Chief Justice

CHIEF JUSTICE

The third time is the charm, or as in the life and career of Charm City native Chief Justice, the third city is the charm. Hailing from the locale that gave us the notorious drama “The Wire”, this modern-day hip-hop griot cut his musical teeth there initially, then segueing to ATL, and ultimately taking root in the fertile ground of Brooklyn, NY, where he currently holds court.

The underground’s finest, this introspective, uber-talented songwriter/recording artist began by studying hip-hop with the focus of a combat general, strategically mapping out his moves. That initial move was to join forces with his former partner, Knox (who has gone on to write for Alicia Keys, Will Smith and Tweet), as half of the hip-hop duo The Architects. They performed with artists such as KRS-1, Mobb Deep, Common, Tha Alkaholiks, Brand Nubian and many other rap notables.

The Architects relocated to ATL, to expand their influence, where they took on their mixmaster, DJ Drama, for whom they did intros for his mixtapes, in addition to his performing with them. The duo's popular single, “The Monument”, was released independently and sold well over several thousand copies. In the ATL, they increased their fan base and ultimately took the runner-up spot in the renowned and respected, yet controversial, Blaze Battle. The individual growth taking place within each of the young men, however, led to Justice and Knox parting ways. As a solo artist with street cred and notoriety, the ambitious Justice rapped his way into an internship spot as an assistant engineer at Meta Music Studios, where he worked with and learned from Khalifani Moore, Jarvis Blackshear and Sol Messiah, three outstanding engineer/producers whose contributions include work on multi-platinum projects such as Outkast's “ATLiens”, Goodie M.O.B.'s “Still Standing”, TLC's “Creep” and the “Soul Food Soundtrack.”

Justice departed the ATL and headed for the bright lights of the Big Apple, touching down in Brooklyn. Armed with a valuable knowledge of the music business from the inside out, he began recording his new music. Upon arrival in NYC, Justice collaborated for a bit as a “Ghostwriter,” working with Jeff Robinson, former manager of Alicia Keys, Lyfe Jennings and more. He also established his company, White House Entertainment. Justice's unique style is classic and timeless. He's an authentic wordsmith whose flow speaks directly to the ear, without the fluff.

Chief Justice's first solo mixtape, produced in large part by Chizzle Rose, Code Red & Leks I Sire, is “Genesis: The New Beginning”, which is led off by the soulful single “Final Destination.” The video for that song was directed by Ian Wolfson (Rex Arrow Films), who is responsible for videos of Pete Rock, Mac Miller and many others. Another stand-out mixtape track is “Star-Gazin'.” The mixtape, hosted and mixed by DJ Evil Dee (Da Beatminerz, Black Moon/Duck Down Records), is a collective of original songs and freestyle verses over popular hip-hop instrumentals that showcases Justice's diversity and the depth of his flow. Also featured on the mixtape are cameo vocal drops from nationally respected DJ's and well-known entertainers such as Michael K. Williams of HBO's “The Wire”, as well as guest appearances from rappers 4-Ize, Mike Millz and more. Justice intends to offer this mixtape as a free download on the internet, to whet the appetites of his current fans and future fans.

The inventive mixtape leads the way for Chief Justice's first full-length solo CD, “One Of A Kind”.
Chief Justice is the commander of his musical domain, and he presides over it with a studied precision. He utilizes all the prowess he has learned as well as what he innately possesses. Even his website, www.judge-mental.com, is no ordinary site – it is a lifestyle and blog site, which covers not only music, but other topics of interest, such as sports, style, technology and others, so that there is always fresh content there.

The trilogy is complete, and Chief Justice's real beginning is now.