Pacewon

Pacewon helped form the Outsidaz, and the crew’s contribution to the Fugees’ hit album The Score opened the door for him, as it did for several other MCs in the crew, to launch an individual career. His smooth delivery and sly, witty phrasing gave the verses a calm, reflective quality even inside the wide-ranging approaches of the large hip-hop collective. While many of his bandmates rushed into solo work, Pacewon held back until the Outsidaz had issued their first project, Night Life, on Chris Schwartz’s Rough Life Records. Those appearances, together with guest spots on releases by Redman and Rah Digga, persuaded Schwartz to offer him a solo deal in 2002. Drawing support from Wyclef Jean, Kurupt, and fellow Outsidaz member Young Zee, Pacewon crafted the album Won, whose groovy beats—supplied by Jay-Z producer SKI—centered on his magnetic presence and boastful rhymes. Later that year he teamed with the U.K. trip-hop outfit Morcheeba, who featured the rapper on the title track of Charango.