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Born in San Diego, William Bensussen, The Gaslamp Killer has been on the tongues of countless fans, peers and journalist for the past several years. The Los Angeles-based producer/DJ helped establish the now infamous Low End Theory night at The Airliner in 2006 along with Daddy Kev, DJ Nobody, D-Styles, and MC Nocando. His career has skyrocketed since then and he's one of the most sought after electronic acts in the biz. In support of his new album, The Gaslamp Killer: Live from Los Angeles, he's about to take off on a sizeable tour, which starts June 4 in Arkansas. Visit http://www.thegaslampkiller.com/ for more information. GLK took some time to talk to RAPstation about changing his name, the birth of Low End Theory and scratch nerds. Why did you change your name from DJ W

Born in the era where battle rap reigned, iLL Chris has made a name for himself with his witty punch lines and strong hustle. Born and raised as a military brat in Oklahoma & Virginia, L picked up influences from early 90's hip hop from his older brother. After moving to the west coast, L hit the scene with high gear winning multiple notable emcee battles where he was accepted as a ranked contestant for the MTV "MC Battle" in New York. After once again relocating to Seattle, WA after high-school, iLL Chris aligned himself to the then still unrecognized music scene in the Northwest with his King of Seattle Battle win which was hosted by "106 & Park" champion Jin. Over the last 2 years Chris has displayed a stellar track record of songs and performances along the west coast opening for

Bay Area emcee Deuce Eclipse has made a name for himself with fellow Bay Area hip-hop group Zion I, but he's recently veered off into his own lane with Bang Data. Along with partner-in-crime Juan Manuel Caipo, Deuce Eclipse executes a melting pot of musical genres, including Samba, Ska, Cumbia, Afro, Electro, Bossonova and, of course, hip-hop. Infused with Deuce's Spanish and English lyrics, Bang Data is like a giant cauldron of flavorful soup. Their aptly titled debut album, La Sopa (meaning "soup"), dropped in 2013 and the AMC Emmy Award winning show, Breaking Bad, chose one of the songs for an episode. Clearly on the up and up, Bang Data’s latest album, 2014's Mucho Poco, is garnering plenty of accolades. With summer shows lined up in the Bay Area and beyond

Detroit's hip-hop scene has a storied history and a bright future, and Nametag has one foot in each place. His career origins include records alongside hometown legends like Slum Village and Black Milk while his solo efforts have earned him a rep around the country as one of the city's brightest up and coming voices. After calling various areas of Detroit home, he's the perfect storyteller to narrate the city's ins and outs. Nametag got involved in Detroit's hip-hop history early, and in a big way: his first placement was on Slum Village's compilation Dirty District Vol. 1. From there, he continued to carry his weight on other appearances on Motor City classics such as Dirty District Vol. 2, and Black Milk's "Broken Wax," "Popular Demand" and "The Set Up" with Fat Ray. But while contr

Equipto The RAPstation Interview By Kyle Eustice Best known for his Horns and Halos series with fellow Bay Area rapper Andre Nickatina, Equipto (real name Ilych Sato) graced the mic for the first time in the 1990s. When he was 14, he did his first show for a rollerskating party in Golden Gate Park with a few friends of his, who would eventually form the group Bored Stiff. From there, he stayed focused on making music his career. His first album, 1999's Vintage Volume One and the subsequent Vintage Volume Two and Three, eventually gained the respect of several local artists, including Andre Nickatina. The two paired up for 2002's Midnight Machine Gun Rhymes and Alibis and it was on from there. Horns and Halos dropped in 2005 and was followe

Albuquerque emcee, Wake Self, is proud to announce a new single. https://soundcloud.com/wakeself/different-feat-equipto-miles-bonny-and-raashan-ahmad/s-CuiDM Titled "Different," the song features Bay Area legend Equipto (Andre Nickatina/Bored Stiff), fellow Oaklander/member of Crown City Rockers Raashan Ahmad and singer Miles Bonny. The song reminds the listener to stay true to yourself and avoid mainstream ideals. MaulSkull, who produced Sleep's last album and works with Sadistik, also produced the beat. Check out http://www.wakeself.com/ for more information and for the free download.