VOCAB SLICK
Vocab Slick’s roots in Hip-Hop stem from his teenage years spent rhyming in the northern Bay Area of California. Like so many , he fell into a life of drugs, hustling and eventually stints in jail.
The young rapper—then known as Vocabulary Slick—turned things around, cleaned himself up and transferred that energy into his music. And in 2003, he not only released his solo debut, Lyrically Conscious, but also formed the group Distant Relatives with his childhood friend, Emotionall. Shortly thereafter, Vocab and Emotionall were joined by rapper Maynee. Their first full-length release, “For The Passion”, followed in 2006.
Misfortune struck the group not long after their debut dropped, when Emotionall was detained and shockingly deported to Mexico. Vocab and Maynee were unsure of how to proceed. The pair ultimately decided to push on as a duo, all with the mission of creating “truth music”. The two MCs were soon joined by gifted Bay Area-by-way-of-Ireland DJ Ricky Switch. DJ Ricky Switch joined Vocab and Maynee on their next release, 2007’s “The Ethx of Distant Relatives”, produced by Ethx of Fremont, CA.
Vocab soon showcased his talents as a solo artist with a powerful single, 2010’s “Dark Day,” while also continuing to create with Distant Relatives. The next Distant Relatives record, “This Changes Everything”, dropped in 2011 to critical acclaim and global recognition. The Album was produced entirely by Rick Vargas and featured guest appearances by The Grouch & Eligh and Zumbi (of Zion I).
What followed was a time of personal challenge and growth for Vocab. In the summer of 2013, his mother passed away and his daughter was born. Then in January of 2014, the unthinkable happened, his longtime friend and Distant Relatives partner, Maynee, died suddenly. Facing tragedy and pain, Vocab did the only thing he could do- he took that heartbreak and emotion, and put it all into his art.
“I took that pain and poured it into my music.”
-Vocab Slick
He did exactly that in April 2014 with the release of the “Somethin’ Slick” EP, which he quickly followed up that same November with his stellar “Issues and Episodes” album. Not to be outdone, in 2014 Vocab co-founded the Slap Frost Tour alongside DJ True Justice and Z-Man.
The tour was an immense success and grew into an annual tradition each year adding bigger lineups and extended dates. The Slap Frost Tour, now in its 8th season, has seen performances from heavyweights Locksmith, Paris, Planet Asia, Chino XL and Total Devastation.
The year 2017 brought with it the release of his powerful EP ‘‘The Day After Yesterday’’.
Vocab’s hard work and grind is never ceasing. A self-proclaimed “performing artist”, Vocab has performed all over the country. He continues to tour while promoting his latest album, ‘‘LANGUAGE’’. The music video for the single, “1122” featuring San Quinn, Dela the Fela and DJ True Justice was released in March of 2023.