Blacastan

Underground rapper Blacastan, recognized for a classic street style paired with an uncompromising refusal to sell out, calls Hartford, CT home. During his teenage years he developed an interest in hip-hop, though drug dealing occupied the bulk of his schedule. His strong-arm approach to business resulted in a mid-'90s arrest that saw the 16-year-old Blacastan tried as an adult. Time behind bars provided ample opportunity to listen, and he gravitated toward the underground aesthetic of the Lyricist Lounge and Soundbombing compilation series as well as artists such as Nas and Pharoahe Monch. After immersing himself further in the underground while sharpening his own rhymes, he left prison equipped with formidable skills and a throwback aesthetic. The 2007 mixtape Me Against the Radio earned underground acclaim, particularly its standout track "Life as a Tape." Subsequent guest spots appeared on projects by Blue Sky Black Death, the Branch Davidians, and Jean Grae. In 2009 the DJ Doom-produced cut "How Can You Be So Sure" surfaced online, which Blacastan confirmed as an early preview of the forthcoming Colombian Blac EP.