YAW GEEZ

Written by CMNY Admin Tuesday, 16 August 2011 12:40

Yaw Ofori-Atta (born in '81 in Hartford, CT), better known as Yaw Geez, is an American rapper set to release upon the world his debut mix-tape "Entry Level", led by his first single "9 to 5'ers" an ode to those dealing with the ups and downs of the working world.

Although he was born in Hartford, Yaw spent most of his formative years in New Jersey. However, due to family ties, he also spent a lot of time in New York, Philly, Boston and D.C. The exposure to different cultures and dialects has had an admitted influence on Yaw's sound as he has adopted certain slang and flows from each of these geographical areas that makes him, his sound and the topics he touches on in his rhymes unique.

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Yaw initially caught the rhyming bug while attending boarding school outside of Philly. While he listened intently to the wordplay of artists such as Notorious B.I.G., Nas, Jay-Z, Mase, LOX, and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, he was also influenced by local Philly artists such as Major Figgas, Beanie Sigel and The Roots. Spending such an integral part of his life in the Philly area has had a long-term impact on Yaw as he openly admits that of all the places he's spent considerable time, Philly has had the biggest influence on his music.

After graduation from high school, Yaw decided to pursue his education further at Oswego State University in Upstate NY. At Oswego State, he would frequently spit freestyles over instrumentals furnished by one of the DJ's at the campus radio station. With positive reinforcement from his peers, Yaw continued until he graduated from Oswego State with a B.A. in Mass Media and Broadcasting in '05. Figuring a degree and a full-time position at one of the largest media companies in the world would more than satiate his need for career fulfillment, Yaw put down his pen and pad as he entered the corporate world. However, he soon thereafter began to deal with the daily frustration of the corporate grind and started to write rhymes as a means of dealing with his mounting frustration. What at first tore him away from writing was now the source of inspiration for his rhymes.

With "Entry Level", Yaw wanted to create a collection of tracks that are a microcosm for the things that have gone on this life since he graduated from college; a  thought-provoking journey through the daily life of a young man trying to find his footing in the world while dealing with uncertainties at every turn.

Ultimately, Yaw is not trying to change the game. He's not trying to take over hip-hop or be the self-proclaimed best to ever to pick up a mic. He simply wants to give his listeners a look into his daily life and all that entails and "Entry Level" is how they will be introduced.