“Mr. Invisible… never fails to grab everybody’s attention and get their bodies rocking. It would be impossible to describe how much talent projects from them. Slinging their bodies back and forth naturally to their beats, Ill-Use and Aswell spit rhymes with such precision; they could make the illest MCs look like amateurs…”
— Creative Loafing
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Mr. Invisible is a team of two MC/producers based in Charlotte, NC known for their energetic live shows infused with demonstrations of high technical proficiency. Mr. Invisible has been rocking crowds with their brand of progressive hip-hop music since 2005. Up‐tempo beats, fast raps, and B‐boy inspired breaks are the backbone of the group’s sound.
Mr. Invisible draws heavy inspiration from old school rap as a foundation, then stands on it blasting futuristic weapons in the form of live beat production and sample manipulation. These components, mixed with wide‐ranged rhymes referencing quantum mechanics, underdog determination and a love for all the elements of hip‐hop, create the music known as Mr. Invisible.
Mr. Invisible’s group members, Justin Aswell and Ill‐Use are responsible for both vocals and production. Together they demonstrate flow that’s simultaneously easy and relaxed, quick and nimble over intricate beats performed live. They are known to international audiences via their popular YouTube channel, which has over 1.5 million views. Mr. Invisible is sponsored by Native Instruments, a Berlin-based maker of hardware and software for musicians. The group starred as a centerpiece of the 2010 marketing launch for Native Instruments’ MIDI production platform, Maschine.
Widely considered a pioneer in the emerging field of playing live drum machine, Justin Aswell recently starred in an educational series, teaching live drum machine techniques for Dubspot Electronic Music Production and DJ School in New York, NY. Aswell is a classically trained musician who holds a degree in percussion performance from the University of North Carolina.
Mr. Invisible has toured with artists DJ Vadim and One Self. They have performed with Atmosphere, Astronautalis, Dead Prez, EPMD, J-Live and Little Brother, among many others. They’ve also rocked massive crowds at key electronic and hip-hop music events such as Low End Theory in Los Angeles and the A3C Hip-Hop Festival in Atlanta.
