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3 THA HARDWAY

If the guys in the picture above look familiar to you, it’s probably because you read the article on Light (center) in our February issue as a solo artist.  Along with being a solo artist, Light is one third of the upcoming Baltimore rap group 3 Tha Hardway.  The group consists of Marcus Payne a.k.a. Payne Jewelz (24), Bernard Owens a.k.a. Bino Castro (18), and Earl Smith a.k.a. Light (20).  3 Tha Hardway, which has only been together since August 2001, came up with their name to reflect the three different styles and angles in which they each contribute to their music.  When asked who influenced them, they state B.I.G. and Tupac, along with life experiences and their love for music.  Both Light and Payne state that their motivation comes from the group as a whole, but Payne also includes his newborn daughter, Aniyah, who was only three weeks old at the time of the interview. 

Right now 3 Tha Hardway has been busy in the studios.  They want to have at least thirty tracks before they release their first album, which is anxiously awaited by fans that have seen them perform.  Check out Crown Jewelz website to stay up on 3 Tha Hardway’s upcoming events and releases, such as:

·        “Venture”- Crown Jewelz compilation album

·        “3 Tha Hardway”- Self titled album

·        D.C. Performance- April 25^th, location TBA

·        “Let There Be Light”- Light’s solo album

·        “All We Got Is Us”- Bino Castro and Payne Jewelz

·        Mix C.D.- Vicious V

·        Mix C.D.- D.J DNA

·        Summer Showcase- TBA

·        C.D. Sampler- TBA

Crown Jewelz is also looking for more artists to add to their family.  Serious inquiries can also check out the website at Http://crownjewelz.cjb.com

 Look out for 3 Tha Hardway in Philly, D.C., Baltimore, Texas, and New York. 

3 Tha Hardway would like to give a shout out to Crown Jewelz CEO, Jay, and their producer Sonny Cheeba.

STORY BY LAKEISHA POWELL

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