A West Coast rapper with Mexican and Native American heritage, the poignant RedCloud had already been in and out of violent gang life by the time he was in the ninth grade. Getting out wasn't easy, but once out he changed his life and began studying the Bible along with hip-hop. Combining the two, he started rapping his positive and hopeful message to the Los Angeles hip-hop underground. His 2001 debut, Is This Thing On?, was followed by a six-week run as champion of Los Angeles radio station Power 106's freestyle battle, something that caught the ear of West Coast legend Kurupt, who called in an on-air congratulations. In 2003 Traveling Circus arrived, and was followed by a long tour that included stops at many Indian reservations across the country. In 2007 he released the positive but raw Hawthorne's Most Wanted, featuring guest appearances from Pigeon John, Kurupt, and dancehall reggae legend Eek-A-Mouse. ~ David Jeffries