The release of Beat Assailant's first album, Hard Twelve, and its accompanying 12 tracks in October of 2005 was an introduction to a new kind of urban artist: one who managed to fuse the styles and rhythms of the South of the United States and the Parisian music scene. The release of Hard Twelve saw the American MC and his team opening for acts such as Kanye West and DJ Premier and soon led to further interesting efforts with other acts. The Miami-born rapper lived in Atlanta, GA, before he traveled to Paris in 2001, where he explored the hip-hop scene across the Atlantic and met fellow musician Danny Wild, who produced Hard Twelve. After several years of touring and a move back to the United States,Beat Assailant reappeared on the hip-hop scene in February of 2008 with his sophomore album, Imperial Pressure, featuring the single "Better Than Us." With his second album, Beat Assailant continued to push the boundaries of hip-hop by stirring together jazz, funk, soul, rock, world, and a little electro along with traditional urban beats. When performing live, the stage is packed with a saxophonist, trumpet player, pianist, and other musicians, along with the MC himself. "Better Than Us," the first single from the Imperial Pressure album, includes guest appearances on vocals by José Reis Fontao, lead singer of Stuck in the Sound, and Mani Hoffman of the Supermen Lovers' global dancefloor anthem "Starlight." It is another track to add to Beat Assailant's long list of collaborations. ~ Celeste Rhoads, Rovi