In a world full of superficial superstars, rappers often deliver too much hype and too little substance. It takes a rare emcee to rise above the rabble and deliver some righteous flow. Enter the MC named Golden. Somewhere between old school hip-hop legends, new school emcees and coffee shop slam poets, lies the imagination of this twenty-something emcee that hails from Minneapolis. Golden is not just a name, but a definition of the artist who has begun to stake his claim in the hip-hop world.

Golden, born Stuart “Casey” Golden, breaks out from the “bling-bling” of today’s rap and hip-hop into a more meaningful direction. As a graduate of Macalester College, he injects intelligence and wit into his well-crafted lyrics. Whether it be the party track Elevator Music where he breaks necks with: “I'm that smooth, lewd dude/ Still in the groove/ Willin’ to move many people like a minister do/ Administer truth.” Or the more introspective, emotionally driven flow on Falling, “I wish I could crack myself open like the ocean/ So you could see in past my skin/ Like a jellyfish in/ It’s more than words/ I focus on more than earth/ So I push my pen to paint portraits of texture.” Golden has mastered the art of rhyming his thoughtful lyrics with the style of a seasoned veteran.

As a founding member of the group S.U.S.P.E.C.T.S., Golden and crew sold more than 3,000 records in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area and performed at hundreds of show across the country. The success of the critically acclaimed S.U.S.P.E.C.T.S. CD, Delusions of Grandeur, helped reinvent the sound of their local hip-hop scene. Although Golden has been writing and performing for over a decade, it is only recently that he has ventured out as a solo artist.

In his short time solo, Golden has already been signed to a production deal with Beets and Produce Inc., a Los Angeles based company headed by renowned producer and music director for the Black Eyed Peas, Printz Board. “When I saw Golden perform I immediately saw natural star quality paired with raw talent,” says Board. “He has passion. He’s dope.” Board has worked with the best in the business, including Dr. Dre, Mariah Carey, Nikka Costa, Macy Grey, Smashmouth, Warren G, and Xzibit. No stranger to the stage, Golden recently finished opening several shows on the Black Eyed Peas World Tour 2004, to help promote the release of his highly praised mix-cd, The Local Mixtape....