Rasheed

Known for his rapid flow and frosty instrumentals, Rasheed rose from the East Coast battle-rap circuit to serve as a central producer at Dope House Records. Philadelphia was his childhood home, where he delved into poetry during adolescence after instructors urged him to enrich the rhymes he performed around campus. He competed regularly on the battle circuit and made frequent trips to New York City for events. In his late teens he relocated to Houston, linked up with area MCs, and issued the independent EP Livin' in D Ghetto in 1994. That same year he completed the full-length Funk Is in the Air, yet imprisonment followed its release and blocked any promotional efforts. Dope House Records nevertheless admired the self-released projects; upon his 1996 freedom they invited him into the roster. He both produced and rhymed alongside Lil' Troy and Kid Frost, among others, issuing the single "Internal Affairs" in 1999 and the album Let the Games Begin the following year. The record highlighted his swift lyrical attack together with funky Dirty South-style beats, solidifying his alliance with South Park Mexican, the label’s chief architect. Ahead of South Park’s 2002 incarceration, Rasheed supplied vocals and production to SPM: The Purity Album and Never Change, in addition to further Dope House releases.