stic.man (born Clayton Gavin, 1975, Shadeville, Florida, U.S.) is a rapper, activist and author known for his work as one half of the political hip-hop duo dead prez along with M-1. He is known largely for their hard-hitting style and politically active lyrics, focusing on racism, critical pedagogy, activism against governmental hypocrisy, and corporate control over the media, especially hip-hop record labels. dead prez made their stance clear on their first album, declaring on the lead song, "I'm a African" that the group is "somewhere between N.W.A. and Public Enemy.". stic.man was born and raised in Shadeville, Florida, a rural unincorporated community in the panhandle. His elementary school was predominantly white and rural, leading him to rap in the song They Schools "I went to school with some redneck crackers". He used to relax on the campus of FAMU though he was never enrolled for classes. There he and M-1 met and connected due to their mutual love of music and knowledge. The two comrades' growing sense of Black pride and political theory served as a common bond as they joined various community groups, eventually forming dead prez as a rap group and moving to New York. After a chance meeting with Brand Nubian's Lord Jamar at a Brooklyn block party, the duo signed a recording deal with Loud Records, which released Let's Get Free in 2000. But even before the release of the record, dead prez amassed a strong and loyal underground following through their explosive live s