Iomos Marad

There is virtually no such thing as a 'one-of-a-kind' in hip-hop. A genre that once took pride in originality has grown stale. Enter Iomos Marad (pronounced "eye-o-mahz" "muh-rod"), and his new EP Go Head. During winter 2003 Iomos Marad dropped his classic debut album Deep Rooted on the Chicago label All Natural, Inc. Including songs such as "Appetite to Write" featuring JLive, "Each One Teach One" and the club-banging single "Tight," the album placed Chicago's underground scene in a stranglehold and fueled demand for Iomos to perform from coast to coast. Deep Rooted slowly but steadily gained critical acclaim for its soulful vibe and intelligent lyrics.

Iomos built his reputation the hard way - by rocking shows in Chicago's over-crowded underground hip-hop scene. What set him apart from the beginning was his ability to play the drums and rhyme - at the same time!!! By kicking clever freestyles while delivering crisp strikes to the kick and the snare, Iomos has regularly stolen the show while opening up for a variety of acts, including Mos Def, Slum Village, Raekwon, Little Brother, Hieroglyphics, Pete Rock, Immortal Technique, Black Moon, and many others. He has also performed duets with world famous sax player Frank Catalano. He has appeared on records with the Molemen, Copperpot, Thaione Davis and others.

Ultimately he hooked up with All Natural, Inc. in December of 1998, and within one month of meeting, Iomos and Capital D recorded Iomos' debut single "Deep Rooted". I-O's momentum was just beginning, and soon thereafter he appeared on All Natural's clubfriendly single "Elements of Style." This was followed up by Iomos' second single "L.I.F.E. (Living In Foul Environments)", and appearances on the Family Tree's debut album TreeHouse Rock.
Iomos' new 9-song EP, Go Head, is a continuation of his impressive history. "Beyond Space and Time," features the soulful female vocals of Patience, and Iomos' uniquely reflective lyricism. "War Stories", shows his more gritty side with tales of the streets set to an aggressive, bangin' beat.

I-O was raised in the Southside's infamous 'Wild Hundreds' by his mother, and life has not always been easy. His music pays homage to her love, and the spirit of activism she instilled in him. His life has been a unique spiritual journey and his rhymes reflect that depth of experience. Standing 6' 3, Iomos casts a long shadow both literally and figuratively. He walks tall through Chicago's rough streets to the beat of a different drum - his own