NapoleonSolo aka Napoleon Maddox

Napoleon Maddox is a hip hop vocalist from Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. Also
known by the stage name NapoleonSolo, he is a proficient rapper,
beatboxer, and singer.

Napoleon does workshops, clinics and masterclasses about Hip-hop and Human Beatboxing. His unique approach to teaching Beatboxing includes methods that empower the participants to perform acoustically. He also shares in his session ways to work in ensembles with other beatboxers and musicians. Napoleon's work has been commissioned by universities, festivals and art institutions, which have presented him in several cities in France, England, Serbia, Slovenia and America.
In 2009, Mr. Maddox was also sponsored by the US Embassy in Estonia for a series of workshops and concerts in 6 Estonian cities for Jazz Month. The work that he prepared with the participants in the workshops was presented in a major concert for the JazzKaar Festival.

Napoleon also leads the live Hip-hop group IsWhat?!
Formed in the fall of 1996, ISWHAT?! has shared bills and/or
collaborated with Antibalas, Saul Williams, KRS ONE, The Herbaliser,
Tumi & the Volume, Hocus Pocus, Authur H, The Roots, Brother Ali,
James Blood Ulmer and others. With IsWhat?!, Napoleon has toured the
United States and Europe; in 2007 the group performed with Archie
Shepp in Italy. Mr. Shepp appreciated the sound & feeling of this
concert that he offered to release it as "Phat Jam", a new project on
his label.

Unlike most hip hop artists, Maddox generally performs with acoustic
instruments, including double bass and saxophones.
He has recorded with Hamid Drake and also toured with the New York
City-based duo Transmitting (Jane LeCroy and Tom Abbs). He has worked
with Chuck D, Henry Grimes, Bojan Z, David Krakuer, Oliver Lake,
Claire Daly, Ming+FS, Karsh Kale, and Magic Malik.
Maddox also works supporting or is a member of Sotto Voce (featuring
Roy Nathanson, Curtis Fowlkes, Tim Kiah, and Sam Bardfeld), Burnt
Sugar Arkestra, The Fonda/Stevens Group, and JC Hopkins Biggish Band.

Between 1994 and 2001, he hosted The Social Factor, a hip-hop/urban
issues radio program, on WAIF in Cincinnati. The show featured live
and pre-recorded interviews with personalities such as Spike Lee,
Channel Live, Jurassic 5, Rahzel, The Roots, Jay-Z, Big Jaz (Jaz-O),
Group Home, Mos Def, Watts Prophets, The Last Poets, Burning Spear,
and Souls of Mischief. The phone lines were open for on air call-ins
regarding current events, community affairs, and political discourse.
The show also featured the music of such groups as Self Scientific,
KAM, Steel Pulse, Natural Resources, Gang Starr, Ras Kass, Nina
Simone, Lester Bowie, Boogie Down Productions, Nas, and Rahsaan Roland
Kirk.

In 2008 he performed at the Vision Festival. In February 2009 he
hosted a workshop at the Bridge Centre in Stoke on Trent, England, as
part of Sing Up, the Music Manifesto National Singing Programme. It
was attended by year 5 students from St Augustine Catholic Primary in
Meir. He taught them how to beatbox and they developed their own raps.
His 2009 schedule includes performances in France and Estonia.
Maddox was named "Best Jet-Setter" in the 2009 Best of Cincinnati awards.