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Raised on a steady diet of Ready To Die and Supreme Clientele, equipped with a penchant for
dizzying internal rhyme, and damn near impossible to outrap, 27-year-old Richmond, VA artist
Fly Anakin has established himself as one of the country’s most essential rappers dedicated to
transmuting the rugged spirit of ‘90s New York and sending it spinning into the future. He is
linchpin of Richmond’s rap community and the co-founder of the Richmond-based rap
collective Mutant Academy. Since 2015, he has released over 25 projects, including many with
his inner circle of rap friends, including Tuamie, Ohbliv, Big Kahuna OG, Koncept Jack$on, Henny
L.O., and Birmingham hero Pink Siifu. In this span, Anakin has placed collaboration at the core of
his artistic identity, and he’s honed his sharp, observational, and sometimes surreal manner and
the bulletproof sneer with which he delivers it. All the while, he’s maintained a DIY ethos,
recording an estimated 95% of his music at home. His wizardry has garnered extensive praise
from Pitchfork, which wrote,

“Fly Anakin is a marvel to behold, the kind of lightning-in-a-bottle
technician who makes you drop what you’re doing to better absorb his enunciation, syllable
placement, and superhuman breath control.” Fly Anakin has been rapping for nearly two

decades and it shows—but his prime has only just begun.

Fly Anakin recently released his latest album Frank on March 11, 2022 via the British

independent label Lex Records. The project marks a new chapter in Anakin’s artistic trajectory. It
includes a wider array of collaborators, including Madlib, with whom he has another joint project
in the works. He folds in melodies for the first time, inspired by his fondness of R&B, which he
first cultivated on childhood Sundays when his dad would blast Marvin Gaye, Lenny Williams,
and Luther Vandross. And he continues to experiment with form, having mastered hook-less 1-
to 2-minute songs by his 2020 album At The End Of The Day. There are few other artists today
who are shaping rap’s leading edge while remaining steeped in the genre’s traditions.

Will Cherry is an artist and producer hailing from Cleveland, Ohio. His eclectic influences range from Marvin Gaye to Kanye West and everything in between, and while his music is rooted in hip-hop, he often dips into the sounds he was primarily raised on: Gospel and R&B.

Through producing and mixing his own music, Will has curated his own sonic palette and directing his own videos has led to a consistently clear vision. Over the years, the artist has collaborated with Baby Tate, Dreamer Isioma, Sango, and many other artists to create some of his most memorable songs. His work been covered on MTV, Pitchfork and Pigeons & Planes, while his videos have won honors in the Cleveland Short. Sweet. Film Fest and been featured in the London Music Video Festival.

Through booming production, sleek vocals and atypical arrangements, Will's music is as unpredictable as it is infectious, and presents a unique perspective.