Dead City Radio



EarthTone (born Naquan Williams) is a seasoned multi-talented artist hailing from East Orange, NJ. From the age of six he fell in love with rhyming as he was groomed in what most consider the Golden Era of hip-hop culture. He grew up writing and performing his music after his older brothers discovered his innovative talents. A multi-faceted individual, he would go on to excel in academics and athletics, garnering an opportunity to play NCAA Division 3 basketball for an acclaimed liberal arts college in Pennsylvania. Four years and a bachelor’s degree later EarthTone, was ready to focus all of his time and effort into fulfilling his passion for producing and rhyming. He went on to attend the Institute of Audio Research in New York City where he learned the basics of audio engineering and music production. From there he would blend those new skills along with his given talents to become the captivating artist he is today. Though heavily impacted by the hip-hop artists such as Black Thought, Homeboy Sandman, Curren$y, Busta Rhymes, and Styles P, to name a few, EarthTone prides himself on being a well-rounded artist with, his influences ranging from The Eagles to Erykah Badu. He has worked hard to cultivate his own niche as he specializes in hip-hop production, song writing, and MC’ing. He released his debut, GMale EP in July 2013 featuring hard hitting singles such as “Fuck Is You,” “Turnin 30” and “Bible Pages.” He’s best describes as High-Grade Hip Hop, combining abrasive-yet conscious and thought-provoking lyricism over 808-heavy and nostalgic hip-hop beats-think early Kanye and J Dilla. What separates EarthTone’s musical content from the rest is not just the fact that he is an openly gay MC, but he has the punch lines and versatile flow to potentially give some of the best rappers a run for their money. He has a way of bringing you close to the thoughts of a “gay hip hop head;” without making you feel uncomfortable. Have a listen and you're sure to be entertained and refreshingly informed. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.