Draft:Gajah (rapper)

Nicholas "Nick" Marcos Navarette (born June 26, 1979), better known by his stage name Gajah or Gajahmatic is a rapper from Los Angeles, California who was born in Bellflower, CA. He is a founding member of the group Acid Reign. Gajah met his groupmate Rudy ?? aka Beound, in Jr High in Baldwin Park, CA where they formed the Christian rap group 3PM (3 Phat Mellifluous) in 1992. As the group matured in their craft and became better MC's they changed the group name to "Acid Reign" and added a 3rd member David ?? aka Olmeca

Career Project Blowed and Freestyle Fellowship Aceyalone emerged from the Project Blowed collective, considered to be the longest-running open mic hip-hop workshop.[4] He began rapping as part of the group Freestyle Fellowship, which consisted of Aceyalone, Myka 9, and Self Jupiter. Later, P.E.A.C.E. Freestyle Fellowship developed a reputation for influencing a style of fast double-time rap used by rappers like Busta Rhymes, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, and Migos.[5]

Aceyalone was part of Freestyle Fellowship releases of To Whom It May Concern... and Innercity Griots and a Project Blowed compilation in 1994.

Solo projects Aceyalone signed as a solo artist to Capitol Records after the Freestyle Fellowship failed to break into mainstream radio with Island Records.[5]

Aceyalone released his debut solo album, All Balls Don't Bounce, in 1995.[3] He returned three years later with the dark concept album A Book of Human Language, which was a collaboration with producer Mumbles.[6][7] His third solo album, Accepted Eclectic, was released in 2001 and featured Abstract Rude with production from Evidence.[8][9][10] He released Hip Hop and the World We Live In in 2002.[11] Aceyalone's next offering came a year later, and was titled Love & Hate.[12][13][14] The track “Find Out” was featured on the soundtrack to You Got Served.[15] In 2006, Aceyalone released Magnificent City, a collaborative album with producer RJD2,[16][17] followed by the Grand Imperial mixtape.[18]

Aceyalone frequently collaborates with producer Bionik, including on the 2007 release Lightning Strikes and the 2009 release Aceyalone & the Lonely Ones. Both albums explored different genres – dancehall and doo-wop, respectively – as part of Aceyalone's goal of “exploring the world of music through hip hop.”[15] The Phil Spector-inspired Aceyalone & the Lonely Ones followed.[19] Inspired by Spector's Wall of Sound, Motown and Bo Diddley, Aceyalone said: “I'm not from that era, but this is my ode to it. I'm just putting myself into that character as a showman and bandleader.”[19] Leanin' on Slick, released in 2013 with Decon Records, continued the retro flow of the previous release, this time taking inspiration from 1960s style-R&B and hot buttered soul.[20][21]

Style and influences Aceyalone has been noted particularly for his innovative lyrical style and content. Some attribute the double-time rap styles that emerged in the mid-1990s to Aceyalone and Freestyle Fellowship, although this is disputed by others.[22]

Aceyalone and Freestyle Fellowship were noted for their rejection of the West Coast trend of gangsta rap. Aceyalone developed strong critiques of rap music's commercialization and glorification of violence.[6]