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Artist
Divine Verbal Dialect, a/k/a DVD since way before the disc, began his career as a battle rapper at age 13. From parks to schoolyards, he and his life-long friend Phase Trilla would bring a powerful presence that amazed impromptu audiences all over Los Angeles, the city they called home. Raised in south central LA, they were always thought to be transplants because their rap style was unlike any LA rappers of that time. DVD and Phase came up listening to the ground-breaking hip-hop radio station 1580 KDAY, which played rap from all over the country at a time when rap was still very regional. Because of this early exposure to rap from all over the country, their influences included Eric B. & Rakim, Boogie Down Productions, The Jungle Brothers, Public Enemy, Run DMC, The Geto Boys, and NWA, to name a few. By the age of 16, DVD was becoming more and more politically conscious, as was hip-hop music. His music began reflecting this change, though his original battle roots teemed just beneath the surface of this socially aware teenager, and he was still eager to snap on an MC at the drop of a dime should they doubt his fierce tongue and sharp mind. They connected with like minds like Dedan Skills, Klockwise, Queen Nefertiti, and others in a crew called the Microphone Mafia, which was spearheaded by LA legend DJ Bobcat. At 18, DVD and Phase left for college at Hampton University in Virginia, where as they grew and changed, their rhyme styles grew and changed too. These times saw the