Kyle Rapps
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Kyle Sutton (born March 4, 1980),Kyle Rapps profile
hotnewhiphop.com. Accessed October 17, 2014.
better known by his stage name Kyle Rapps, is an American hip hop artist from
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
.


Early life and education

Sutton was born in
Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 200,117 in 2024, Grand Rapids is the List of municipalities ...
, and raised in
Princeton, New Jersey The Municipality of Princeton is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It was established on January 1, 2013, through the consolidation of the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey, Borough of Princeton and Pri ...
, primarily by his mother. His father was a minister.Marcel Hidalgo
“Kyle Rapps Discusses Breaking Out Of The Cocoon,”
''Prefix'', July 1, 2013.
Sutton attended
Rutgers University Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...
, earning a BA in Spanish.Carrie Stetler
“Mayhem Poets Tour the World, but Their Legacy Stays on Campus,”
Rutgers Today, January 27, 2012.
In 2015, he relocated from
Harlem, New York Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan ...
to
Mexico City, Mexico Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
.Nick Vukorepa
“Kyle Rapps – ‘Architecture’ (Feat. Murs),”
Earmilk, December 24, 2013.


Career


As Skeptik

While at Rutgers, under the pseudonym Skeptik, he formed the underground hip hop group Thought Breakers. Their debut EP, ''Episode 1'', was released in 2004 and independently sold over 10,000 copies. The group opened for
Wyclef Jean Nel Ust Wyclef Jean ( ; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, singer, and record producer. Born in Haiti, Jean emigrated to the Northeastern United States, United States as a child. He gained fame as a founding member of the Fugees, a Ne ...
,
Fat Joe Joseph Antonio Cartagena (born August 19, 1970), better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper. He began recording as a member of Hip-hop, hip hop group D.I.T.C., Diggin' in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.) in 1992, and pursued a sol ...
,
Talib Kweli Talib Kweli Greene (; born October 3, 1975) is an American rapper. He first earned recognition through his collaboration with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def (now known as Yasiin Bey) in 1997, when they formed the group Black Star. Kweli's music ...
and
Dead Prez Dead Prez (stylized in lowercase) is an American hip hop duo composed of M-1 and stic.man, formed in 1996 in New York City. They are known for their confrontational style, combined with lyrics focused on both militant social justice, self-de ...
.“New Music: Kyle Rapps X Talib Kweli ‘Universe Traveler’,”
'' Respect.'', July 21, 2011.
Around that time, he formed a spoken-word poetry collective, Mayhem Poets. In 2007, the collective won a
Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...
small business competition, enabling them to establish the open mic venue Slam Chops in Manhattan, which stayed open for two years. Also in 2007, the collective had a two-month
off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
run at the
New Victory Theater The New Victory Theater is a theatre (building), theater at 209 42nd Street (Manhattan), West 42nd Street in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, near Times Square. Built in 1900 as the Republ ...
. After a 2009 trip to
Liberia Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to Guinea–Liberia border, its north, Ivory Coast to Ivory Coast–Lib ...
with Mayhem Poets, Sutton began to go by the name Black Skeptik, and released titles "Rent" and "Frankenstein Saves Hip Hop".


