One-Six
One-Six, one of the best rappers in the Inland Empire with plans and the potential to be the greatest. One-Six was born in San Bernardino on May 17th,1991 as Brandon Walker but was raised in Riverside, CA since he was 6 years old. Watching his father play the keyboard and record music sparked his passion for music. Since the young age of 8 years old, One-Six has been writing songs not knowing that in the future his ability would be put into use for the world to hear. Brandon Walker became Hot 16 (later to be known as One-Six) in 2006 by the help of his rap group Weaponz Fam (consisting of Die-Verse, Hitman, and Chambo The Gr8). One-Six was 15 years old when he joined Weaponz Fam and was the youngest in the group. With only his raw talent and strong hope, One-Six pursued his dream as a music artist by branching off of Weaponz Fam to pursue a solo career. He began recording with one of his closest friends Will Prescott aka “Still Will” and came out with his first mixtape in 2007 “A Youngn And A Mic”. This mixtape egged him on to improve and bring his city more songs to listen to. As One Six got older his skill improved drastically. His impressive lyrics and style built his confidence high into the sky quickly putting his name out there letting everyone in Riverside know who he is and what he can do. in 2009, Still Will moved to Oakland to pursue his dream of being a heavyweight boxer, giving the studio to One Six. One Six however still pursues his dream. As this talented rapper gets older, he gets better and starts to get a feel on what he wants to be and where he wants to be. By 2012 One-Six dropped his mixtape “Promise” with the help of his partner and brother Jabre Trawick aka ProteJOntheBeat. Within that same year they came to together and created a Collective by the name of BlaQKennedy with the goal to build a team to produce arts in the highest quality. Prepare for one of Inland Empires most elite artists One-Six and his elite Brotherhood BlaqKennedy.
Prote-J
[Prote-J On The Beat]
Prote-J is a Music Producer/Engineer/Artist hailing from the Inland Empire, CA. Born on March 7th, 1993 in West Covina, Prote-J was later relocated to Rialto where he spent the rest of his childhood. While he was always influenced by his father (Mista Grimm) while growing up , music was more of hobby that came second to his basketball dreams. That changed in the summer of 2006 while vacationing in Reno when Prote-J was introduced to FL Studio. This was the first time he was able to translate what he had always felt inside into something other people could understand. During that summer his father forced him to listen to music of different eras and genres which made him appreciate music in a new way. Little did he know that would prove vital to developing "The Ear" he would need later in life. Upon returning home back in California, he spent the next few years maturing his talents and trying to balance his new found love and school life. Finally, after basketball season his junior year, he decided not to return for another and commit to a life of music. Since, Prote-J has continued to evolve his talents in beatmaking and expand his potential by attending and graduating from nearby MI(Musicians Institute) in Hollywood where he majored in audio engineering. While attending MI Prote-J was led to Brandon (One-Six) Walker, another I.E artist in which he was impressed with from day one. Finding themselves in a bad situation with other aspiring artists they, along with Young Ceno, decided it would be in there best of interests to break off but stick together and surround themselves with like-minded artists; Thus, forming what is now BlaQ Kennedy. Now, at the young age of 20, he possesses the tools necessary manifest his own destiny. Together, with One-Six and the rest of the BlaQ Kennedy alliance he plans to leave his name behind as one of the greatest. Some of Prote-J's work to date include the production and engineering behind fellow BlaQ artists albums 'Promise', 'Cold Nights Long Grinds', 'Gone Fishin', & BlaQOut.
Young Ceno
Young Ceno is a young artist from Los Angeles California. In 2009 he moved to The Inland Empire in hopes of a better future. Ceno's motivation for rapping stemmed from seeing and going threw hard times in his life & also freestyle rapping in South Central LA.. The more Ceno focused on music the more he progressed and started to take his music to the next level. When he moved to the Inland Empire he decided to take advantage of all the resources around him... Shortly after, Ceno moved to the IE he paired up with Blaqkennedy. Be sure to stay on the lookout for one of the hottest young rap artist in Southern Cali.
