NMNJ Artist of the Week: Q’moshyn

Q’moshyn (pronounced “commotion”) connects with real people despite age, race, or gender. Birthed in Willingboro, NJ as the only child of two musically gifted ministers, he grew up around the performing arts. He discovered his own talent while singing in his church choir but found his niche while rapping the Nina Simone hit Young, Gifted, and Black for the off-Broadway Tribute to Lorraine Hansberry at age 11. In high school he would sing in the choir, but he honed his love for rap at lunch tables, pep rallies, and talent shows.

He dabbled in the industry as DJ Kinetic for 95.5 WBRU-FM, Providence, RI on the 360 Degree Black Experience In Sound while attending Brown University. This wordsmith flooded the airwaves with the WBRU 02 and ’03 promo freestyles, two songs voted into rotation, and the five-time Battle of the Beats winning single, “Q’moshyn Sickness” with his cousin Devin Wade. He co-founded the multi-cultural Hip Hop collective, Soul Cypher, which would eventually woo audiences across southern New England, and he performed in the Hip Hopera “Sweeter Than” as well as various open mikes, and talent shows in PA/NJ/NY. He joined Ex4 Family in ‘04, and his two groups would land a gig as the opening acts for the revolutionary artists, Dead Prez. He has since rapped on mixtapes, acted with Samuel L. Jackson and Diddy, and frequents venues throughout the mid-Atlantic region.

He dabbled in the industry as DJ Kinetic for 95.5 WBRU-FM, Providence, RI on the 360 Degree Black Experience In Sound while attending Brown University. This wordsmith flooded the airwaves with the WBRU 02 and ’03 promo freestyles, two songs voted into rotation, and the five-time Battle of the Beats winning single, “Q’moshyn Sickness” with his cousin Devin Wade. He co-founded the multi-cultural Hip Hop collective, Soul Cypher, which would eventually woo audiences across southern New England, and he performed in the Hip Hopera “Sweeter Than” as well as various open mikes, and talent shows in PA/NJ/NY. He joined Ex4 Family in ‘04, and his two groups would land a gig as the opening acts for the revolutionary artists, Dead Prez. He has since rapped on mixtapes, acted with Samuel L. Jackson and Diddy, and frequents venues throughout the mid-Atlantic region. He currently collaborates with the info-sharing and entertainment professional collective, The Union Network (The UN), and Fresh Flo Entertainment. They have performed at several venues throughout the Northeast and have opened for various major artists such as DJ Kay Slay, DJ Alamo, Styles P, Special Ed, Chubb Rock, Rah Digga, Channel Live, DJ Lil Man, Doug E. Fresh, Memphis Bleek, Judah Priest, and Talib Kweli. Their music has been played on a plethora of online radio stations worldwide as well as terrestrial radio including 100.3 The Beat, 103.3 WPRB, Kiss 101.7, and 95.5 WBRU.

Q’mo keeps listeners on their toes with fresh elements of urban soul and classic Hip Hop. His stylish songwriting, crafty wordplay, and hard-hitting, fact-to-the matter social commentaries are guaranteed to satisfy both backpackers and the urban glitterati. He humbly states, “I got a lot of people depending on me and my gifts. My life purpose is to share them and inspire others to share their gifts – that is how I plan to contribute to Hip Hop culture and affect positive changes in the world.”