"Grafh was born Philip Bernard in Jamaica, Queens, New York City on August 23, 1982. A notoriously rough neighborhood at the time, Jamaica provided the infamous crack wars of the 1980s as the backdrop to Grafh's childhood. Reluctant to take to a life of hustling, Grafh took to rhyming as an outlet. The harsh realities of his world were unavoidable, though, as he witnessed the murder of both a neighborhood friend and his own father. He was left as the man of the house to provide for his mother and with that came aspirations of success.He eventually enrolled in college, but was unable to earn his degree due to financial restrictions and the desire burning inside of him to make a name for himself in the rap game. He would ultimately earn a deal with Epic Records and appeared on tracks for artists as big as Beyonce. He earned a reputation for being outspoken and brash, prompting some people to refer to him as ""the black Eminem.""Grafh would never release a solo album on Epic, though, as changes at the label put his projects on hold. After joining up with Damon Dash and falling victim to the split of Roc-a-Fella Records, he'd release The Preview on Sure Shot in 2005. Not a proper album, The Preview was an official mixtape cut in order to create buzz. The mixtape showed some promise and set the stage for his official debut, Blackhand America, which followed in 2007.Grafh is yet to make good on all the hype that surrounded him when he burst on to the scene by rapping on the tracks of artists like Ginuwine. His difficulty settling in at a label and other circumstances stunting his career is a story all too common in the rap game and recording industry in general."
