Gabriel De Los Reyes is an emerging writer/performer and is currently a member of the First Wave Hip Hop Theatre Collective at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, the first scholarship program of its kind in the world, dedicated to Hip Hop and Spoken Word.  Born in Sacramento, CA and raised in Miami, FL, Gabriel is one of the most diverse, undeniable rising forces in the Hip Hop/Spoken Word community. A leading performer within Miami’s poetry movement, Gabriel has won the city’s Poetry Slam 3 years in a row (’06, ’07, ’08).  In 2006, he was the Inaugural Poet for the Miami Beach Art Season showcase at the Jackie Gleason Theatre.  Gabriel was also a Slam Champion finalist in both the International Brave New Voices competition in 2005, as well as a Slam Champion at the Collegiate Poetry Slam (CUPSI) in 2009.  He has performed his work on radio stations, from Miami’s Power 96 to Los Angeles’ KDAY, the latter of which was for the annual Hip Hop festival “Rock the Bells.” Gabriel has also opened up for Def Poets such as Rafael Casal, Paul Flores, Asia, Rives, Shihan the Poet, Poetri, Will “Da Real One” and Beau Sia, as well as performed alongside artists such as Wale, Fat Joe, and Colin Monroe.  Incorporating his showman skills as a Poet, MC, Beatboxer, and DJ, the nineteen year old is now entering the world of theater, recently premiering an excerpt from his one man show “Wheelz” in Chicago and Miami.  Gabriel plans on publishing books, recording music, and mastering the craft of screenplay writing.

Born Andrew Thomas on the Southside of Minneapolis, Phonetic ONE is a Rapper, Actor, Poet, Singer/song-writer, and Educator. The son of a DJ and Breakdancer, at a very young age Phonetic ONE began learning the proverbial ropes of Hip Hop. He also gained inspiration from his grandmother, an established painter in Minneapolis. It was she who helped him to understand the importance of expression, and he has spent his teen years harnessing that expression through his passion for music. During his Sophomore year in High School he released his first LP entitled, Life Music: Volume ONE. PhoneticONE has worked in the southside community doing Spoken Word/Hip Hop workshops for various youth groups and organizations (such as Upward Bound Vision Quest ran by the University of Minnesota) and has now moved on to Released his more prevalent project, Phonetic Phenom EP (Jan, 2009). Now at 19, Andrew “Phonetic ONE” Thomas has shared the Stage with Minneapolis greats like Big Quarters, Eyedea and Abilities, Heiruspecs and Doomtree. He has also been blessed to perform on a more national level along side artist such as Colin Munroe, Beau Siah, Lemon, U-N-I, and Wale. He is now a student in First Wave, a Hip Hop theatre-based performing arts program at the University of Wisconsin, Madison where he is under the tutelage of Rapper/Spoken Word Artist Rafael Casal and world renown Dancer/Choreographer Chris Walker. Right now he is finishing up his Newest LP, A Year and ONE day On the Bus Stop.

If you want an artist that puts his full self in his music, you probably want J.Dante. This Chicago born MC definately has something to bring to the table. Currently a First Wave student (www.omai.wisc.edu), J.Dante has found the medium between his art and his education. James Gavins has many of hip hops elements under his belt. MCing just happens to be the one that is dominant. Growing up between Chicago and Minneapolis exposed James to different types of artists. He grew up listening to Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, Dilated Peoples, Snoop Dogg, and many others who stood out as artists. His plan is to stand out just as much and even more as an MC. Be sure to get a copy of his new EP, SuperHyperMegaCool, which will be soon downloadable for free.

Camea “The Promise” Osborn is a young spoken word performance poet, actress, community organizer, educator, student and lifelong scholar. She hails from Indianapolis, Indiana but has been performing across the U.S. for several years. She released her first cd titled Promise Kept in August 2009. She is also the star and author of the one woman show titled Langley Street. Camea proclaims that her work is merely a reflection of God’s grace. She aspires to use her art to inspire,educate, medicate, and create positive change in her community and eventually the world.

Karl Iglesias is an aspiring actor, MC, and published author from the south side of Milwaukee, WI. Karl is part of the second cohort of the revolutionary First Wave Hip Hop Theater Ensemble at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, on a full-tuition scholarship for his work. Karl is a two-year BNV Alum (07,08), was the first Wisconsin Grand Slam Champion (08) and was the first artist to be part of the Wisconsin BNV team and the Milwaukee adult team in the same year (08). He was also part of the UW-Madison CUPSI slam team that placed second in the nation in 2009. Karl has performed his work on stages across the nation and has shared the stage with artists such as Rives, Rafael Casal, Dasha Kelly, Beau Sia. As the MC known as Oye, he has shared the stage with Rhymefest, Colin Munroe, and Wale, to name a few. He is featured in the Hip Hop Theater piece Boom Boxed and is currently performing his excerpt of his one-man show entitled If a Tree Falls, which will debut at full length in the spring of 2010. His first book of poetry, as well as his debut EP are both works in progress and are also scheduled to be complete by the summer of 2010.