APATHY
Connecticut seems like one of the least likely places to host a deep, extensive hip-hop scene, and yet the affluent New England state is a breeding ground for a slew of acclaimed local hip-hop artists. (Likely due to the size of its income gap, it has bred a strong underground scene.) Artists like Stezo, Blacastan, Camacho, and notable others have cut their teeth in Connecticut, as well as the surrounding states. Most prominent of the hip-hop artists to emerge from the Constitution State is Willimantic’s Chad Bromley, best known for his stage name: Apathy.
Though Apathy first began as a rapper, much of his early hip-hop years were spent primarily as a producer, collaborating with the first incarnation of Demigodz, a New England hip-hop collective which has dissolved and reformed many times, and whose ranks has included fellow underground artists Celph Titled, 7L & Esoteric, Vinnie Paz, and more. Apathy maintained a brief stint on Atlantic Records, but left after his album remained unreleased for years, finally releasing his studio debut as a rapper, Eastern Philosophy on Babygrande Records in 2006, to great critical acclaim.
Subsequent studio releases such as 2009’s Wanna Snuggle?, 2011’s Honkey Kong, and 2014’s Connecticut Casual would also be the subject of underground praise, and highlighted Apathy’s street savvy style, often peppered with social commentary, colored by his Connecticut upbringing. Over time he would collaborate with the likes of Nas, Xzibit, B-Real of Cypress Hill, Phonte of Little Brother, Ill Bill of Non-Phixion, and many more.
In between his solo studio releases, Apathy has curated an annual selection of mixtapes titled It’s The Bootleg, Muthaf**kas! The compilations prominently feature both Apathy’s rapping and production, and have featured appearances from underground artists like Styles of Beyond, Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park, Nas, Mac Lethal, Royce Da 5’9″, as well as frequent Demigodz collaborators like Celph Titled, Louis Logic, and Vinnie Paz. The first two volumes of the compilation (It’s The Bootleg Muthaf**kas: Vol. 1, and Hell’s Lost & Found) have been out of print for years, so Traffic Entertainment Group and Apathy’s own Demigodz Entertainment is proud to present them once again on compact disc. Now shipping!
