Sum-in-1

BIO

Aaron Mostow is relaxing, watching a Lakers Game on the couch in Hollywood on a Sunday night as he recounts his origins. Not an unusual setting for a Los Angeles born twenty-something, but apart from a life-changing, out-of-body, near-death experience and the uncanny ability as an MC and producer propelling his musical career, Mostow isn’t such an unusual guy.

It was after surviving a nearly fatal collision with a police car at 65 mph in 2004 on his way home from a show with his hip-hop crew, The Metamorphs, and experiencing death that Mostow awoke with a new vision. “I saw myself outside of myself,” he recalls with an eery sort of reverence for his self-proclaimed turning point. It was then that “Sum-In-1,” a moniker Mostow donned back in 2000, was fully realized. “For me, it means a person who holds an answer or a person called upon,” Mostow explains. Armed with a new outlook and mission, Mostow began dedicating his life to his music as Sum‐in‐1, the MC/producer determined to bring a solution to the current state of hip-hop.

Since arriving in this world in the City of Angels in 1982 A.D. to a mother from the Philippines and a father from Atlanta, Mostow’s life has been riddled with adversity. After the divorce of his parents, he was raised in a single parent house, where poverty played a role in developing his hunger for more. He searched for outlets to express his perspective without turning to an all-too-accessible gang life and instead embraced the culture and art of hip-hop. “I come from a line of artists and warriors,” Mostow proclaims.

He began to break‐dance and do graffiti at the young age of 13. He began to DJ in late 1998 at the age of 16, and began paying his dues. He studied scratching, mixing, juggling and emerged as a DJ, producing mix‐tapes, spinning house parties, hip-hop shows and raves. It wasn’t long before his drive found Mostow promoting his own events, an “Underground Anthem,” which gave him an opportunity to showcase his talent along with his crew of musicians. As a DJ, he enjoyed rocking the party, but his ever-present hunger continued to haunt him. Never quite content with spinning others’ rhymes, it wasn’t long before Mostow plugged a microphone into his mixer and began to freestyle and craft his own lyrical poetry.

In his endless quest for the next beat to rap to he was never satisfied, and once again decided to take matters into his own hands. Mostow studied music technology in college from 2000 to 2002 and learned the art of beat making. He composed his first original beat in 2001, inspired by the legendary Dr. Dre. His years as a DJ left Mostow with an acute ear for musical composition and style.

In mid‐2001, then known by the alias Sum‐in‐1, Mostow helped form the Los Angeles based hip-hop group, The Metamorphs. consisting of Sum‐In‐1, Mobius, The Seer and DJ Leviathan. Composed of three MC’s and one DJ, The Metamorphs released their first EP, “Illumined States,” in 2003 and dropped their second album, “Stepping Stones,” in 2007. With dynamic beats and powerful lyrics, The Metamorphs have amassed a dedicated following.

Now, having just released his highly anticipated solo album entitled “ANYWHERE,” on acropolisRECORDS – featuring C‐Rayz Walz, Slug of Atmosphere, The Metamorphs, Destruct, Noah Lowman, Active, Kev Da Khemist, DJ Leviathan, Jeanine Strong and more – Sum-In-1 stands poised to storm the scene and solve the problem.

Q&A

YOU AIM TO BRING A “SOLUTION TO THE CURRENT STATE OF HIP-HOP.” WHAT’S THE PROBLEM YOU ARE SOLVING?

The problem is a lack of originality, substance, creativity and pushing innovation. In this day and age, either you’re part of a solution or you’re the problem with music. Either you’re a leader or you’re the follower. I do me. I don’t worry about the next man. I speak from the heart and from past, present and future experience. I don’t follow any formats or formulas, I think outside the box. I think about the world and all the unique sounds that encompass our existence. I add elements from multiple genres to bring a rare fusion of energy and music.

WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM YOUR PROBLEMATIC PEERS?

I think with my solo efforts, I’m adding more live instrumentation and more of a world sound that is aimed to target a larger audience. I’m here to make music that spans genres and time. Being an MC and a Producer who got his start as a DJ, I look at things from the perspective of a DJ. Where during a mix the DJ strives to find the perfect song to transition into, when creating a song I strive to find the perfect elements that will compliment the track. I like to rap just as much as I like to make beats, so I’m always looking at things from multiple perspectives. The beats gotta’ knock and the lyrics must become one with the beat.

WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT AFTER “ANYWHERE?”

Expect the unexpected. I have many projects in the works.

WHAT ARE SOME RANDOM THINGS OUTSIDE OF THE MUSICAL REALM FANS MAY BE SURPRISED TO LEARN ABOUT YOU?

I can walk on water.

ANY FAMOUS LAST WORDS?

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

STATS

GENRE: Hip-Hop/Experimental/Dubstep/Dance/Fusion

OFFICIAL WEBSITE(S): http://www.sum-in-1.com, myspace.com/suminone

FOR FANS OF: Gnarls Barkley, Gorillaz, Atmosphere, Swollen Members, Murs

FREE DOWNLOADS: “Larger Than Life”

PURCHASE ALBUM: “Anywhere”

by Don Stefanovich