Mars Black

Deriving his stage name from Mars Blackman—the figure portrayed in Spike Lee's 1980s Nike Air Jordan commercials—rapper Mars Black launched his trajectory in Omaha, NE, and subsequently relocated to N.Y.C. to pursue hip-hop more intently. Passing on offers from Bad Boy and Def Jam, he instead aligned himself with Conor Oberst's Team Love imprint, where he remained the lone rapper amid a lineup built chiefly around indie rock, indie electro, and folk acts. After a full year of studio work, Folks Music appeared in 2005 as his debut album, with D.J.E.Babbs supplying the turntables, and Stay Black arrived in 2008.