A Toronto-based rapper with an ear for music (classically trained in the violin and cello) and a head for business, Saukrates was fed on the mid-'80s rap styles of De La Soul, Special Ed, and the Native Tongue rap movement. He freestyled rhymes on the fly, basing his lyrics on personal experiences and dreams, just as other rappers before him. Once he started putting his rhymes to paper in 1989, the young MC began to seriously fine tune his skills. Saukrates hit pay dirt with his first single, "Hate Runs Deep," released in late 1994. It won top prize at an MC contest and, at 18, he followed with "Brick House" on Slammin' Records. In 1997, a mix-tape release hit the streets and Saukrates became well-known in college radio circles for the rap jams "Father Time" and "Play Dis." Just when success was all but guaranteed, Warner Bros., his then-label, essentially shut down its rap music division, leaving Saukrates with recorded material but no mode of distribution. Joining creative and financial forces with his manager, Chase Parsons, he created Capitol Hill Music and in early summer 1999 they released Saukrates: The Underground Tapes in the United States under the Serious Entertainment label. Later that same summer, The Underground Tapes was re-released in Canada on Capitol Hill Music/ILL Vibe with six additional tracks. ~ Roxanne Blanford, All Music Guide