Biography

Biggup & Elijah first met in 1998 as recording artists signed to a Philadelphia based independent record company. The two artists were featured as soloists on a six-person compilation project. The pair appeared together on the radio, television, and Internet, along with publications in seven major Philadelphia newspapers. Biggup & Elijah also coordinated and controlled a local consignment distribution campaign through 20 music retail stores, including Tower Records and Sam Goody. After the record label refused to support the project, and kept all the royalties, Biggup & Elijah successfully negotiated their contractual release.


-----The official release meeting was set for February 7th, 2002. At 2:00AM on February 7th, 2002, as Biggup & Elijah were preparing for the meeting later on that day, Biggups room mate accidentally burned their house down, costing Biggup almost everything he owned. As if things were not bad enough, one week after the fire, an old man passed out behind the wheel, crashing into Elijah while driving to work. The car that Elijah was driving was the car that Biggup & Elijah had built together to become the collateral for a business loan, and a symbol that they could work well together. In the course of one week, Biggup lost almost everything he owned, including a place to live, and Elijah lost his job and car. The only bright spot during that week turned out to be the fact that Biggup and Elijah were now free of their contracts, and could pursue their careers, which more than offset the negative events. With almost nothing but their reputation and knowledge to show for all of their hard work, Biggup & Elijah had no place to go but up.


-----In May 2002, Biggup & Elijah used the money from the car insurance, and founded B & E Records Inc., along with subcompanies 3P's Productions, and Big Leed Publishing. The two emcee turned entreprenuers then built a studio, produced thier own songs, and shot a music video for thier first single, "United We Stand."


-----United We Stand is a testament to people of different social, religious, and educational backgrounds working together toward a positive goal. With everything going on in the world today, to see an African-American Muslim from the streets, working on something positive with a Caucasian middle-class Jew, is an inspiration for peace. The mission of B & E Records Inc. is to create an outlet to the world for Philadelphia area artists and musicians. They also plan for community development and education. After going through the struggles of a slimy record deal, Biggup & Elijah are vowing to help artists and musicians reach the world, without losing their music.


-----Biggup, AKA Waleed Hakim-X Watson, has performed over 400 times in public, opening for well-known acts including: Jay-Z, Black Rob, Rakim, Akinele, and A Tribe Called Quest. Biggup brings industry experience to the table, along with the street smarts. Elijah has a Bachelors in Business Administration from Temple University, where he graduated with the highest honor, Summa Cum Laude. Elijah also has a rich history in the music industry, with his older brother, MC Vinom, performing with well-known old school acts including: Gangstarr, Chubb Rock, and Rob Bass. Elijah has also performed many times in public. With Biggups knowledge and experience in the music industry, and Elijahs business education, the two have formed a very powerful company with a strong message, "Unity."