IdealHiphop

Hailing from the same place on the map that brought the world Michael Jackson, (I)deal is a genre bending/blending troubadour of an emcee.

Falling in love with every aspect of hip-hop before he was a teenager, he was soon involved in a variety of eclectic independent groups and bands in the Chicago area, most notably the band Midwest Hype.  Spending his formative years of his late teens & early 20's with one foot in the streets & the other in the studio, he put his grind down in both in order to fund his dreams & musical aspirations.

After releasing his first solo endeavor -  "Wildlife" EP produced by Willie Waldman - (I)DEAL spent his quarantine time recording a new album with Midwest Hype - their "Nightglow" LP,  as well as crafting what would become his first full- length solo album "Scatterbrained". Entirely produced by his partner in crime Pooney, "Scatterbrained" is a lyrical and sonic tour-de-force; heavy on substance and wordplay, with a foundation firmly planted in the beats, rhymes, and life ethos of the golden age of hip-hop. Over Pooney's beautifully orchestrated sample-based, live-instrument-layered production (I)DEAL weaves dense narratives of a hard-headed youth who started selling drugs at age 12, pouring all his resources into his musical destiny.

Featuring guest verses from some of the most well-respected emcees, both young and seasoned veterans, (I)DEAL woes a love letter to hip-hop with "Scatterbrained", creating a homage to its past while reinforcing his position as a vanguard for the next generation of emcees.

2024 looks to be his most expansive year yet, beginning with the opening of Lifted Microgrowery, his craft cannabis grow/dispensary in Buchanan, MI with his producer Pooney and RJ Walpole. Lifted has already been credited with some of the finest herb in all of Michigan and according to (I)deal, they’re just gettin started.

Spring ‘24 will see (I)deal hittin the road as an opening act for Stove God Cooks, followed by the release of his as of yet untitled sophomore album. Stay tuned.