As Kyle Rapps

In 2010, now going by Kyle Rapps, he released the single "Love, Love," featuring
KRS-One Lawrence "Kris" Parker (born August 20, 1965), better known by his stage names KRS-One (; an abbreviation of "Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone") and Teacha, is an American rapper from the Bronx. He rose to prominence as part of the ...
and
Homeboy Sandman Angel Del Villar II (born September 24, 1980), better known by his stage name Homeboy Sandman, is an American rapper from Elmhurst, Queens, New York, United States. Career Homeboy Sandman recorded and released his first EP, ''Nourishment'', in M ...
. In 2011, his ''RE-Edutainment'' mixtape came out, with the title in homage to the 1990
Boogie Down Productions Boogie Down Productions (BDP) was an American hip-hop group formed in the Bronx, New York City, in 1986. It originally consisted of KRS-One, D-Nice, and DJ Scott La Rock. DJ Scott La Rock was murdered on August 27, 1987, five months after the ...
album ''
Edutainment Educational entertainment, also referred to by the portmanteau edutainment, is media designed to education, educate through entertainment. The term has been used as early as 1933. Most often it includes content intended to teach but has inciden ...
''. KRS-One,
Joell Ortiz Joell Christopher Ortiz (born July 6, 1980) is an American rapper and former member of the group Slaughterhouse. Raised in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn's Cooper Park Houses, he first gained recognition after appearing in the Unsigned Hype colu ...
and
U-N-I U-N-I (short for "U-N-I to the Verse") are a hip hop duo from Inglewood, Los Angeles, consisting of Y-O (born Yonas Semere Michael) and Thurzday (born Yannick Koffi).Smith, Camilo (2008)U-N-I will host party at Holy Grail sneaker shop tonight; ...
appear on the mixtape. Later in 2011, Rapps released ''On Air'', featuring appearances from Talib Kweli,
C-Rayz Walz Waleed Shabazz (born August 3, 1975), better known by his stage name C-Rayz Walz, is an American rapper from the Bronx, New York. He has been a member of the collective Stronghold. Early life Waleed Shabazz was born and raised in the Bronx, Ne ...
, KRS-One and Homeboy Sandman. The eight-track mixtape is built around samples from French electronic music duo
Air An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmosph ...
. In June 2013, Mishka NYC Records released ''SUB'', Rapps' first full-length album, produced by Belief and featuring collaborations with
Murs Murs may refer to: People * Marc Athanase Parfait Œillet des Murs (1804-1878), French ornithologist * Olly Murs (born 1984), English singer-songwriter * Murs (rapper) (born 1978), American rapper Places * Murs, Indre, France * Murs, Vaucluse, Fr ...
,
Action Bronson Ariyan Arslani (born December 2, 1983), professionally known as Action Bronson, is an American rapper and television presenter. Born and raised in Queens, he released his debut mixtape ''Bon Appetit ..... Bitch!!!!!'' in January 2011 and indepe ...
,
Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire Hugh Anthony Allison (born 1986), better known by his stage name Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire (often censored as Mr. MFN eXquire or simply eXquire), is an American rapper. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he debuted with the release of his first mixtape, ...
, Aaron Cohen and Spaceman. ''Earmilk'' called it "a mesmerizing selection of songs." In 2014, Rapps put out the single "The Sky's on Fire", produced by
Belief A belief is a subjective Attitude (psychology), attitude that something is truth, true or a State of affairs (philosophy), state of affairs is the case. A subjective attitude is a mental state of having some Life stance, stance, take, or opinion ...
and featuring vocals by Adrienne Mack-Davis. In 2017, Rapps released "Latrell", its title and sampled intro referencing
Latrell Sprewell Latrell Fontaine Sprewell (born September 8, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Golden State Warriors, the New York Knicks, and the Minnesota Timberwolves in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Du ...
, a former professional basketball player who was suspended for attacking his Golden State Warriors coach P.J. Carlesimo in 1997. In 2020, Rapps performed virtually over Zoom at Soul Vey, a Black and Jewish community event led by Adam Swig and Kosha Dillz. Rapps has collaborated with a large variety of other music artists, including
KRS-One Lawrence "Kris" Parker (born August 20, 1965), better known by his stage names KRS-One (; an abbreviation of "Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone") and Teacha, is an American rapper from the Bronx. He rose to prominence as part of the ...
,
Homeboy Sandman Angel Del Villar II (born September 24, 1980), better known by his stage name Homeboy Sandman, is an American rapper from Elmhurst, Queens, New York, United States. Career Homeboy Sandman recorded and released his first EP, ''Nourishment'', in M ...
, Diwon,
Action Bronson Ariyan Arslani (born December 2, 1983), professionally known as Action Bronson, is an American rapper and television presenter. Born and raised in Queens, he released his debut mixtape ''Bon Appetit ..... Bitch!!!!!'' in January 2011 and indepe ...
,
Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire Hugh Anthony Allison (born 1986), better known by his stage name Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire (often censored as Mr. MFN eXquire or simply eXquire), is an American rapper. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he debuted with the release of his first mixtape, ...
,
Murs Murs may refer to: People * Marc Athanase Parfait Œillet des Murs (1804-1878), French ornithologist * Olly Murs (born 1984), English singer-songwriter * Murs (rapper) (born 1978), American rapper Places * Murs, Indre, France * Murs, Vaucluse, Fr ...
, Adrienne Mack-Davis,
Belief A belief is a subjective Attitude (psychology), attitude that something is truth, true or a State of affairs (philosophy), state of affairs is the case. A subjective attitude is a mental state of having some Life stance, stance, take, or opinion ...
, Hefna Gwap,
Talib Kweli Talib Kweli Greene (; born October 3, 1975) is an American rapper. He first earned recognition through his collaboration with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def (now known as Yasiin Bey) in 1997, when they formed the group Black Star. Kweli's music ...
,
Chuuwee Dionte Hunter, better known by his stage name Chuuwee (born September 7, 1990) is an American hip hop artist from Sacramento, California. Chuuwee spent many years of his life moving around as a child. He lived in nearly every neighborhood of Sac ...
, Faruz Feet, Dirt E. Dutch,
Joell Ortiz Joell Christopher Ortiz (born July 6, 1980) is an American rapper and former member of the group Slaughterhouse. Raised in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn's Cooper Park Houses, he first gained recognition after appearing in the Unsigned Hype colu ...
, Sly5thAve, Aaron Cohen, Brody, Y-Love, Nathan Sela, Vulkan the Krusader, Sam Siegel, S'natra, DJ JS-1, Breez Brewin, Dru the Monster, Nelson, Little Freckles, Ali Salah Rasé, and Ray Contour.


