Tha Anthem

Act Right or Get Left

Fourteen years, one marriage, and two states in the making, Atlee "Tha Anthem" Urquhart is set to release his second solo album. Raised in California in what many would consider northwest Tijuana, Imperial Beach, became the proving ground for this 26-year-old artist. The influences of the Chicano culture along with the southern California lifestyle are evident in his writing. Now a Texas import, Tha Anthem is quick to show everyone that the Lone Star State has left its mark on him as well. The dynamics of his style do not stop there. A fluent Spanish speaker, he further incorporates the Hispanic lifestyle that surrounds him in both languages. His debut album entitled "The Exception, Not the Rule" is a reflection of his many nuances and influences and how he seamlessly merges them together.

In 1996, Tha Anthem wrote his first original verse at the age of 12. From there he moved on to writing full-length songs and freestyling. Though not a battle emcee, it is said that his freestyle skills are prolific. Occasionally he will step into a cipher, but he will be the first to tell you that it isn't his comfort zone. From 1999 to 2002 Tha Anthem attended Mar Vista High School. There he became the reigning four-time champion of the school wide rap-off. Owning this title since its inaugural year, he returned a year after he graduated to host the competition.

In the fall of 2003, Tha Anthem's job relocated him to San Antonio, Texas. In February of 2004, he was married. During this period he decided that music was no longer in his future and began to focus on his new career as well as being a family man. The marriage soon ended. Now alone and unable to find an outlet to express his emotions he was persuaded back to the Mic. In April 2007 his lifelong childhood friends Kyle Ginter and Joe Knox, the owners of Iris Avenue Records, approached him. They began to discuss the label philosophy and soon realized that this was a situation that suited him perfectly. Since that day Tha Anthem, Kyle Ginter, and Joe Knox have strengthened their ties and he was added as the third CEO of the label.

On May 6th, 2008, Tha Anthem's debut album entitled "The Exception, Not the Rule" was released. Not only did his debut album receive radio airplay from coast to coast across both the United States and Canada, it also received airplay on SIRIUS Satellite Radio. Tha Anthem's debut single "Gig'd Up" debuted on San Diego's alternative rock station 91X; a feat that only hip-hop artists the likes of the Beastie Boys and Cypress Hill have ever been able to achieve.

In early 2010, in the midst of a deal with Atlantic Records not coming to fruition, he became fed up with the music industry. With his newfound passion to prove that he didn't need any major label backing, Iris Avenue Records and he began pushing out product quicker than people could get their hands on it. Together, they launched Tha Anthem Clothing in the summer of '10 as well as released two mixtapes entitled "Maccin' It Up" and "Axis of Evil (A.O.E.)" featuring local San Antonio rapper Castro alongside Tha Anthem.

Currently, Tha Anthem is gearing up for the release of his sophomore album "Act Right or Get Left" that's scheduled to be released this fall. He is also in the process of writing his third album aptly named "Claim to the Throne." While he's keeping most aspects of his junior album completely private, he has let out that acclaimed producer Joe Knox, M.F.A., the producer of both Tha Anthem's debut and sophomore albums, will be producing "Claim to the Throne" in its entirety. "Claim to the Throne" will also feature guest appearances from major mainstream artists.

With the release of his album "Act Right or Get Left" Atlee "Tha Anthem" Urquhart hopes to open the public to a whole new look on rap music and help blur the lines of regionalism. As he has put it, "I think that music labels, hip hop labels in particular, have begun to put more emphasis on an artists gimmick and image rather than his/her actual music. While this is a sad truth that I have come to terms with, I know these gimmick-artists have no staying power. I, on the other hand, will be here to stay."

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