A rapper cut from the Ice Cube archetype, Elucid is the rare artist able to seamlessly blend street knowledge with coherent political philosophy. Blessed with an unmistakable growl and relentless delivery, the 23-year old rapper weaves vividly detailed narratives that frequently deal with the theme of reconciling hardship and struggle with hope for the future. Genuinely gifted with words, Elucid’s knack for personalizing larger issues is undeniable: “I quoted Malcolm in my yearbook/ Dedicated to niggas who didn’t finish the year up/ My senior class never went to Europe/ I was blessed – I was tapping ass on the tour bus.” Elucid, who was born in Queens, raised in Long Island and currently resides in Brooklyn, sold 2,000 copies of his first album, 2002’s The Bible and the Gun, solely through self-promotion and hand-to-hand sales as he traveled from New York to Miami. It was backbreaking business, but he was effective enough to earn a spot on the stage at venues such as S.O.B.’s, The Nokia Theater, The University of Connecticut, The Hartford Civic Center and The Maryland Civic Center. Elucid has shared billing with rappers including Fat Joe, Jadakiss, Fabolous and Black Rob and has appeared on college radio stations such as WUSB Stonybrook and the University of Pittsburgh. His mixtape, The Progress Mixtape, was released in 2006 and his forthcoming album, Save Yourself, is planned for 2007.