Artist El-P

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El-P

El-P's influence on the hip-hop underground isn't always completely obvious because he dwells in shadows of his own creations. The Brooklyn-born MC and producer already had a strong dual voice on his group Company Flow's 1997 album Funcrusher Plus: frigid, eerie beats, and a fluid, sinister flow. In addition to founding the Definitive Jux label and producing for many of its artists (Aesop Rock, Cage, Cannibal Ox, etc.), he's released beautifully bleak solo albums like 2007's I'll Sleep When You're Dead. This year he offered another helping of his distinctive synth-spookery, the instrumental mix-tape Weareallgoingtoburninhell Megamixxx3. He also recently stepped down as Def Jux label head to focus on his own output, which raises hopes for a proper Sleep follow-up soon.

Updated 06/29/2010