BIO:

Montreal native Bless has been surrounded by music his entire life. He began demoing songs at age 12, and has since grown to become one of the hottest up and coming Canadian artists in the industry. With an extensive background in hip-hop and his signature up-tempo beats, Bless has created a musical path all his own.

Feeling creatively restricted within the confines of hip-hop, Bless formed Sound Machine Productions in collaboration with partner Mano in 2008, paving the way for a whole new generation of sound–fusing electro, rock and hip hop beats.

Bless's latest project is The Night Before EP, which is a precursor to a full-length album entitled The Day After, due out summer 2011. The first 2 singles… Keep It Gully and Generation showcase Bless's bold fusing of styles and genre bending powers. Whereas we see a more deep and introspective Bless on the upcoming April Showers…a tribute to The late Guru and Bless's sister.

As one of the most respected lyricists in the country, at 16, the young MC already had a large following and ventured to New York City making some key collaborations with industry heavy weights such as Limp Bizkit and Rahiem (Grandmaster Flash). At the famed Rock Steady Crews 25th Anniversary Bless was discovered by the legendary Guru of Gangstarr, and was inducted into the world famous Gangstarr foundation. Bless toured as Gurus hype man and traveled the world. When the tour completed, Bless began work on his debut 12" for Gurus Ill Kid imprint, which was famed for classics by Jeru the Damaja and Group Home. The result was Talkin to Me featuring Guru - still considered an underground classic.

In addition to being an artist, Bless also has his own label, Platinumberg Entertainment. The labels first release Platinumberg: The Movement, a compilation featuring Guru, Afu-Ra, Mr. Wiggles (Rock Steady Crew), T.F.S. and Dexter D. Went on to receive critical acclaim. "This is the most important Rap CD to emerge from Canada", the Montreal Gazette exclaimed. The first three singles, My Time, Against The Grain and What Ya Gon Do all charted on MuchMusic's RapCity Top 5. My Time was also featured in ESPNs football drama Playmakers.

Bless made history in 2004 by being the first Canadian artist to have his own character in a video game, Def Jam Fight for New York which has sold over 3,000,000 copies worldwide. The interactive game features Bless alongside hip-hop's biggest stars and also features two of his songs on the soundtrack.

Bless then went on to release his second album The Book of Bless (2005) which featured Rah Digga of Flipmode, Cappadonna of Wu-Tang, JR Writer of Dipset, Planet Asia and Tony Touch. He toured the album extensively with Obie Trice, Beatnuts, De La Soul, Gangstarr and Lloyd Banks (G unit) playing to sold-out venues across North America. The tour was followed by a mix tape featuring Clinton Sparks, including exclusive tracks with Twista, Tupac and many more.

Armed with his EP, The Night Before and upcoming full-length album, The Day After, Bless is blazing trails and building his legend as a trendsetter. With his electrifying new sound, he will definitely be the one to look out for in 2011!

MUSIC:

Bless - The Night Before EP

Available on iTunes