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Apathy is his own worst enemy. Not just because he..ll spend his last dime on a pair of rare sneakers (at present, his white / orange / blue Air Force Ones neatly match his authentic Knicks road jersey); nor because he reps CT, a state previously known for obscure old-school rappers like the Skinny Boyz and Stezo, by ripping shows from Paris to Hawaii. No, Apathy's inner crisis comes from declaring war on his own name. "I'm not apathetic at all", the twentysomething-year-old, self-styled "Demigod" reveals. .."The name is a reminder, like a tattoo on my arm, of how society slips more and more, and how disconnected people have become..."

This is serious talk coming from the lighthearted slang king who charmed the college radio, underground and internet rap scenes with such infectious terms like "throwing root beers in your fridge", (bringing ruckus), "skirts". and "Tyrannosaurus" (girls with shapely bottoms.) His wicked sense of humor even surfaces in his instant messaging handle: "stopsayinholla". But it was Ap's delicate balance of aggressive ego, searing wit and strong social content that won critical acclaim for white labels like "School", a cutting but tragic satire equal parts John Hughes and South Park; and the tremendous posse cut "Smackdown". With these singles, and the modest success of his and Florida producer / rapper Celph Titled's The Gods Must Be Crazy EP (recorded as part of the The Demigodz super-group), Ap went from East Coast buzz to a national profile. ..Celph and I went really gung-ho and researched distribution, promotion, everything,.. says Apathy about his independent debut. "Nobody put us on, or threw opportunities... ever."

Not long after The Gods.. 2002 release,Interscope Music kingpin Jimmy Iovine flew the duo out to California for a recruitment pitch; once Atlantic Records expressed interest, a full-fledged bidding war began that required the services of a big-league, New York attorney like Theo Sedlmayr to sort out. Ap called on Sedlmayr, an old acquaintance dating back to Ap's early years as a hungry underground emcee, completely unaware of Theo's rising star as the attorney for multi-platinum acts like Eminem and 50 Cent. Impressed by Apathy's growth and potential as an artist, Sedlmayr insisted he not leave town until a deal got done: "I was broke as a joke, and Theo hit me off with dough just to stay an extra day and work things out" says Apathy.

Now after three years preparing himself for the big leagues, Apathy plans to take hip-hop by storm with two full-length albums: his first is the long-awaited independent LP, Eastern Philosophy, with production duties anchored by Apathy, Demigodz and the likes of J-Zone. Highlights include ..The Buck Stops Here,.. a glimpse into the life of a dollar bill moving through both legal and illegal business, or as Ap puts it, "straight from a stripper's thong / to shopping with your mom" and "The Winter", a crisp, frozen portrait of the cold, cruel struggle to survive and succeed in the blighted North, featuring The RZA's melodic muse, Blue Raspberry. All which begs the question: having landed on a major, why is Apathy releasing an indy full-length? "This album closes a certain chapter for me... like closure with an old girlfriend".

Following Eastern Philosophy, The Bearer of Bad News, his major-label debut on Atlantic, promises to usher in a wave of gripping music, fresh talent, and new themes. It's precisely this high standard that explains why Ap has been laying in the cut. aside from the occasional mixtape, like 2004's wryly titled, Where's Your Album?!?!? "It took me so long to break my own habits and do something different from sampling whatever I want", Apathy sheepishly admits, "or doing weird shit that doesn't make sense on underground records". His new focus, he says, is "artistically sound but commercially viable" He adds, "I maintain my integrity but it still pops off".

Atlantic stands firmly behind its new discovery, having spared Ap the axe that dropped on so many on its roster once illustrious music executive Lyor Cohen took the helm of parent company Warner Music Group. As VP of Marketing James Lopez gushes, "Apathy is an incredibly clever and creative artist; his lyrics, thought-provoking and filled with humor. He has the potential to appeal beyond the core hip-hop base". Senior VP of A&R Mike Caren, the exec who took acts like Twista and Nappy Roots to platinum status, co-signs: "Apathy is the rare breed of artist who isn..t afraid to break new musical ground, yet stays conscious of his roots. He wants to push things forward..."

Apathy's roots, in fact, lie in the small, desperate towns of Southeast Connecticut, where a black, white and Latino underclass clashes with the gangs, violence, and seductive heroin and cocaine supply streaming in from NYC and Philly. ..Somewhere along the line, people took "white kid" and "Connecticut" and painted this picture of a well-off kid,.. Apathy smirks. "I wish to God I had grown up rich...". Born to poor, teenage parents, his childhood recalls not privilege but hand-me-down clothes, government cheese and mirrors white with cocaine residue. By day, a young Apathy would learn empty slogans like ... "Just Say No", while by night he would see his single mother contradict them. .."It was the ..80s, cocaine was everywhere, my mom and dad were doing coke" he admits. "I think I grew up fast because of seeing these things..."

Much of the manic, sexy and dangerous energy of the times emerges in the thinly-restrained fury of Apathy's rock-edged cover songs, like his White Stripes remake, "It Takes A Seven Nation Army To Hold Us Back" an ode to the PE rap-rock collaborations of his childhood, and his Depeche Mode ode, "Personal Jesus", over which he spits a swinging 6/8 meter rhyme: "You're up in my kitchen / You..re doing my dishes / for minimum wage / your miniscule brain / is trying so hard to configure this rigorous training / straining".... Given his father's love of classic rock by Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd, his wide range of musical taste is not surprising. But after his uncle gave him his first taste of hip-hop, Chaka Khan and Melle Mel's smash hit, "I Feel For You," it was "love at first sight" for little five-year-old Ap.

A lifelong commitment to the four hip-hop elements (b-boy dancing, graffiti, emceeing and DJing) followed, as did tutelage in Zulu Nation legend TC Islaam's New Haven chapter. By '94, smack dab in the midst of a hip-hop renaissance, Ap landed an internship at a local station. A year later, he was an on-air personality, helping sustain Connecticut's hip-hop scene and adding to his network of radio contacts. Now he has arrived, ready for prime-time, and primed to usher in yet another movement of inspired music not unlike the 1996-1998 wave that spawned Big Pun, Cam'Ron, DMX and Jay-Z. Given that his vision has a tremendous following among emerging artists like Rise, Stronghold and Jean Grae, producers like the Beatminers and Alchemist, and mainstream heavyweights like Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda, Apathy is ready to carry the mantle: "I feel a lot of underground acts have a ton of potential" Ap argues, "and it's my mission to get something poppin for them..."

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