Growing up in Philadelphia, he studied poetry as a teenager, encouraged by his teachers to add a depth to the raps he would bust out in school. He became a regular on the battle circuit, often traveling to New York City to take part in competitions. Moving to Houston in his late teens, he began to hook up with various local rappers and even released an independent EP, Livin' in D Ghetto, in 1994. Although he recorded a full-length album (Funk Is in the Air ) later in the year, he was incarcerated soon after its release and didn't get the chance to promote it. Still, Dope House Records was impressed by his self-made albums, and when he was released in 1996, they welcomed him into their collective. Producing and rapping with Lil' Troy and Kid Frost, among others, he dropped the "Internal Affairs" single in 1999, followed the next year by Let the Games Begin. Showcasing his quick lyrical assault and funky Dirty South-style production, the album cemented his partnership with South Park Mexican, the driving force behind his new label. Before South Park's incarceration in 2002, Rasheed contributed raps and beats to both his SPM: The Purity Album and Never Change releases, as well as several more Dope House albums. ~ Bradley Torreano