PAULIE RHYME (Paul Richardson) is not your typical emcee, but he should be. Raised in the Rustbelt city of Cleveland, OH, RHYME was bred in a dichotomy of struggle and privilege, poverty and wealth, school and streets. Spending time on various sides of the tracks for better and for worse, allowed RHYME to experience various degrees of separation and integration, in a community where color, money, and religion weaved together to define your place in society. This also translated into the musical surroundings where gospel, funk, jazz, rock, and an emerging art form were bringing people together, and keeping people apart. These experiences would shape the viewpoints and creative voice that would turn an inner city college athlete into an aspiring educator (RHYME has his BA in Political Science and Master’s in Adult Education) into a torchbearer for this thing we call, Hip Hop.

In 2001, PAULIE RHYME would step to the stage fulltime as a part of the live hip-hop band FINLESS BROWN. FINLESS BROWN gained immediate fanfare through their unorthodox, interactive live shows and open mics, getting nominated for Best Cleveland Band in 2002 and Best Hip Hop Band (Cleveland Scene) in 2003. By 2004, FINLESS BROWN would relocate to the burgeoning BAY AREA,CA scene. While trying out new members, RHYME would record his first international solo release, the Dirt McGirt 12” featuring FELIX (HEIRUSPECS). This would morph into the PDA EP, a more traditional approach to the art form, and see RHYME collaborate with artists such as HEIRUSPECS, ODDJOBS, TUT, and DJ LORD JAZZ of the LORDS OF THE UNDERGROUND.

Being based in the BAY AREA, CA would proved to be an invaluable experience for RHYME, as he would continue to grow with FINLESS BROWN (now MILES OUTSIDE) and also as a solo artist. 2007 would see the release of PUBLIC RADIO, a collaborative effort with SF producer DEEDOT, featuring appearances by RASCO, KHAI SHARRIEFF (LUNAR HTS), POWER STRUGGLE, and MOTO. PUBLIC RADIO would hit 9 on the CMJ Hip Hop charts, and the video for the single, SQUARED CIRCLE, would be featured at the Santa Cruz Film Festival, with the song being nominated as 2009 Hip Hop Song of the Year by Just Plain Folks. The project would also be nationally distributed, allowing RHYME more opportunities to plant his roots in the tour circuit, doing shows all over the United States, Canada and Japan.

Currently PAULIE RHYME is working on his next project, LESS THAN ZERO, presented by acclaimed tastemaker, radio/mixtape DJ MICK BOOGIE (VIVA LA HOVA, SIRIUS) and promoting the release of his 12", DUSK TILL DAWN featuring PRINCE PO of ORGANIZED KONFUSION. He is also featured on the DJ SLY project, BEYOND IT, on the single "LIKE YOU" with KAORU, which reached 4 on Itunes Japan Top Hip Hop Chart, with the album reaching 10 on the Hip Hop Album Chart.

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