The Thanksgiving Hip Hop Explosion featuring…Grand Puba, Special Ed, Dana Dane, Chubb Rock, Nice & Smooth, and Rah Digga

:: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ::

March 26th, 2009

Hip-Hop legend and founding member of the seminal group Brand Nubian, Grand Puba announces his signing with indie powerhouse Babygrande Records for the release of his fourth solo album, "Retroactive" on June 23, 2009.

Grand Puba has been a crucial participant in the hip-hop movement since its early days. Originally a member of the group Masters of Ceremony, he became the lead emcee of the New Rochelle-based Brand Nubian in 1989. Although their upbeat music and positive lyrics tied them strongly to the Native Tongues movement (De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest etc.) Brand Nubian's politics and religion were always at the forefront of their music, paving the way for groups like Dead Prez, RZA & GZA (of Wu-Tang), Black Star, Brother Ali & countless others.

As a solo artist, Grand Puba has been extremely successful as well. Many consider both his release of "Reel 2 Reel," ('92) and "2000" ('95) to be classics. In 1998, he reunited with Brand Nubian for "Foundation" and in 2004 for "Fire In The Hole" on Babygrande. With the forthcoming "Retroactive" release, Grand Puba once again returns to his trademark style--brilliant lyrics, socio-political themes and a smooth laid-back delivery. Grand Puba's flow is as refined as ever, his beat selection top-notch, and the finished project promises to fill a much needed void in hip-hop, at a time when positive, progressive and upbeat messages are sorely needed in the world. "Grand Puba is the father to so many styles in hip-hop. Its good to have him back--the game needs him. We have a great relationship with Brand Nubian and we had so much success with Lord Jamar's solo release in 2006 that it only makes sense to keep it in the family," says Chuck Wilson Babygrande's CEO.

:: GRAND PUBA | RETROACTIVE ::

Release Date: June 23rd, 2009 on Babygrande Records

Chubb Rock is a New York-based rapper who released several commercially successful hip hop albums in the early 1990s. A former National Merit Scholar, Chubb Rock was a pre-med student who dropped out of Brown University to pursue his musical career.1990s and earlierDiscovered and produced by his first cousin DJ / Producer Howie Tee, Chubb Rock first appeared on the national scene with his 1988 self-titled debut "Chubb Rock" and 1989's "And the winner is..." The latter produced the minor hit "Ya Bad Chubbs" which garnered air play on Yo! MTV Raps during that time.His 1991 release entitled The One, reached No. 13 on Billboard's "Top Hip-Hop/R&B" chart for that year. Three singles from that release, "Treat'em Right", "Just The Two of Us" and "The Chubbster", made it to No. 1 on Billboard's "Top Rap Single" chart list for the same year.The following year saw the release of I Gotta Get Mine, Yo, a release that featured guest performances from Grand Puba Maxwell and Poke. This release also helped fledgling music producers Trackmasters, on its rise to prominence, as the group handled production duties on the recording. Chubb Rock also made an appearance on MC Serch's 1992 song "Back to the Grill."Chubb Rock was a member of the 1995 incarnation of the Crooklyn Dodgers, a hip hop act that also featured OC and Jeru the Damaja. His backup dancers started another group, A.T.E.E.M, which released its debut, A Hero Ain't Nothin' But A Sandwich, in 1992 on Select Records.

Rashia Tashan Fisher (born December 18, 1974) is an American rapper, model and actress better known by her stage name Rah Digga. She is best known as a longtime member of the Flipmode Squad, a hip hop group led by Busta Rhymes. She has been called "one of rap's most prominent women MCs" by Allmusic and "one of hip hop's most skilled female MCs" in the book How to Rap. Throughout her career, Rah Digga has collectively sold over 1 million records worldwide. Rah Digga was born in New Jersey.