Glue

With a tireless D.I.Y. modus operandi, Glue has become a critic's choice among the abundance of alternative indie rap outfits during the 2000s. Glue frontman and New Hampshire native Adeem (born Adam Arnone) put the Chicago-based trio together after he exited the rhyme-battling game with his second win of Scribble Jam's freestyle competition in 2001. At a Chicago show in 2000, he met underground Chicago producer Maker (born Marco Jacobo), and the two instantly connected. Maker even contributed to Adeem's 2002 solo LP Sweet Talking Your Brain. In 2001, DJ DQ (born Dan Hargraves) and his turntabling ensemble, the Animal Crackers, opened for Adeem at a concert in Cincinnati. Mesmerized by DJ DQ's scratching and percussion set combo, Adeem approached the DJ about making music together. Soon afterward, DJ DQ simply showed up at Adeem's doorstep in Keene, NH, with all his stuff and equipment, and one phone call from Maker later, Glue was formed. They mainly have crafted and recorded their blend of boom-bap rap and trip-hop without a professional studio, like their 2003 debut, Seconds Away, which was recorded in Maker's mother's house. Glue went on to join the 2004 Vans Warped Tour, both puzzling and enchanting the indie punk crowds, and later released the Sunset Lodge EP in December 2005. Their effervescent appeal set the stage for their signing to underground rap powerhouse Fat Beats Records and their second full-length LP, Catch as Catch Can, the following year. ~ Cyril Cordor, Rovi