Discography


Albums

* ''SUB'' (w/
Belief A belief is a subjective Attitude (psychology), attitude that something is truth, true or a State of affairs (philosophy), state of affairs is the case. A subjective attitude is a mental state of having some Life stance, stance, take, or opinion ...
) (2013, Mishka NYC Records) * ''Colossus Theory'' (w/ Vulkan The Krusader) (2015) * ''Perverse Ramblings'' (2017)


Singles

* "Rent" – as Black Skeptik, with
KRS-One Lawrence "Kris" Parker (born August 20, 1965), better known by his stage names KRS-One (; an abbreviation of "Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone") and Teacha, is an American rapper from the Bronx. He rose to prominence as part of the ...
(2009, Mayhem Poets Entertainment) * "Frankenstein Saves Hip Hop" – as Black Skeptik (2009, Mayhem Poets Entertainment, Blockhead) * "Love, Love" – featuring
KRS-One Lawrence "Kris" Parker (born August 20, 1965), better known by his stage names KRS-One (; an abbreviation of "Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone") and Teacha, is an American rapper from the Bronx. He rose to prominence as part of the ...
and
Homeboy Sandman Angel Del Villar II (born September 24, 1980), better known by his stage name Homeboy Sandman, is an American rapper from Elmhurst, Queens, New York, United States. Career Homeboy Sandman recorded and released his first EP, ''Nourishment'', in M ...
(2010, Diamond Music Group / Mayhem Poets Entertainment) * "Portlandia" – with Diwon (2012, Shemspeed) * "Mr. Rogers" – with Diwon (2012, Shemspeed) * "Get It In" – featuring
Action Bronson Ariyan Arslani (born December 2, 1983), professionally known as Action Bronson, is an American rapper and television presenter. Born and raised in Queens, he released his debut mixtape ''Bon Appetit ..... Bitch!!!!!'' in January 2011 and indepe ...
(2012, Mishka NYC - from ''SUB'') * "Watch Out" (2013, Mishka NYC - from ''SUB'') * "Super Glue" – featuring
Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire Hugh Anthony Allison (born 1986), better known by his stage name Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire (often censored as Mr. MFN eXquire or simply eXquire), is an American rapper. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he debuted with the release of his first mixtape, ...
(2013, Mishka NYC - from ''SUB'') * "Architecture" – featuring
Murs Murs may refer to: People * Marc Athanase Parfait Œillet des Murs (1804-1878), French ornithologist * Olly Murs (born 1984), English singer-songwriter * Murs (rapper) (born 1978), American rapper Places * Murs, Indre, France * Murs, Vaucluse, Fr ...
(2013, Mishka NYC - from ''SUB'') * "The Sky's on Fire" – featuring Adrienne Mack-Davis and
Belief A belief is a subjective Attitude (psychology), attitude that something is truth, true or a State of affairs (philosophy), state of affairs is the case. A subjective attitude is a mental state of having some Life stance, stance, take, or opinion ...
(2014) * "Hold Tyte" with Hefna Gwap (2014, Mishka NYC - from ''European Tic Tacs'') * "Searchin'" with Hefna Gwap featuring Aaron Cohen (2014, Mishka NYC - from ''European Tic Tacs'') * "God-Like" (2015 - from ''Colossus Theory'') * "D.F." (2015 - from ''Colossus Theory)'' * "Bunker" (2016) * "Michigan" (2016, Diamond Music Group) * "Fiction" (2017 - from ''Perverse Ramblings'') * "Eulogy" (2017 - from ''Perverse Ramblings'') * "Latrell" (2017 - from ''Perverse Ramblings'') * "Dark Hour" (2018) * "Green on Red" (2018) * "Shiba Inu" (2018) * "Fxckvision" (2019) * "Art Monk" (2019, Mayhem Entertainment) * "Black Suburbs" (2019, Mayhem Entertainment) * "TD" (2019, Mayhem Entertainment) * "This is Medicine" with
Talib Kweli Talib Kweli Greene (; born October 3, 1975) is an American rapper. He first earned recognition through his collaboration with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def (now known as Yasiin Bey) in 1997, when they formed the group Black Star. Kweli's music ...
(2019) * "Don't Try" (2019, Mayhem Entertainment) * "Gtfo" with
Chuuwee Dionte Hunter, better known by his stage name Chuuwee (born September 7, 1990) is an American hip hop artist from Sacramento, California. Chuuwee spent many years of his life moving around as a child. He lived in nearly every neighborhood of Sac ...
(2020) * "Barrio Chino" with Faruz Feet (2020) * "Mrs. Huxtable" with Dirt E. Dutch and Chris Keys (2020, Mayhem Entertainment) * "Bitd" with
Joell Ortiz Joell Christopher Ortiz (born July 6, 1980) is an American rapper and former member of the group Slaughterhouse. Raised in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn's Cooper Park Houses, he first gained recognition after appearing in the Unsigned Hype colu ...
(2020) * "Mourning" with Sly5thAve (2020)


