Born Sharif Lacey in West Philadelphia, Reef the Lost Cauze came up in hip-hop as a lethal battle-rap MC. He defeated opponents in all types of venues, from school grounds to grimy back alleys to professional competitions. In 2000, despite obtaining a scholarship, he quit film school after only the first year to involve himself more in hip-hop music. His first two albums, The High Life (2002) and Invisible Empire (2003), were released locally and put his name on the map for Philadelphia's underground rap scene. Nonetheless, it was the regional and national battle-rap competitions that gave his career a real boost. He finally landed an album deal jointly with Eastern Conference and Good Hands, the former owned by New York underground MC/DJ pair the High & Mighty. The more well-rounded effort Feast or Famine arrived in 2005, boasting the DJ Mighty Mi-produced "Fair One," which also featured Boot Camp Clik's top MC Sean Price, as the lead 12" single. In the years that followed his third album, a few local mixtapes were released, but the Philadelphia MC had success in doing several collaborations and features. He was invited into the Philadelphia crew JuJu Mob, who released their 2005 album Black Candles on Eastern Conference, as well as the underground super-collective Army of the Pharaohs, led by Jedi Mind Tricks frontman Vinnie Paz, in 2006. ~ Cyril Cordor, Rovi

Known for his classic street style and no-sellout attitude, underground rapper Blacastan is based out of Hartford, CT. He began to take an interest in hip-hop music during his teen years, but it was drug dealing that took up most of his time. Thanks to his strong-arm style while taking care of business, a 16-year-old Blacastan was tried as an adult when he was arrested in the mid-'90s. Serving his sentence left him plenty of time for listening. He favored the underground sound of the Lyricist Lounge and Soundbombing series of compilations along with artists like Nas and Pharoahe Monch. After digging deeper and deeper into the underground while working on his own rhymes, he emerged from prison with an impressive set of skills and a throwback style. His 2007 mixtape Me Against the Radio became a favorite of the underground, especially its key cut, "Life as a Tape." Appearances on releases from Blue Sky Black Death, the Branch Davidians, and Jean Grae followed. In 2009 a track with producer DJ Doom called "How Can You Be So Sure" leaked to the Internet. Blacastan announced it was a preview of the coming Colombian Blac EP. ~ David Jeffries, Rovi