Don’t let mainstream rap music fool you. Hip Hop is growing up gracefully and Stacy Epps is living proof. The MC, singer, lawyer, educator, wife and mother is truly a testament to the culture’s evolution and maturity.

Still, it seems just like yesterday when Miriam Makeba, KRS-One, Alice Coltrane, Sun Ra, Lauryn Hill, Amel Larrieux, Bob Marley, Mary J. Blige and Queen Latifah fed Stacy’s creative hunger and inspired her to follow in their footsteps. Crafting her signature sound consisting of ethereal soundscapes and hypnotic vocals mixed with classic boom bap aesthetics, Stacy set out to birth divinely inspired music with a purpose. As she describes in her own words, “Music is my heartfelt expression of warmth to spread light, love, and happiness the best way I know how…positive vibes through sound.”

In 2001, upon achieving a BA in Sociology and African American studies, Stacy left her home state of Virginia to make Atlanta her new home. But it wouldn’t be long before her commitment to higher education motivated her to make a move out west to attend University of Southern California Law School. Not one to sleep on her dreams, Stacy tirelessly juggled school and music to fulfill her artistic vision. She became a member of the acclaimed duo Sol Uprising and provided just the right feminine energy to this powerful male/female team. Quickly establishing herself as a force to reckon with, Stacy began to work with a who’s who of Hip Hop heavyweights such as J Dilla, Baatin, MF Doom, Madlib, Knottz and Diamond D.

As her career continued to ascend, Stacy’s dedication to being a force for change led her to organize innovative avant-garde events, calling on artists of all backgrounds to use their gifts to heal communities throughout Los Angeles and beyond. Not one to limit the scope of her reach, she eventually made her way to South Africa to study South African Constitutional Law and International Trade. During her 6 week stay, she shot footage for a documentary on South African Hip Hop and organized a community event celebrating the culture. Seemingly unstoppable, Stacy graduated from USC Law School in 2006 only to join legendary MC’s Bahamadia and Invincible on the “Sistas in Rhyme” European tour in December of the same year. She took to the stage again in 2007 to rejoin her rhyme partners, this time with the addition of pioneering MC Roxanne Shante, on the “We B Girlz” European tour.

Gifted with business savvy, Stacy started her company japanubia, a play of words on her dual heritage, and released her debut solo album “The Awakening” in 2008. Receiving rave reviews internationally, she forever solidified her place in the world of Hip Hop music. Staying true to her message of peace, upliftment, and social consciousness, she garnered a diverse global following and inspired fans worldwide to honor the best in themselves by fulfilling their dreams and walking in their purpose.

Stacy continued to make her presence felt as a featured artist partnering with the likes of Georgia Anne Muldrow on her album “Ms. One” and Hidetake Takayama on “Forever Yours”. In 2009, she performed at international taste maker Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Awards and blessed his Brownswood Bubblers 3 compilation with the track “Floatin” from her debut project. In 2011, moved to action by the Japanese tsunami disaster which devastated the nation and sent shock waves throughout the globe, Stacy contributed to the I Heart Japan Project, a mixtape to benefit survivors of the catastrophe. If that weren’t enough, she also managed to secure a position as a music business professor at the Art Institute of Atlanta. Stacy possesses the type of spirit that allows her to do the seemingly impossible and make it appear effortless.

However, Stacy’s greatest accomplishment was yet to come!

Today, as the wife of devoted husband and multi-talented musician Everett James and mother of two beautiful children, the love and countless blessings Stacy experiences everyday has reinforced her commitment to share her innermost joy with the rest of the world. She says, “The love of a mother for her child is unmatched by any other love. I only hope to express this emotion through my art and to share my love of music with my children”. As a result, she has teamed up with French producer Astronote to give her loyal fans a piece of her rejuvenated heart and soul. In the spirit of her past work, Stacy does what she does best by painting vivid pictures through her vocals, seamlessly blending angelic melodies with sharp lyricism as Astronote provides crisp snares and booming kicks supported by ambient keys and mood altering arrangements. Together, they’ve created magic…and a gift to the world.

“I want to make people feel good by sharing positive vibes and messages of love and healing. See the world through sounds and universal communication. Learn how to be closer to God through natural enlightened expression. Be a visionary. Connect people around the world and be an example of the power of music to change lives. I only hope to accomplish as much as I can through sound frequencies and intentions in humble service.”