Preach Ankobia is a Montréal based MC, song writer & producer, who has played several roles in the music scene beginning as a DJ at the age of 13 playing with Dj’s like DJ Clue, Tony Matterhorn & Stone Love Sound crew. He quickly found his passion for MCing, writing and performing and he is also a skilled promoter, working with names like Al Gore, Russell Peters and UK’s R&B; sensation Omar. This led to work as an advisor for artists like Shame Dogg, Sharon Brooks, Stephen Thomas, Ceasrock & Uness. Preach is also an active in the community; setting up youth hip hop workshops for Head & Hands, he’s a member of Montréal's grass roots music group, Kalmunity Vibes Collective and he has also hosted on CKUT 90.3fm's Soul Perspectives.
In 2008, Preach released his debut album, Voice of the Streets, to critical acclaim, later he produced the mixtape,The Antumbra, and he has collaborated with artists like Manchilde, AC, J.Rocwell & Paris Jones. In 2009, Preach appeared on the soundtrack for Cirque Du Soleil's, Totem. In addition, Preach has performed at various venues, private parties and festivals like Mrs.Parasuco’s Bday Celebration at Time Supper Club with Sharon Brooks, Le Savoy with Bob & Bill, The Metropolis with The Islands, Hip Hop You Don’t Stop, Toronto’s Irie Music Fest, The Montreal Reggae Fest & Festival International de Jazz de Montréal.
Along with being an accomplished recording artist, Preach is a producer & song writer as half of Crime in the City alongside Uness, releasing over 25 records in 2010, many of which are on the debut release of C.I.C’s Japanese compilation. Preach has written for and collaborated with Mission District, David Audet and Vincent Degiorgio, he works with L.A based publishing house, Crucial Music and his music is featured in multiple trailers for online adult powerhouses Brazzers.com and Mofos.com.
In 2011, several of Preach’s songs were featured on the soundtrack for the film Sur Les Rythme and his song and video One More Chance gained immediate popularity on the Musique Plus charts. Currently Preach is finalizing his sophomore album, The Last Dragon and pop electro EP, Obnoxious, which features heavy weight production from Lounge Lizzards, Cory Bold, Eric Brvnes, X-Clusive, Oscar Wylde and David A.
Preach Ankobia is a dynamic, hard working and seasoned artists who seamlessly integrates the sounds of hip hop, reggae, soca, r&b;, punk rock, pop electro, house and much more. Preach is outside the box creating the artistic mould of the future from his dreams.
For more information about Preach Ankobia please visit: www.facebook.com/IAMpreachankobia
Preach would then move onto solidifying himself as a local promoter by the age of 18, starting with local night clubs and community halls to later move onto promoting major concert appearances for names such as Former President elect “Al Gore”, Comedian “Russell Peters”, UK’s R&B; sensation “Omar” & many more. Preach stumbled upon becoming an artistic advisor by 19, motivating local artists beginning with his late great God brother “Shame Dogg” & a young “Novakane”, to later push “Ceasrock”, “Uness” & many others within the last 10 years. He would also used his talents to become a youth worker by the age of 24, setting up hip hop programs and workshops for youths between the ages of 12-25 on behalf of “Head & Hands”, one of Montreal’s most reputable community out reach centers serving his childhood borough of “Notre Dame De Grace” (N.D.G). And finally Preach would find his voice being heard even louder in the community when he would join the cast of a local college radio program by the name of “Soul Perspectives” that dealt with news and issues of the black community while mixing a varied soundtrack of black music new & old.
As an artist Preach Ankobia has been voted amongst the top ten hip hop acts in the 2007 Montreal Mirrors “Best of Montreal” readers poll. In 2008 he digitally released 1 hip hop album entitled “Voice of the Streets” through all recognized digital platforms including Itunes, Rhapsody and Amazon.com, which was funded in part by the “Canada Council for the Arts”. Preach has also produced one mixtape (The Antumbra) and has appeared on countless collaborative recording projects with artists such as “Manchilde”, “AC”, “J.Rocwell” & “Paris Jones”. But more notably, in 2009 Preach became a featured vocal component of “Cirque Du Soleils’” travelling show “Totem”, highlighting the energy of the native hip hop dancer as well as appearing on the official soundtrack.
In addition Preach has built a reputable performance career for himself banking over 400 performance placements in under 6 years at local venues & exclusive private parties such as “Time Supper Club” & “Mrs.Parasuco’s Bday Celebration” with “Sharon Brooks”, “Le Savoy” with “Bob & Bill” and “The Metropolis” alongside “The Islands” opening for “Metric”. Preach has also played a bevy of youth festivals like “Hip Hop You Don’t Stop” with “Buckshot” and major Canadian festivals such as “Toronto’s Irie Music Fest” with “Kalmunity”, “The Montreal Reggae Fest” & “The Montreal Jazz Fest” alongside San Francisco’s “Jazz Mafia” to name a few. Preach is also considered the resident M.C of the “Kalmunity Vibes Collective”, an organic improv group of over 60+ rotating artists & musicians that have been performing for the last 8 years and has consistently played at least one weekly concert since their birth in 2003, claiming the title of the longest running performance series in Canada for their revered Tuesday night improv gatherings.
Recently Preach has begun to carve out a name for himself as a record producer and song writer as one half of the “Crime in the City” foundation alongside “Uness”, releasing over 25 records between the fall and winter of 2010, many of which will be highlighted on the debut release of “C.I.C’s” Japanese compilation due out by summer of 2011. Preach has also wrote with/for names such as “Jacynthe”, “Elsiane”, “Mission District” & “David Audet”. And gained the chance to write multiple records for “The Song Writers Association of Canada” & “Vincent Degiorgio” whom is best known for “Snaps” “I Got The Power” & “Rhythm is a Dancer” as well as breaking “Nsync’s” American career.
Currently Preach Ankobia is finalizing his sophomore album entitled “The Last Dragon” which features heavy weight production from the likes of the “Lounge Lizzards” (Will I Am), “Cory Bold” (Keri Hilson), “Eric Brvnes” (Toyota) and more. Preach is also writing a pop electro ep entitled “Obnoxious” featuring production from German based “TTown” (R.Kelly), Houston’s “Oscar Wylde” (Scarface) and NYC’s “The Sound Killers” (Beyonce), to name a few, both projects are due out by fall of 2011. Preach will also be heard in the upcoming Quebecois movie feature “Sur Les Rythmes”, having placed 5 songs in the film including the main theme, as well as multiple upcoming trailer spots for adult powerhouse “Brazzers.com” and “Mofos.com”.
I think at this point we can safely say that Preach Ankobia is one of the most well rounded, hard working and seasoned artists of his era and as someone who is recognized and complimented for their seem-less capacity to perform & integrate the sounds of hip hop, reggae, soca, r&b;, punk rock, pop electro, house and what ever else tickles his fancy, Preach deserves to be known as both the official melting pot of music as well as the artistic mould of the future.
For more information about Preach Ankobia please visit: www.myspace.com/preachankobia
