PERFORMING ARTISTS
APUAT
Apuat is the name of an ancient egyptian supreme being who opened the way for kings at war to succeed, and for souls to make it to the after life.
Apuat first fell in love with emceeing in 5th grade when G. Love from G. Love and The Special Sauce discovered Apuat and invited him on stage to perform with his band. Years later, through hundreds of cyphers and live performances, Apuat has proven to be a stand out emcee.
Growing up, Apuat was heavily influenced by internationally-renowned artists such as The Roots, Redman, Wu-Tang, Nas, Jay-Z, Notorious B.I.G, Eminem, Schoolly D, Tupac, Talib Kweli, Outkast, Jada Kiss, Lil Wayne, and alot of underground home-grown local acts.
While attending college at Penn State, Apuat was a member of three rap groups. The first one was called 3 Kings with Mario and Smoke. The second one was called The Illustrates Crew with Bogart, RR Matty, Victor Hash and King Bumps. The third group was called Audio Imagery. During these college years, Apuat released LP’s with all three bands and a solo album called “Slayer of False Prophets.” Apuat also appeared in an originally produced AIDS awareness video that served as a public service announcement to students at Penn State.
After graduating with a bachelor of science in psychology, Apuat went on to study entertainment law at The University of the District of Columbia: David A. Clarke School of Law. To keep his skills sharp, Apuat built a recording studio above the Florida Avenue Grill and lived inside of the studio until he graduated from law school. While in that studio, Apuat collaborated with Bigg Moon UPT, Q Hill, Stone Kawala, Bruva Cap, Mjhenta, Tenn Stacks, 4.0 Media, Adamatic, Amyr Glover and many more local artists.
Apuat dropped “The Book of Eli” Mixtape in 2010 during his last year of law school. He also passed the Pennsylvania Bar Exam that same year. Apuat’s first full length release, “Man Can Change” by his group, The Trees, came out as an exclusive pre-release in the summer of 2011. Apuat’s first solo full length release, “Opener of The Ways” came out in 2018. Apuat is now a licensed attorney and a stone cold rap artist.
http://www.youtube.com/user/ELIJAHFREESTYLES
STONE KAWALA
Stone Kawala is a Washington, DC based singer/songwriter and founding member of the dynamic hip-hop group The Trees.
Stone Kawala’s first solo release, “What’s Right” (2011) is an acoustic collection of bluesy folk songs describing addiction, heartbreak, and life with an eerie sense of optimism. The album features lead guitar by DC jazz legend and former Parliament Funkadelic guitarist, Mike Sampson and percussion by Michael Montanez (Bio Ritmo).
As a solo artist, Stone Kawala has performed live on SiriusXM Satellite Radio, is a frequent panelist on The Ripped Radio Network, and has helped organize several concerts for disabled veterans in Washington, DC where he performed as an opening act for George Thorogood and Warren Haynes.
Stone Kawala met lyricist Apuat at Penn State University, where Apuat introduced him to conscious hip hop as pioneered by the Philly and New York hip-hop scenes. Stone Kawala soon became enthralled with hip-hop as an expressive art form and as a way to educate and motivate the youth of the world. As a member of The Trees, Stone Kawala has carved a name for himself as a dynamic and socially conscious MC capable of rapping over any beat, and at times, at blazing speeds. Stone Kawala is also known for writing and singing many of the addictive hooks on “Man Can Change” and co-produced several songs on The Trees first album.
Stone Kawala is executive producer of “TheTrees Radio,” a weekly progressive hip-hop show on We Act Radio in Washington, D.C. and has held positions with ALMA Digital Media, The Wide Sky Web Co. and SiriusXM Satellite Radio.
Stone Kawala earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Pennsylvania State University. He also holds a Masters of Science in e-business and a Master’s of Business Administration from the University of Maryland. Additionally, Stone Kawala is founder of Stone Kawala Washington, DC, an international organization designed to provide resources for independent artists across mediums.
THE TREES
The Trees’ diverse composition is a direct testament to the organic yet pure passion-driven talent rooted deeply within the bedrock of both the DC and Philly music scenes. The Trees’ debut full-length release, "Man Can Change," cultivates ethereal sonic wizardry through the use of sophisticated lyricism, addictive hooks, and effectively dynamic electronic production by producer/remixer Adamatic. To preview this highly anticipated inaugural release, The Trees are providing fans with an exclusive digital sneak peak through www.stonekawala.com/thetrees.
Bandmates since attending Penn State University, The Trees’ original formation stems from a collective drive to shed light upon the positive characteristics often overlooked within hip hop’s core. Elijah “Apuat” McKinley and Stone Kawala’s lyrics propagate a sense of both inspiration and aspiration; providing listeners with the artistic social commentary and affirmative spirituality that therapeutically weave their way into one’s ears, mind, AND soul. Coupled with the soulful harmonies and expressive poetry of M’jhenta, The Trees have harvested an unparalleled repertoire of genuine distinction.
“The Trees were uniquely stirring as they mixed sly harmonious gospel-filled vocals with righteous socio-conscious raps tinged by the mythology of the streets.”
-- A.D. Amorosi
CONTACT US
Interested in booking our talent or learning more about our professional music and film production services? Please drop us a line.
