The Paper Box | Brooklyn, NYC

In an industry where perception routinely trumps reality, it's easy to confuse instantaneous buzz with enduring success. Deriving their name from the block on the south side of Chicago where they were born and raised, The Paxtons strive to create timeless, genre-bending music that innovates without regard to the latest trends. Since officially forming as a group in 2008, childhood friends, Chris and Dave have expanded as producers and songwriters, to create visual, feel-good music that defies conventional rap templates. Inspired by their move to NYC earlier that year; 2010's The Manhattan Project garnered more than 10,000 downloads in just over three months, a return to SXSW, and performances on each coast. Following what The Smoking Section called one of 2010's top 20 mixtapes of the year, The Paxtons began work on the Avenue series, releasing parts A and B just four months apart. The resulting fanfare spearheaded The Block Party; a series of self-produced monthly events showcasing the South Shore Social Club collective in their present home of Brooklyn. With the arrival of September's Avenue: C & D, The Paxtons show no signs of slowing down.

At his core, Black Spade is a producer who makes music because he loves to. His sounds are grounded in the past while still sounding futuristic, and most importantly come from the heart. Spade says, "To get my music out there to people… at the end of the day that's what really counts."

MeLa Machinko is a female recording artist from Brooklyn, New York who began her professional career singing on hip hop albums and touring as a backup singer. m the album Desire (SRC/ Universal Records) and the J Dilla produced "Love" from Dilla's critically acclaimed The Shining (Stones Throw). She also sings on the Just Blaze-produced Talib Kweli song "Hostile Gospel" from the Ear Drum album (Blacksmith/ Warner Bros) and Joe Budden's song "Inseparable" from his latest mixtape Mood Muzik 4: A Turn 4 The Worst. MeLa Machinko has featured in the Summer '06 issue of XXL, Hip-Hop Soul magazine and The Village Voice.

Hip-hop, soul, and experimental music from New York City.