Bio

My history in music dates back to when I was a young child. I can remember listening to the oldies every Sunday on the radio with my family. It wasn’t long before I realized that I had a genuine love and attraction to all types of music. R and B, Soul, Funk and even Rock and Roll. However it wasn’t until the mid 80’s that I discovered Hip-Hop an instant the bond was formed. I can remember my sister’s father playing Melly Mel, Run-DMC and Sugar Hill Gang’s “Rappers Delight” over and over. I can remember how easy I memorized these songs and how I wanted to hear more. As I got older I started writing the word to the songs down like they were mine. Around this time I was very knowledgeable in Hip-Hop. At a young age I could identify the majority of Hip Hop artists on sight. This was before cable television; the only means of seeing these artists was on Video Music Box. A local show hosted by DJ Ralph McDaniel, which promoted music videos and interviews of new and old Hip-Hop artist. Around this time Hip-Hop was being established as major players in the music industry. Artist such as LLCool J, KRS-One, Rakim, Public Enemy, Big Daddy Kane, Mc Lite, and EPMD were big stars very influential in the development as an artist. Although I wasn’t a writer yet my love for the music was dominating my thoughts and fashion. I wanted to get girls and be smooth like LLCool J and Big Daddy Kane, and dress like Slick Rick. However it wasn’t until I heard Kool G Rap that I knew I wanted to rap. It’s now the late ‘80s and the conscious movements started by artists like Just Ice, Kr and Public Enemy is starting to fade. Groups Like NWA, Ghetto Boys and other artists introduced a new form of Hip-Hop called Gangster Rap. Though not as positive as its predecessors it was little more realistic, due to the fact that even if you weren’t a killer or a drug dealer you could relate to it, more because it dealt with realistic issues that were common in the hood. Such as police brutality, genocide, drugs and teen pregnancy and other issues that plagued the inner city at that time. “Rap” took a surprising turn in the early 1990’s artists like Mc Hammer and Vanilla Ice has taken Rap to larger audience. Although they were critized for “selling out” they brought Rap to a mainstream audience which open doors for other artist. If it wasn’t for Vanilla Ice I don’t know if I would be rapping. Listening to him gave the confidence to try to write. I’ve always been a writer. I use to write poetry and short stories growing up, so it wasn’t that difficult to write rhymes. I stated by spoofing different artist [Vanilla Ice]. I would change the words to the rhyme to make it more relevant to the things I was going through. For the most part they were all comical. Before long I didn’t need to change The words they just came to me. And a star was born. My name is Hakim L. Favor aka Ca$h, aka DollaMan aka Key-Me. I was born November 6,1977 in the prestigious Harlem, New York. I can be described as intelligent, cocky but humble, resilient, very hardworking, and extremely genuine. As a MC my style is not different from my individual attributes. I can be those things at any given rhyme. Sometimes my overconfidence can work against me, due to the fact that I haven’t signed a contract with a “Major” recording label to this date. However my skills as a MC is undeniable. I have had a strange road to achieving my goal. It started around 1993 when some friends of mine started a group called “F.E.B”. This group was made up of members from another group called “Trouble Neck Brother”. “T.N.B” as they were known as by the streets were the first group from my neighborhood to have an actual record deal. They were signed to Step Sun Records. When that deal dissolved members started F.E.B. Two members of the group (Tyrone Bradley [Tye-Wiz] Louis Bradley [Lou Phelony]) were very close friends of mine which later would form a with another close friend of mine, Steven Simmons (Bloody). Bloody and I decided to form our own group called G.L.O.C. (Going Low on Consciousness). We hooked up with a local D.J and producer named Sky Way. There we honed our skills as both artist and producer. There weren’t instrumental Cd’s like there were back then so we had to make our own beats using samples and a Four-track Recorder. As we began to make more and more songs we could see a positive development in our skills. We started getting more notoriety on our block with the songs we were creating, however we still haven’t recorded in a professional studio yet. It wasn’t until Bloody and I were in high school that we recoded our first song in a professional studio. Then song was entitled “Against Gods Will” (a sacrilegious song I regret even writing yet alone recording) that featuring Omen (he produces for Roc-a-Fella now) and produced by Woods also students of our school. I have to say high school is were I really developed my skills. I went to a performing art high school that was filled with talented rappers. It was the first time that I didn’t feel like I was the best rapper, the competition alone fueled my drive to get better. Artists such as Mr. Ed the Horse and