Although he was born in Detroit, rapper Twisted Black (aka 145) entered the hip-hop game by way of Texas. With fellow lyricist Seed he debuted as one-half of Houston favorites One Gud Cide, who in 1996 released the full-length Look What the Streets Made. When the album did well on a local scale, the group was motivated to break through nationally with its follow-up album, Contradictions (1999), but Black landed a three-year jail sentence for assault entailing serious injury, and was unable to promote the release. While locked up he kept writing his rhymes and expected to pick up where he left off upon release. But Seed had moved on, and without his partner Black was unwillingly forced to go solo. His independently released debut, Late Bloomer, arrived in 2003 and drew the attention of the TVT label. Just as his first effort for the label dropped in March of 2007, Black was once again headed for prison. This time he had earned 30 years for conspiracy and delivering 1,022 grams of crack cocaine. Black's attorneys immediately filed an appeal. ~ David Jeffries