Mixtapes

* ''Episode 1'' – as Skeptik, with Thought Breakers (2004) * ''RE-Edutainment'' (2011) * ''On Air'' (2011) * ''Syndication'' (w/ Diwon) (2012)


EPs

* ''Tyrone Gosling'' w/ Diwon * ''European Tic Tacs'' w/ Hefna Gwap (Mishka NYC, 2014)


Collaborations

* "Let It Go" – Dirt E. Dutch featuring Kyle Rapps (2011, Little Ax - from ''Bars Magica'') * "Forget It"- Aaron Cohen featuring Kyle Rapps (2012, Mishka NYC - from ''MURK'') * "Good Life" – Diwon featuring Brody, Kyle Rapps, Y-Love and Nathan Sela (2013, Bancs Media - from ''New Game'') * "Hikaru" - Vulkan The Krusader featuring Kyle Rapps (2014, from ''VX-13: Do You Remember Love'') * "Lifted (Remix)" - Sam Siegel & S'natra featuring Kyle Rapps, Hefna Gwap, Lord of the Fly, and T-Shyne (2014) * "110 Percent" - DJ JS-1 featuring Breez Brewin,
Homeboy Sandman Angel Del Villar II (born September 24, 1980), better known by his stage name Homeboy Sandman, is an American rapper from Elmhurst, Queens, New York, United States. Career Homeboy Sandman recorded and released his first EP, ''Nourishment'', in M ...
and Kyle Rapps (2014, Ground Original - from ''It is What it Isn't'') * "Clyde Frazier" - Dru the Monster featuring Kyle Rapps (2015 - from ''Monsters Never Die'') * "Lost Touch" - Nelson featuring Kyle Rapps (2015, RRCB/Diamond Media 360 - from ''Seven Ye)'' * "Sleep on It" - Little Freckles, written in collaboration with Kyle Rapps (201

* "Wieder" - Ali Salah Rasé featuring Kyle Rapps (2017, Hiena Voyeur - from ''Prieto)'' * "I Got a Story to Tell" - Ray Contour featuring Kyle Rapps (2019 - from ''East Coast Gold'')


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rapps, Kyle 1980 births Living people 21st-century African-American male rappers 21st-century American male rappers 20th-century American male rappers East Coast hip-hop musicians Musicians from Grand Rapids, Michigan Musicians from Princeton, New Jersey Rappers from Michigan Rappers from New Jersey Rappers from New York City Rutgers University alumni 21st-century American rappers 21st-century American male musicians 21st-century African-American musicians 20th-century African-American musicians