User:Mr riverofroses/Byzantine Kings

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Byzantine Kings [pronounced: \ˈbi-zən-ˌtēn] The Byzantine Kings are a group of emcees (rappers) hailing from New York City [the Bronx & Brooklyn] and Philadelphia. The members of the group are also soloists. They are particularly known for their "Saint" names. They call themselves after various Saints in world history, who they firmly believe were people of color. The names consist of; Saint Ivan the Terrible [though not yet a "canonized" Saint], Saint Basil the Black Russian [whom they say was a Black man], Saint Valentine the Legend, Saint Justinian the Young Emperor, Saint El Cid the Black Spaniard [also not a "canonized" Saint] and Saint Pescinius the Niger/Golden Child [also not a "canonized" Saint]. The Byzantine Kings have been together as a rap group a little shy over a decade. In the time they've been together, they have released several Mix Tapes that can be downloaded for free via various Mix Tape websites. Such as; www.datpiff.com, wwww.thatcrack.com, www.tweetmysong.com.

The Byzantine Kings are the recipients of the 2005 Underground Music Award for Best Rap Group. One of the groups' members [Saint Basil] is the recipient of the 2003 Underground Music Award for Best Male Rapper. They currently are nominated for the 2011 Underground Music Awards in three separate categories. The categories are as follows; Best Rap Group, Best Underground Mix Tape/Street Album, and Song of the Year ["Guilty!" - by Saint Ivan the Terrible].