Rhymefest’s ‘El Che’ Coming in May

Famed freestyle rapper Rhymefest is perhaps best known for his collaboration with Kanye West on 'Jesus Walks' from West's 2004 'College Dropout.' The hit earned both artists a Grammy Award for Best Rap Song and carved a path for Rhymefest's future solo work, namely his 2006's 'Blue Collar' debut, which cemented Rhymefest as a talent independent of West. Proving he is further capable of producing cohesive full-lengths outside of the battle rapping arena, Rhymefest returns with his sophomore album 'El Che'' on May 18, 2010.

'El Che' marks a renaissance of sorts for Rhymefest, who was previously signed to Allido Records, a subsidiary of Clive Davis's J Records imprint. Says Rhymefest of the relationship with his new label, dN|Be Entertainment: "I wanted to be somewhere that not only appreciates artistry, lyricism, and originality, but also serves a greater purpose in hip-hop and the black community." Production on the album is provided by Scram Jones, S1, BKS, and Terry Hunter, with vocal appearances from Saigon, Little Brother, Glen Lewis, and Chicagoan Twone Gabz.

dN|Be has launched ElCheTheMovement.com, where fans can interact with Rhymefest by way of the site's audio and video, blog, and links to Facebook and Twitter. Exclusive El Che content will be uploaded daily, along with upcoming tour dates. Rhymefest will also release his final pre-album mixtape, 'DANGEROUS: 5-18,' on ElCheTheMovement.com this spring.