Random Abiladeze (“Abilities”) is a dynamic and celebrated hip-hop artist, spoken-word poet, and community educator. A two-time champion of Northern California’s “Got Spit?” competition, Random has been honored by the Hip Hop Congress, a grassroots international cultural arts organization. He has performed at numerous schools, community venues, and universities and before nearly a thousand people at the 2009 Whole Earth Festival at UC Davis. 209Vibe Magazine described his second CD, Brutally Honest (featuring tracks with “America’s Got Talent” finalist and renowned beatboxing champion, Butterscotch), as “original, creative, and most importantly, intelligent.”
In October 2007, Youth Speaks, the nation’s leading nonprofit presenter of Spoken Word performance, education, and youth development programs named Random “Poet of the Month.” In 2009, he won Stanford University’s prestigious “Battle of The Bay Poetry Slam” for the second consecutive year in a row and was the 2008 Champion of Sacramento State University’s “Word of Conscious Action” poetry slam. In 2009 and 2010, Random Abiladeze was presented the Sacramento Area Music Award (SAMMIE Award) for “Outstanding Emcee.”
Random Abiladeze’s most recent album is Skill Before Swagger (2010). Of it the Sacramento News and Review’s Josh Fernandez wrote “the album is rich with acoustic instrumentation and ear-catching structure,” and that it is “thick with ideas and webbed with complexity; it reaches a fine balance of hard rap and intellectual poetry.” A sought-after performer and speaker, Random has won several rap competitions, including those broadcast on 103.5 (KBMB) and 102.5 (KSFM). He has shared stages with Nas, Immortal Technique, Tech N9Ne, Zion-I, Living Legends, Chino XL, Pigeon John, San Quinn, Little Brother, Diabolic, Mistah F.A.B., Planet Asia, Taalam Acey, Butterscotch, Z-Man, Amir Sulaiman, and Black Sheep.
