Atlanta native Sporty-O’s meteoric rise to the top as the go-to rap vocalist in the global dance music scene has been nothing short of astounding. Before his trademark delivery and sharp wit propelled singles like ‘Guestlist’, ‘Apple Bottoms’, ‘International Wingman’ and ‘Let’s Ride’ to the top of the Beatport breaks charts, Sporty-O’s relentless hustle cleared the way for his rapid ascend. He recorded his debut hip hop album ‘From The Mouth of Sporty’ in 2000, immediately following up with a string of well-received mixtapes. Continually honing his craft while enjoying a successful 5 year run as an independent record store owner in Decatur, Ga, Sporty-O jumped at the opportunity to star in the MTV show ‘Jamie Kennedy’s Blowin’ Up’. This experience led to appearances in Hollywood films ‘National Lampoon’s Van Wilder 3’, ‘Road Trip 2’ and ‘The Preacher’s Kid’.
Undeterred by his foray out west, Sporty upped his musical output, receiving national airplay for the hit hip hop singles ‘U Not Beyonce’ and ‘I’m Money’. This opened the doors for collaborations with high profile talents like Paul Wall, YoungBloodZ and Ol’ Dirty Bastard. But it was in 2007 that Sporty-O saw another opportunity to apply his talents. A collaboration with DJ Lethal (of House of Pain and Limp Bizkit fame) inadvertently led to his introduction to the world of dance music when he met UK production outfit Aquasky. The care-free party vibe of their productions proved a perfect fit for the MC, and their studio partnership produced the single ‘Outta Control’, released on the Passenger imprint to much acclaim.
Now turning heads in the dance scene, Sporty-O, the self-proclaimed “international businessman”, soon enough found himself working with global dance scene mainstays like Deekline, Krafty Kuts, Stanton Warriors, Keith MacKenzie and Fixx, Felguk and Gigi Barocco. In 2010 he released his ‘International Wingman’ LP on Keith MacKenzie’s Chicago-based Illeven:Eleven imprint, featuring well-received originals and remixes spanning the dance music spectrum. Following the success of the release, Sporty embarked on a relentless tour throughout the US and Europe timing his breaks around studio time for his next release.
‘Songs for Strippers’ is Sporty’s second album for the Illeven:Eleven imprint, picking up where ‘International Wingman’ left off, albeit with increased energy and focus. Present are his usual party-focused rhymes -delivered in his trademark mellifluous style and wit- but it all really shines against the musical backdrops created by an impressive list of studio collaborators. Spanning the high energy genres of breakbeat, electro-house and dubstep, it includes heavy hitters Figure, Calvertron, Juggernaut, Reid Speed, Rednek, Hatiras, Codes, Wonk, Yacek, Street Lurkin, Deekline, Fixx, Keith MacKenzie, Dustin Hulton and Ill DJ Chris B. In support of the release, Sporty shot 3 official music videos, as well as video edits for the remixes.
For more information visit his official website at http://sportyo.com
