-40, KRS-One, Saul Williams, Ben Harper and Erykah Badu to name a few.

Ise’s impact goes beyond the stage and studio. Even as Ise’s artistic career is reaching celebrity status he still manages to keep community organizing and activism at the forefront of his career. Striving to prevent youth from following the same destructive cycle of violence that almost caught up with him, Ise co-founded the P.O.W.E.R. Movement, a multi-faceted Oakland-based organization that addresses the educational, social and political needs of young people. In 2003, Ise began teaching social history and Spoken Word at one of nation's most innovative charter high schools, The School for Social Justice and Community Development in Oakland, CA. Though his opinions and actions have led to conflict with police enforcement and other oppressive forces, Ise hasn't broken stride once. He continues to push forward the same message, refusing to fit the mold. In fact, young Ise Lyfe is the new mold.

In 2004, Ise was featured on the cover of City Flight Magazine where he was profiled as one of the "Top 25 Under 35 in The Bay Area." During that year Ise co-wrote and performed in "CAUSE", a Hip Hop theater piece that fused spoken word with modern dance to address the legacy of hate in the world. Internationally renowned choreographer Robert Moses directed the dance sequences.

Ise continues to push boundaries and take his message to the next level. Look for Ise Lyfe’s debut album featuring the upcoming hit singles “Beautiful” and “Retro” along with an exclusive DVD. SpreadtheWord drops July 2006.

For more information, please contact:

Nicole Ballin at Ballin PR, 323-651-1580, nik@ballinpr.com.

Nick Huff at Hard Knock Records, 323-960-0021, nick@hardknockrecords.com