Tank had already had deals on the table when we were in high school. I found myself for a student studying the way they delivered and wrote their rhymes. They were very important in my development as an artist and a performer. Around 1994 “F.E.B” began to fizzle and shortly after that the group broke up. Moe Money (Moe-Town as he was know back then) decided that it would be a goods idea if we started our own group since Tye, Lou, Steve and I were friends we all agreed and Apocalypse was formed. Moe and another associate of his (Nat Nelson) formerly on “T.N.B” had just started their own label “Die Hard Records”. In which we were to be the Headliners. It was the first time that felt like a star. We had stickers, T-shirts and were doing shows and recording songs and performing at exceptional rate. The highlight of that experience came in 1996 we one of street member got our tapes to KRS-One and he like it so much that he wanted to remake one our songs entitled “Gun Play”. We recorded the songs at the Hit Factory in Manhatten. There were a couple of stars present recording there also. WU-Tang were recording their second album, also present was Mob Deep and DeAngelo. Being in the studio with KR was incredible learning experience and also a excellent confidence boost. He was amazed at our professionalism and work effort. I remember Moe saying if we got signed that he was the fifth member of the group. I always thought that was funny. The song was completed and everyone in the studio was equally impressed. I swore a deal was evident. I had a friend from my neighborhood; Sean Cee worked for Loud Record and had informed us that the song didn’t make the album. I was disappointed. As time went on we found out the song didn’t make the album because Jive didn’t want to give us any publishing right, so KR didn’t want to use it. At that time I didn’t know the business so that news was of no consequence to me. I guess that also shock the confidence of Nat because after that we started getting less and less of the attention of the label. Besides that he was getting himself into more and more debt and his backer wasn’t seeing the return he was promised. Over the next half a decade my group and I dealt with an assortment of different independent label. First there was Warlock Records they were the first to sign Trick Daddy before he signed to Slip-n-Slide Records. Then there was Vacent Lot started by up and coming producer Dame Grease who had several upcoming Harlem artist. For some reason things never seemed to pan out. My confidence was rattled but I never stopped writing my fire dedication and commitment was always and will always be there. It was hard when I’m watching artist like Mase, Cam and Big L rappers we grew up with explode on the rap scene. Even Tom Black an acquaintance of ours who also signed to Die Hard had used his knowledge that he picked up form that label and started his on LLC “M.E.N” and they were getting notoriety. That’s when I realized that if we were going to get deal that I was going to learn the business. I bought Donald Passman’s book “All You Need To Know About The Music Business”, and I began to teach myself about the business. I’ve always been a writer so I had array of loose songs and verses separate from the group. So I decided it was time exploit my individual talent. I hooked up with a local D.J/ producer by the name of Nise and he was starting his own LLC “Harlemville Records”. He had already had a roster of local rappers; however once he heard me I instantly became his top MC. We began to record mix tapes and distribute them ourselves throughout the city. These mix-tapes got the attention of a couple Indie Record Company such as Crocked Grill Records and Phat Talent Entertainment. I was close to signing with Phat Talent but after consulting with lawyer I was advised against it. The deal wasn’t exactly a bad deal however since I had broader understanding of the business, I knew I could get a better situation. Since that time however I’ve just been recording with my group Apocalypse and also my solo project. It seems like my patience and hard work has paid off, because now I’ve put myself in my best postion to date. I’ve signed to Cell Block Records, a family owned business so I know that my best interest is at heart. I feel I can contribute and have contributed quite a lot to the music business. I was one of the first rappers in my age group to be in the business, so my group and I have been sort of an inspiration and spawned sort of a movement. The younger guys look to us for guidance most and have patented their careers after ours, using our accomplishments and failures as a guideline for their career. Due to the up and downs of my career it given me a sense of humility that that most of these new artist don’t have, due to the fact that they didn’t have a struggle. It came so easy that don’t respect the grind or the dedication it takes to have longevity in this business. My skills as an MC will raise the bar in the rap game. Soon it won’t be except able to rely on hot beat and catchy hooks to sell records. My skills will bring the real writers back. That I promised.