The hip-hop duo of Ill Harmonics first made waves when they appeared on MTV's the Cut in late 1998, and despite their loss in the Top Ten, Ill Harmonics still inked a deal with Uprok Records. Ill Harmonics, who are keyboardist/bassist Blake Knight and guitarist Playdough, first came together in Dallas while performing in their local church choirs. Knight went to work on Paula Abdul's 1995 album Head Over Heels, and both have also worked with Freddie Bruno, Christian rap group BPM, and KJ-52. They issued their debut An Octave Above the Original, Vol. 1 in fall 2000. ~ MacKenzie Wilson