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Griffen is a songwriter that specializes in high-caliber, clever rhymes that represent an era in hip-hop where content mattered and originality was paramount.
BIOGRAPHY:
A young boy wanders the halls of Chicago’s WVON radio station. It is the early 1980s, and his father is working his shift as an engineer. A friendly janitor takes pity on a bored kid and shares a novelty rap song for entertainment - the first hip hop record the boy has ever heard.
In 2022, Griffen (formerly known as The Immortal Griffen) is a Chicago based hip-hop artist whose decade of unrelenting ambition has produced 30+ mixtapes, 25+ stand alone singles, over 20 videos, 8 albums (available at all online retailers), and countless appearances as a guest artist.
Being physically in the middle, Chicago is a melting pot for the rest of the country, taking in influences from, as well as influencing, the East, West, and South. It’s the hub of the country, and Griffen is the conduit taking in and giving out that energy.
The young boy listening to records with a radio station janitor went on to turn down no less than 3 major label deals. In 2012, he finally inked an agreement with Scarface’s Facemob Music imprint and released the successful mixtape series’ “Engleworld” & two volumes of the street album, "Ashland Chronicles.” “Reanimated,” & "Folklore" came in 2017 & 2018, respectively and independently on his own Unlabeled Multimedia imprint… which leads us to “Shotgun Opera”, “Axxhole Theme Music” and “Nuclear Pasta”, all expected in 2022.
Griffen’s style is a mix of external influences and internal beliefs. His older brother followed in the family footsteps of working as a DJ, and shared records (including NWA) that shaped Griffen at a formative age. For young Griffen, the way that Ice Cube said “motherfucker” was the most powerful thing he had encountered. This music activated in him the desire to be in a position where he could express himself with unapologetic honesty on a record. Hip-Hop’s golden era greats moved him to take action, then and still today.
In his own recordings and performances, Griffen has developed a rare form of artistry and technique. With layered storytelling from unexpected perspectives, he strives to partner with the listener - encouraging them to use their own mind in creating a unique vision of the tale being told.
