PizonIsHipHop.com

L to R: Timid, Pizon, and EJ

In a climate where everyone is out to prove superiority for his or her region, The Fam is on a mission to shatter geographical boundaries and establish dominance on a higher level. Conceived over half a decade ago as a loose collective, the now tightly knit trio prepares to unleash its long-awaited album Family Business, which aims to set a new standard for the group record in Hip Hop. While most rap groups are limited either by members who share the same backgrounds and experiences and are thus often indistinguishable from one another, or by performers lacking in chemistry whose forced collaborations often fall flat, The Fam faces neither of these problems. Pizon is a native of Queens, New York, who overcame tragedy in his personal life by using music as his outlet, emerging with a pedigree from the legendary Rawkus Records. EJ, born and raised in Galveston, Texas, draws influence from the classics and seamlessly combines east coast lyricism with dirty south flavor. Timid has lived throughout the United States and abroad, giving him a global perspective whose laid back demeanor is best exemplified by his calling Hawaii home. Though they have established themselves individually, the three members of The Fam have been closely associated for years, making this group effort a natural step in their progression. They recorded most of the album in the same studio together, which in itself is a statement in today’s copy-and-paste Pro Tools age. The lead single “Dreams Come True” achieved success on airwaves and in clubs, receiving spins from the biggest Hip Hop station in Washington, DC down to college and Internet radio, and being featured on many DJs’ playlists, mixtapes, and podcasts. Recently, “Get Off My Ass” featuring Kon Artis of D12 (who also produced the track under his Mr. Porter alias, by which he is known for composing hits such as 50 Cent’s “P.I.M.P.” and G-Unit’s “Stunt 101″) premiered on the radio and Vlad TV, where it enjoyed over 30,000 plays in its first ten days. Other producers on the album include Domingo (Eminem, Fat Joe, Big Pun, KRS-One, Rakim) and Kno of the CunninLynguists (Lil Scrappy, Masta Ace, Jay-Z’s White Albulum).

Aside from traditional promotional methods, The Fam employs the newest technological advances to stay ahead of the competition. To keep close personal contact with their fans, The Fam makes use of a voicemail/update service provided by SayNow, who has given them their own dedicated phone number and classified them as Stars alongside the likes of Soulja Boy, The Jonas Brothers, and TI. The pre-album mixtape Family Affair was distributed online for free, and contained voice messages left by the fans who called into this line. The Fam runs a 24/7 streaming video channel called FamTV, which was verified by the Mogulus network and is used to broadcast live performances, behind the scenes clips, music videos, and extras. An on-demand feature and chat room — utilized to host live chats with members of The Fam — are also included. The Fam’s official street team was organized from a central networking hub and attracted members throughout the world who volunteered to help spread the word in exchange for music industry experience and merchandise. Between the three members and the group itself, The Fam has over 100,000 collective friends on MySpace who are kept up to date with bulletins and status updates. Pizon also maintains a blog site on which he posts exclusive content, and Timid runs the Hip Hop e-zine OneTwoOneTwo.com.

Members of The Fam have performed at the New York City Marathon, which is the largest of its kind in the world, every year since 2006. They’ve done shows throughout the United States and beyond, even taking the stage at the New Year’s Nation party in Los Angeles that saw Travis Barker and DJ AM reuniting for the first time since their near fatal plane crash. Pizon hosted a Monty-nominated cable television show in the DC area, and his volunteer work includes starting the charity Hip Hop Is Not the Enemy which raises money to fight domestic violence. EJ set up a relief fund to aid victims of Hurricane Ike in his home city, and Timid is an advocate for alternative medicine and teaches Tai chi. The Fam has also been involved with voter outreach, appearing at political rallies and protests.

Though this may seem like an impossibly difficult grind, to The Fam it’s just Family Business. With the album now on the horizon, it’s become evident that there is no beating The Fam. One’s best hope is to try to join them.