Dope Alchemy
One might think that the Alchemists of Egypt only cared for turning metals into gold and brewing potions for everlasting youth. In reality, what they cared for was the spiritual connection, rather than a connection with things temporal, and the ability to turn something of lesser value into something remarkable. My name is Dope Alchemy. My mind is my engine and the world is my fuel. With crowded thoughts comes suffocation of mind. I aim not to prove anything. I just want you to know that the world would be meaningless without you. I have performed Spoken Word at events such as the Welcome Black Poetry Explosion at Arizona State University, The Urban Art Showcase in Phoenix, AZ, several iAmRoot poetry and art events, and other local events as well. I have a vision of progressing this movement until the wheels fall off. Obstacles are to be overcome and challenges are to be conquered. I'll see you on the other side. One Love.
AJG (AJG909)
AJG is a young diverse artist with a true passion for creating music. Born in Whittier, CA on March 23, 1992 as Angelo Joseph Garcia, he's lived in various cities throughout the Inland Empire but Rialto has always remained his home. AJG first started making home recordings and dubbing cassette tapes as early as 4 years old. At the age of 13, he started to take rapping seriously, releasing numerous mix CDs throughout the next 4 years. 2010 marked his graduation year as well as the year he released his first official mixtape "iDo This". In creating the mixtape he worked exclusively with producer Sky B which lead to their second full length effort, "Free Mason" at the end of 2011. Both mixtapes had included collaborations with BlaQ Kennedy member One-Sixxx. In 2012, AJG began work on the #DoubleCups & #SwisherBlunts mixtape and released a promo single titled "BowFlex" alongside One-Sixxx. In 2015, AJG reached out to Young Ceno & One-Sixxx to feature on his single "Sip'N Til I Feel It Pt 2" and was invited to join BlaQ Kennedy shortly after. With a long awaited mixtape in the works, AJG is looking to release plenty new music this year and put on for BlaQ Kennedy.
JMusiQ
Having already performed for the dignitaries of Nigeria, JMusiQ caught the attention of one of the largest and most well known entertainment companies in Nigeria and captured the hearts of music-loving girls from the United States to Africa. A rising rap artist, he is in a prime position to shine a light on the ever-growing Nigerian music industry. JMusiQ’s style is fresh and new school, laced with that classic pop, R&B and hip hop sound, creating an instantly smooth vibe.
Born to a Nigerian father and an African-American mother in Valdosta, Georgia, JMusiQ represents the South along with Nigeria. He grew up surrounded by traditional, strong Southern family values, and a love and natural talent for writing poetry, that led to his first rap recording at the age of 15.Talib Kweli, Jay-Z, Andre 3000, Kid Cudi, Kanye West, Chance The Rapper and female R&B group Floetry are among Jared's greatest musical influencers.
JMusiQ finds it easy to draw inspiration in a country that is producing the largest amount of quality hip hop talent in Africa. His EP, All The Way, debuted in March of 2013 and created a platform for future successes. The lead single off of his EP, I’m Gone, is currently making its way to all major African video channels including MTV Africa and major radio stations.
Currently, JMusiQ has dual citizenship and divides his time living in both the United States and Africa. With a heavy female fan base in both places, he is en route to globally illuminating Nigeria - a country that is well deserving of attention paid to the music industry they are striving so hard to build.
J.3
J.3 Is a artist coming from the eastside of AV. J.3 Start rapping because he was motivated by his family & friends..
Daniel "DFree" Freeman
Since high school Dfree has been a music producer on the rise. Growing up in the Jungles of Los Angeles, his music journey started when he learned how to play the trumpet in elementary school. Years later he added to his arsenal by learning how to play the piano. On his own he began to master the instrument, and continued grooming his skills by joining the Dunn School Jazz Band. With that not being enough to fullfill his appetite for creating music he started exploring beatmaking as just an extracurricular activity in his dorm room. That same year he met Jared (JMusiQ), a young promising artist, and asked him to rap on his beats. As time went on both DFree and Jared got increasingly better. In college they reunited and Jared invited him to the BlaQ Kennedy family. Since, DFree has been making killer beats and adding his unique style to the BlaQ Kennedy repertoire of music.