F. Stokes

Rapper F. Stokes moved to Brooklyn, New York, but he seems more attached to his onetime hometown of Madison than anywhere else. He frequently bounces back to town for shows, and teamed with Madison DJ crew Dirty Disco Kidz to put out the mix-tape F.I.L.M. (Forever I Love Madison), a remix of his short 2009 album with Minneapolis producer Lazerbeak, Death Of A Handsome Bride. Stokes’ rhymes thrive on a powerful mix of street-tough and nice-guy on the bittersweet storytelling of “Jeremiah,” the exciting swagger of “Soul Clap,” and the oddly intriguing “Letter To Rihanna”—which samples a “My Heart Will Go On” piano instrumental—off his 2010 Baked Goods mix-tape. He’ll be riding in on the strength of his absolutely irresistible new single, “My Simple,” featured on the upcoming Love, Always EP, due March 6.

Updated 02/01/2012