The Alter Egos

Since 2001, The Alter Egos have been pushing the boundaries of hip-hop by relentlessly expanding musical and lyrical borders.

The Alter Egos are a live band, with Tony "Mel-One" Melone on keyboards and electronics, Mike "New Shoes" Herscher on electric bass, Josh "A-Rock" Arenberg on drums & featuring B-Salt and Rashida Bryant on vocals and rhymes.

Their debut recording, Defenders of Live Hip Hop, came out in the Spring of '03, and challenged the New York live hip-hop scene by raising the bar for musicianship, groove, and lyrical content. The subsequent departure of Lee Kirk at the end of '03 has ushered in a new era for the band, with the addition of Rashida Bryant, who brings a giant voice and commanding presence to the Alter Egos show. This change has enabled the band to fully explore the musical side of the experiment, and create, not just hip-hop tracks, but full-fledged musical experiences that expand the appeal beyond the typical hip-hop crowd, and reach new audiences that would never imagine themselves as hip-hop fans.

At their core, the AE represent where music is going. As a group, they have synthesized the lessons of the last century of music, from the harmonic complexity of jazz, through the groove and funk of R&B, and into the lyrical and dramatic elements of hip-hop. At the end, they've found a sound that works, as it's accessible but captivating, simple and detailed. This is live, funky music. You'll get it, you'll love it and you'll keep coming back to it.