WIZE GUYZ: Bio

Dextro

       Born Adebayo Mustapha Jr, Dextro was birthed to Nigerian parents in St. Paul, MN. As a youth, he was influenced by a variety of music ranging from Hip-Hop to Alternative Rock. His Nigerian culture had a great impact on his life growing up; especially since he was in the midst of an environment with customs far different from the teachings he had been raised with. This contrast in lifestyles was a sense of inspiration; it allowed for a different view of the world around him. He began to express his thoughts in the form poetry.

Coming up in the 90's era, Hip-Hop was a customary part of life for youth all around America and it was no different for kids living in the Twin Cities (St. Paul/Minneapolis). At first Dextro, was not heavy into the hip-hop scene because of many negative connotations that came along with the rap music. He met some friends that immediately recognized his talent as a poet and recommended he try focusing his energies toward Hip-Hop music. Once he realized the relationship between poetry and rap he soon developed a passion for Hip-Hop and more particularly the art form of rap. He voraciously listened to as many tapes he could get his hands on by either dubbing off of the radio or borrowing from friends. After digesting the music, he was able to develop his own unique style naturally finding a way to weave his poetry into songs.

His teenage years were spent learning and sharpening his skills. At 18 He met Lojik and instantly noticed his passion for Hip-Hop was just as intense. They formed the group Wize Guyz and dropped their first LP, "Mill City" in early 2008. Since then, Wize Guyz have been creating a huge buzz with their popular new songs and galvanizing live performances. They were nominated "Best Group" for the 2011 Twin Cities Hip-Hop Awards and this next year looks even more promising now that their sophomore album, '85 just dropped.

Lojik

       Lojik A.K.A. Jonathan Knight was born on the southside of Minneapolis, MN on the first day of Spring in 1985. His love for music is derived from his parents differing tastes. His father was heavy into the world of Jazz. His mother was more of a pop and R & B fan. Lojik purchased his first tape in 1991. It was none other than MC Hammer's single, "U Can't Touch This". This was his introduction into the world of Hip Hop. Some of the first CD's Lojik owned were Busta Rhymes' "The Coming", Bone Thugs' "E. 1999 Eternal, and A Tribe Called Quest's, "Beats, Rhymes and Life".

Poetry was a big part of Lojik's upbringing. He realized he had a gift when he placed 2nd in a city-wide poetry contest in 6th grade. It wasn't until the age of 15 when he penned his first rhyme. His inspiration came from watching two friends battle at the lunch table in his high school. He began writing verses that day and hasn't looked back. He was in the studio by 16. He recorded a 5 song demo that he sold at the school he attended. He kept up with it and met with future Wize Guyz member Dextro, in his first year of college. Lojik grinded out a debut album in the summer of 2004. "Face the Music" dropped in 2005 and Lojik knew this was what he had to do. Shortly after, he and Dextro formed the group, Wize Guyz. The rest as they say, is history.