"When You're Going Through Hell, You Just Keep Going..."

Stereo 13 (formerly Existereo) of the Shapeshifters and Candy's .22

Stereo 13 (born Courtney Gibson) is a one man band from Los Angeles who has been quietly making some of the most technically skilled rap music of the last decade with warts-and-all honesty. While most of us were too busy bugging out over Def Jux and Rhymesayers to properly take note, Stereo was diligently recording with every indie rap legend in the L.A. area and tirelessly booking his own tours through Europe and the States. Whether taking the stage before Eminem or dropping songs with the Mars Volta's Ikey Owens on his own Dead Guy Records the man's dues have been paid.

Fans of his solo album "Hopeless Crooks with Open Books" know the hard-living evidenced in his lyrics has become as much of a calling card as his machine-gun cadences. A matured, world traveler who makes his way on an authentic Indian Larry chopper, Stereo 13 has lived life as many of his contemporaries have only dared tell it. A couple of close calls behind him now, he's outlived his interest in glorifying self-destruction and suffering. "I'm tired of the dark. I just want to grow through happiness and love.", he says. Asked about his change in outlook he quipped, "When you're going through hell, you just keep going."

Stereo 13 is currently keeping after it in the booth and on the road raising eyebrows in anticipation of "The Good Fight"-his most recent solo work with L.A. producer Deeskee), his Retrospect mix-tape and "A Girl and Her Gun"-the newest album by Candy's .22, his duo with Seattle rapper Barfly. 2011 will see a steady stream of releases from him ranging from free downloads to full length albums.

Los Angeles has many secrets to it's myriad of mysterious characters that populate it's over-expansive terrain. But very few are as enigmatic, charismatic and aesthetically spasmodic as Existereo. (Exist for short) A Los Angelino native, he's lived the underground lifestyle that most people in this"game"ù only talk about in narrative or falsehood.

Veteran member of bombing crews CBS (Hollywood) and LSD (Whittier), he's been in the urban life as a fan of hip-hop since 85-86 and rocking since 93-94. By himself he's a formidable force on stage with witty, rapid fire cadence and tangled up subject matter dealing with his private life, his public life, rap life, a life of agony and your life in general---over block banging beats! He's also known for his collaborative work with underground titanic alien rap outfit The Shapeshifters, drug addled adventures with partner in crime Barfly with Candy's .22 or Metfly as the Overfiends, and his globetrotting genetic antics with his little brother Inna Space in their group WhyKnows.

He's done shows all over the U.S. and Europe with any one of the above named groups, opening for everyone from the likes of Hieroglyphics, Eminem, Jurassic 5, Madlib and The Liks, to Living Legends, Anticon, Busdriver, Brother J (X-Clan/Dark Sun Riders), Freestyle Fellowship, and countless others.

He's appeared on all of the Shapeshifters releases as well as independently releasing his own solo project Dirty Deeds and Dead Flowers. With such a wild background and around the clock musicianship habits, it isn't hard to imagine that his influences are as varied as the company he keeps. With musical tastes ranging across the board (his personal favorites: Hank Williams III, Black Sabbath, Saafir and Gram Parsons) the untrained listener would naturally need some sort of comparison in order to ground themselves to his music.

If you could compare his music to anything, it would be in his words Jon Spencer Blues Explosion on brown acid with a sad book of poems.ù If he had to classify it as anything, it would be an introspection to self destruction.ù Clearly one of the shining stars of the Hip-Hop scene will also be one of the darkest to fall to earth.