Virtuoso (rapper)
Musical artist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Miguel Blackmer-Hart (born c. 1979), known professionally as Virtuoso, is an American rapper and record executive from Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is best known as a founding member of the hip hop supergroup Army of the Pharaohs and for his solo work in the Boston underground hip hop scene.
Virtuoso | |
|---|---|
| Born | Miguel Blackmer-Hart Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop, underground hip hop |
| Occupations | Rapper, record executive |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Labels | Brick Records, Omnipotent, Raptivism, Big Bang, Goon MuSick |
In 2002, he won the Boston Music Award for Outstanding Rap/Hip-Hop Act.[1] He later founded the independent labels Omnipotent Records and Big Bang Records.
Early life
Virtuoso was born Miguel Blackmer-Hart in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His father was a studio electronics specialist who worked in Massachusetts recording studios during the 1980s. Due to his father's profession, Blackmer-Hart was exposed to the music industry at a young age.[2][3]
He attended Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, where he was a varsity baseball pitcher. His athletic career was ended by a collarbone injury sustained from a line drive while pitching. Following the injury, he focused on writing and performing hip hop music.[3]
Career
1998–2003: Brick Records and Army of the Pharaohs
Virtuoso began performing in the late 1990s Boston battle rap circuit and appeared on the True School Thursdays radio show on WERS.[2] In 1998, he appeared on the Brick Records compilation album Rebel Alliance and released his debut single, "Incinerator", featuring Mr. Lif and Esoteric.[4]
He was a founding member of the Philadelphia-based collective Army of the Pharaohs, organized by Vinnie Paz of Jedi Mind Tricks. Virtuoso performed the opening verse on the group's debut 12-inch single, "The Five Perfect Exertions" (1998).[5]
In 2001, he founded Omnipotent Records to release his debut studio album, World War I: The Voice of Reason. The album featured guest appearances from Del the Funky Homosapien and Bahamadia. In 2002, Virtuoso won the Boston Music Award for Outstanding Rap/Hip-Hop Act.[1]
2004–2010: Evolution of the Torturer
In 2004, Virtuoso released his second album, World War II: Evolution of the Torturer, through a partnership with Raptivism Records. The album contained political commentary regarding the War on Terror, specifically on the single "Fahrenheit 9/11" featuring Akrobatik.[2]
He toured in support of the album, opening for acts including Hieroglyphics and the Wu-Tang Clan.[3] In a 2016 interview, Del the Funky Homosapien noted Virtuoso as a prominent figure in the Boston hip hop scene.[6]
2011–Present: Big Bang Records and Snowgoons
Following a period living in Puerto Rico, Virtuoso returned to Cambridge and founded Big Bang Records with partner Brian Shirley.[7] He established a collaborative partnership with the rap duo N.B.S. (Natural Born Spitters; consisting of E-Flash and V-Knuckles), to release music and tour as a collective.[7]
Virtuoso frequently collaborates with the German production team Snowgoons. In 2013, they released a collaborative studio album titled CoVirt Ops: Infantry via Goon MuSick and Big Bang Records. The album received positive coverage from genre publications and featured appearances from Reks and Slaine.[8]
Discography
Studio albums
- World War I: The Voice of Reason (2001, Omnipotent)
- World War II: Evolution of the Torturer (2004, Omnipotent/Raptivism)
- The Final Conflict (2011, Big Bang)
Collaborative albums
- CoVirt Ops: Infantry (with Snowgoons) (2013, Goon MuSick)
Awards
- 2002 Boston Music Awards: Outstanding Rap/Hip-Hop Act (Won)[1]