Berning Up Brooklyn

A powerhouse vocalist whose incredible stage presence and vocal maturity rank with the best, Elise Testone is the perfect combination of soul, rock, attitude and restraint. Equally as impressive and at ease belting James Brown style vocals over a relentless funk groove as she is resting her voice gently over a ballad, Testone's range of influences and vocal capacity know few limits. Her first original album,

In This Life, released last year received rave reviews, celebrating her ability to "wail the blues, rock like a bitch and purr sexily" (Goldmine Magazine), but Elise is very excited to release more new music that is focused in the funk/rock/soul genres with newly formed NYC based band members. Growing up in New Jersey with a father who collected juke boxes, Testone knew she was a singer even as a young girl. Exposed to music that ranged from Motown and the Beatles to Queen and, later, Nirvana, she began studying privately at the age of 5, excelling and performing publicly at local coffeehouses through her teens. Eventually graduating from Coastal Carolina University with a Vocal Performance degree, Testone came of age as a professional performer and private vocal coach and mentor in Charleston, SC, becoming one of the most seasoned and well respected musicians in town. At the age of 27 she was approached by a scout from television reality show American Idol and decided to use the opportunity (urged on especially by her students) as a stepping stone to propel her career, ultimately becoming a Top 10 finalist on the hit show.

In the wake of her appearance on American Idol, Testone has toured extensively and has appeared on such popular TV programs as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Live with Kelly, Access Hollywood, Good Day New York, Good Morning America and others. While she enjoyed her time on Idol, Testone is excited to bring her own unique brand of music to the world, a brand that owes more to artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin, James Brown and Lauryn Hill than to today's disposable hit-makers. She has opened for B.B. King, Snoop Dogg, Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds, and Dumpstaphunk, and has performed with Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd members, and Soulive and Lettuce members to name a few. In a world full of vocalists who seem to be acting, Elise Testone's performance is anything but that. Her heart more exposed with every note, it's not uncommon to find her on her knees and out of breath at the end of a hard-driving soul tune – all in service of the music.


RABBI DARKSIDE is a Buffalo-born Brooklyn-based Hip Hop Artist/Educator, rocking the world as MC, DJ and Beatboxer. With a discography spanning a decade and tours across the U.S., Europe and South America, Rabbi D has built a global reputation and fanbase. The release of his internationally acclaimed debut LP, "Building the Better Bomb," and starring role as Head Coach on MTVs "Made" bolstered his rep, while touring consistently has allowed him to connect with the Global Hip Hop community. He has performed at major venues and festivals around the world, and is responsible for bringing the Hip Hop Subway Series to Europe.

A renowned freestyle artist, Rabbi Darkside has won a number of prestigious MC battles and been repeatedly called upon as host for high-profile events. As DJ, he has spun from New York's most esteemed clubs to multi-million dollar lofts to middle school proms. His beatboxing is featu¬red on MTV.com in instructional tutorials, and in countless live performances online. In addition to his artistry, he has worked for 10+ years in the New York City Public Schools, evolving from History Teacher to Teaching Artist to curriculum specialist, most recently developing the groundbreaking rap-based test prep program "Fresh Prep" (as seen in the New York Times and CBS Early Show), featuring guest vocalists Talib Kweli, Sadat X and Dres performing his lyrics. He was honored this year by being selected as one of the first Hip Hop Education Fellows by the H2ED Center at NYU Steinhardt School.

On his global journey he has appeared alongside Afrika Bambaataa, Antibalas, Blue Man Group, Common, DMC, Fishbone, J-Live, Kanye West, The Last Poets, Rahzel, Rob Swift, The Roots, Slick Rick, Talib Kweli, and Weldon Irvine, among many others. He has been featured in publications such as URB, TV Guide, Village Voice and New York Times, while appearing on CBS, MTV, MTV2, BET, NBC and Showtime's "Nurse Jackie." He is an ordained secular officiant and recently performed his first wedding, and is an official brand representative for BluBlocker sunglasses.