Adonis

Adonis's upbringing is similar to that of many. “My parents never had a lot of money, so they always did what they could to get by. We moved a lot, but it never really mattered to me, because no matter where I went I had a cousin or two in every part of town, in different projects,” the Boston-born emcee remembers.

A longtime fan of the art of Hip Hop, Adonis found his calling in his high school cafeteria. “My boy rolled up with a small radio, bumping [the then-new] 'Twinz (Deep Cover '98)'. Right then, I was in love with Hip Hop, and there was nothing I could do about it.” After years of practicing his writing—and a four-year stint in the Marines, including a trip to Iraq—Adonis decided to finally pursue his decade-long passion.

It was his YouTube-posted acappella of his songs “OIF,” “Hostile Takeover,” and “Hit Me” that caught the attention of several producers attempting to enlist their services for his debut. And with the release of his first mixtape “Death Before Dishonor Vol.1: Free Jose” (the first of a two-part series), Adonis's lyricism is already drawing comparisons to legends like Nas and Eminem. Only time will tell if the Miami-based rapper can back up such praise. But when his music is heard, Adonis proves to people that he has been worth that wait.