Hip Hop Maniac's musical influences include: Miles Davis, Malcom McLaron, Afrika Bambaataa , Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, UTFO, I.R.M. Crew, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Whodini, Beastie Boys, Jazzy Jeff, Rakim, Diamond D, Dan The Automator, Kurtis Blow among many others. He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and attended CTC theater school as a kid taking up acting, ballet, improv and drama workshops which expanded his creative juices as a youth. After finding a agent who sent him on countless auditions he landed a national TV commercial at age 12. During this time he would tell everyone when he grows up he wanted to be a actor/pantomime. He was on the local news 2 times for his juggling ability and pantomime skit. He later moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and after a short stint at the Weiss Barron Acting & Modeling School he then knew music was his calling and he began doing local shows at 13 years old in community centers and the parks around town. Prior to attending college at Central State University in Ohio he was making beats and recording songs. He had a very short run on WCSU Radio as a DJ in 1992 while being a communications major and began performing at the gymnasium and auditorium at some of the bigger events on campus as well. He began recording on campus at the CSU Band Studio which he produced many songs for the then "Hip Hop Maniacs" one of which entitled "And We Don't Stop" was released underground and sold over 5,000 units. He later went on a Black College tour and was known as the "mixtape pimp" because he always incorporated original music he had been making on his mixtapes. The name Hip Hop Maniac came from a friend of his in college named Jeff Turner who had came home from Iraq Gulf War and seen the tenacity in the artist and hence the name stuck with him despite the groups ups and downs. As a Producer, MC and DJ he has been through many struggles as a artist, landing a indie recording contract in Detroit in 1995 he also opened a nightclub there without proper permits it was closed down the same year during the rave scene. He has recorded songs with Indigenous Tribe and Eminem, produced a underground EP for Batco. Squad in his hometown of Minneapolis in which in 1996 he won the MC Battle at the University of Minnesota's "Hip Hop Olympics". His first official full length cd released was in 1999 in Philly entitled "Crown Royal" with a follow up in 2000 entitled "Whom Shall I Fear" and a hood dedicated album in 2001 called "Power of The Ghetto" from which he garnished radio play on the song "Stay Black And Die". During his travels the business was not always the best in music and he realized that when one of his songs was a hit in Canada from a producer friend of his. So he retained all of his publishing and writer credits after doing countless shows from New Jersey to Vegas. He has since been a part of a few indie and major films as well as maintains his integrity in releasing good music. Hip Hop Maniac re-branded himself in today's age of artists like Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, PSY, Lady Gaga, Pitt Bull and many others with commercial success who he respects as artists. As a DJ he feels having fun and making people shake their booty's is the bottom line. So you'll find on this record DJ Spank Master Boogie chose the songs that will make the party guys and gals do just that while also offering some vintage hip hop and culture to go along with the electro ravers new age of music.