| NoClue | |
| Birth Date: | 1985 1, mf=yes |
| Birth Place: | Seattle, Washington, United States |
| Background: | solo_singer |
| Birth Name: | Ricky Raphel Brown |
| Alias: | NoClue |
| Origin: | Central District, Seattle, Washington |
| Occupation: | Rapper, Video Producer, Song Writer |
| Genre: | Hip Hop, West Coast Hip Hop, Hip Hop Music in the Pacific Northwest |
| Years Active: | 2004–Present |
| Label: | Long Live LLC |
| Associated Acts: | T-Pain, Adele, Sean Carson, Young Rebel |
| Website: | https://web.archive.org/web/20100826132359/http://www.noclueofficial.com/ |
Ricky Raphel Brown (born January 28, 1985), known by the stage name NoClue, is an American rapper from Seattle.[1] He is best known for obtaining the title of the world's official “Fastest Rap MC” by Guinness World Records, for rapping 723 syllables in 51.27 seconds (14.1 syllables per second) in January 2005.
NoClue grew up in the city of Seattle, Washington. He was reciting raps by the age of four and began writing his own lyrics at age 9. Brown grew up around the music business, as his grandfather was a member of the gospel band, The Singing Galatians, and earned studio experience while attending his grandfather's every-other-Sunday recording sessions with that band. Brown's first recordings were overdubs of popular rap beats, made with his cousins while Brown was still in junior high.
NoClue is a Hip Hop artist influenced by West Coast Hip Hop. He has established himself as a multi-dimensional lyricist with sharp, upbeat energy expressed in each of his songs. Brown counts rapper Tupac Shakur as an early musical influence. He explains that his stage name NoClue is derived from “the fact that the world had no clue what kind of impact he was about to bring”.[2]
To celebrate the launch of Wix.com Music in November 2015, NoClue was selected by the #OpeningAct campaign for a special 6K 360 virtual reality production at the YouTube Space New York, featuring his single, 'Voices'.[3]
NoClue's song, 'Movement', was featured in a nationwide commercial in Germany for the Mercedes-AMG luxury vehicle line (2014 models) throughout the year 2014.
NoClue was chosen as the face of Microsoft Windows Azure in October 2012.[4] [5] [6] The relaunching commercial has gone viral and proved to be controversial, being criticized for Brown's lightning-fast, difficult delivery yet praised for his articulate lyrics.[7] An online contest is currently being held on behalf of Microsoft to compete with Brown's rap.[8]
NoClue teamed up with the world's fastest speaker (Sean Shannon), fastest reader (Howard Berg), and fastest texter (Melissa Thompson), to launch Optus' debut of consumer 4G networks along with the introduction of the Samsung Galaxy S III in September 2012 in Sydney and Perth, Australia.[9] [10] [11] [12] [13]
NoClue is the CEO and founder of Long Live LLC. A video production subsidiary launched during the fall of 2012, aptly named Cinema 28.[14] The company is specializing in professional model portfolios, music videos, and wedding cinematography, with the inclusion of drone cameras and 4K equipment. Long Live LLC's debut video short was premiered on World Star Hip Hop on January 21, 2014, amassing a total of more than 950,000 views, featuring Jenn of Bad Girls Club, Season 10 and NoClue's music single, 'Clapp'.[15]
NoClue has been named Co-Chief Executive Officer of MusicCentro.com, a global music marketing and distribution hub geared toward independent artists as of February 2014, alongside Liam Toller, of ThisIzHot.com.
NoClue's album, NoClue, debuted on the front page of iTunes Top 50 Chart in October 2014.
NoClue was featured on the Discovery Channel's television program, Daily Planet, on their Top Ten Fastest Things on the Planet compilation countdown on April 23, 2014.[16]
As a 20-year-old, Brown broke the Guinness World Record in 2005 to become the fastest rapper in the world. The attempt was recorded at Seattle's B&G Studios on January 15, 2005, in front of a licensed speech therapist. Brown rapped at a clip of 14.1 syllables per second, beating the previous 12.5 syllable-a-second record set in 1998 by Chicago rapper Rebel XD. NoClue's since beaten record is recorded in Guinness World Records 2006, released in August 2005.[21] [22] [23] [24]