Hip-hop music has long been a means of expression for many at the highest levels of musical creativity. We are now witnessing the emergence of a major new voice from musician and producer NOTAR. Free of the limitations of one genre of music, NOTAR pulls together the power of hip-hop, rock, funk and pop to create his own potent aural stew – one that will make music fans take notice when they hear it blasting from radios, in the streets, at the clubs, and at his live performances.

With the release of his forthcoming 2011 CD, Devil’s Playground, NOTAR is set to unleash an explosion of stark, honest creativity on a fractured music industry.

Growing up in New Haven, Connecticut, NOTAR knew right away that he was a “creative, right-brained person.” The records that first led him to appreciate hip-hop music included those by Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs, Brand Nubian and A Tribe Called Quest. He found hip-hop to be an amazing creative outlet. “It was an in-your-face way to really expose your inner voice,” he remembers. “The more I listened, the more I wanted to express my views in that way.”

Unfortunately, NOTAR notes, due to hip-hop’s incredible commercial success, the genre became corporate, with a lot of the knowledge that once fueled it, being lost. Seminal rapper Chuck D, fiery leader of iconic rap group Public Enemy, remains one of his favorite MC’s. “I love his tenacity and attitude,” NOTAR explains. “He never holds back, especially when it comes to his political views.”

It was during college that NOTAR began writing rhymes, continuing to challenge himself to find his own voice. He gigged around New York City, in addition to snagging record industry jobs at Octone Records (home of Maroon 5) and Bad Boy Entertainment (a short stint as an assistant to hip-hop mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs).

The road to getting a record deal involved a mix of raw talent and being in the right place at the right time. NOTAR caught the ear of Irv Gotti, head of Murder Inc., who in turn allowed him full access to his Crackhouse Studio but challenged him to write and perform a song in thirty minutes. The result was the tantalizing track titled, “Critic”.

A mutual friend passed NOTAR’s 4-song demo on to Adam Duritz, lead singer of multi-platinum selling band Counting Crows. It was an immediate connection and Duritz signed the artist to his Tyrannosaurus Records label. “NOTAR’s flow is absolutely blistering,” Duritz says. “He spits with incredible speed and syncopation while constantly changing the rhyme schemes and the rhythm of his flow, never sticking to the same pattern for too long and constantly surprising me.”

After signing NOTAR, Duritz suggested he collaborate with rapper Young Cash (who is signed to T-Pain’s Nappy Boy label, and had flipped his own version of an earlier Counting Crows track prior to NOTAR’s signing) and respected hip-hop producer MGeezy. The trio clicked, mixing up some aural magic in a Jacksonville, Florida, studio, NOTAR having found creative partners-in-crime (he even discovered that he and Young Cash share a birthday). The initial result of that collaboration is the raw street track, “Whatever You Need.”

“When I first met NOTAR, he immediately starts playing classic rock and hip-hop songs from his iPod, from Blue Oyster Cult to Tower of Power to Portishead to Rakim to Nas and Wu Tang,” says a stunned but impressed MGeezy. “I started piecing a rhythm together and NOTAR goes into the booth and starts spitting the sickest, most amazing freestyle I have ever heard in my life! [Cash and I] look at each other and we knew it was instant magic.”

A five-track, self-titled EP was released in 2010, building buzz on NOTAR’s considerable skills as an MC, writer and co-producer. Standout tracks include “Stranger,” featuring Duritz, based on the true testimonials from friends and family fighting the war in the Middle East and how they were viewed as strangers in a foreign land; the hard edged, rock inflected “Matador,” featuring Walt Lafty, declares that life is a battle and a true warrior/matador takes the bull by the horns and perseveres; “Alcoholic,” a dark, urgent look inside the mind of a heavy drinker; and “Reach,” featuring Dashboard Confessional’s Chris Carrabba, which explores the painful experience of watching a loved one slowly wither and die, and the accompanying despair that leads him to reach out for someone.

Devil’s Playground is a reflection of the paths NOTAR’s life has taken, often creative, but sometimes dark and sometimes sad. He lost his father at age twelve, something he still carries with him in his everyday life. He has had to deal with other dark turns in the road (in the past few years, he has lost three close friends to suicide or murder).

“I am constantly writing, and my music paints a picture of events from my life,” he explains.

“The “devil’s playground” is a reference to my life in New York City and I use it as a template to explain the temptations of drugs, alcohol, and the dark side of the canyons of New York. In the current state of the world, we, as a society, are faced with the destruction of war, the wrath of fury from mother nature, inner pain, and fear. And while the devil must be laughing his ass off, I’m still standing here, still working and still creating!”

This past summer, NOTAR joined Counting Crows and Augustana, among other artists, on the “Traveling Circus and Medicine Show,” performing for hundreds of thousands of fans during the 25-city tour. He found the experience a great way to connect directly with crowds across the country. He was also inspired by the camaraderie between the musicians on stage. “The audience can really pick up on that as well.”

The tour’s real surprise was that rock fans were not expecting a rapper to perform during the shows. However, NOTAR killed it, making a strong impression and winning over audiences during each date. “I’m very aware of how the crowd feels about what they’re seeing and it gives me energy,” he says, adding “Performing live is the best way for me to do what I do, especially because I play with a whole band onstage instead of just a DJ.”

The album’s creative mix of musical genres, together with its highly personal nature, may surprise people. NOTAR hopes that people can relate to it and be inspired by it. “Writing and recording these songs was an incredible creative release for me,” he says. “I hope when people listen, it can be a release for them, too.”

Devil’s Playground was produced by NOTAR, Grammy nominated, Ken Lewis (Kayne West, Beastie Boys, Usher), hip-hop producer MGeezy (Wyclef Jean, T-Pain), and Kevin Augsburg, an up and comer out of Brooklyn, New York. The album consists of thirteen songs, written and performed by NOTAR, and features such talent as Young Cash, Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional and Adam Duritz.