Born Antonia’ Reed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Bahamadia was first introduced to Hip Hop culture as a DJ spinning at local house parties in the 80’s. A writer at heart, Bahamadia honed her skills as a poet and emcee with superior rhyme and delivery skills. Bahamadia has solidified her stance in hip hop since the 90’s with hits like Uknowhowwedo and “3 the hard way” which was named one of Peter Rosenberg’s 25 Favorite Female Rap Songs in Complex Magazine. Her Kollage album still resonates to this day, as well as her appearances on golden era records with artists such as Lauryn Hill, The Roots, Talib Kweli, and more.
Earlier this year Bahamadia appeared on the hit TV show, Project Runway and as of late, she has been in the studio finalizing not one but two projects. The first being is Dialed Up II which is the second installment of her Dialed Up series. Dialed Up is the first EVER music project created ENTIRELY on a handheld mobile device (smart phone) AND recorded in a car—further evidence to support why Bahamadia is deemed a highly respected artistic visionary and forerunner of tomorrow’s music. Bahamadia is also finalizing her Breakthrough fourth solo full length project titled Here, Here has been carefully constructed for well over a seven year span. It was created and is intended to be a solid tribute to traditional hip-hop music.
Bahamadia’s eclecticism secured her rise to prominence on the Hip-Hop and world music scene in the 90’s. In 1993 her regional hit, Funk Vibe (co-produced by DJ Ran of Power 99) caught the attention of G.U.R.U of the iconic rap duo Gangstarr. Bahamadia became his protégé and she was soon signed to his Ill Kid Productions where she recorded her follow-up single, Total Wreck which led to a recording deal with Chrysalis/Capital Records. After several years of touring, Bahamadia returned to her hometown where she hosted and produced her #1-ranked, prime slot featured, Bahamadia’s B-Sides on 103.9 FM.
In addition to being a respected songwriter/producer, Bahamadia serves as a positive role model for, and mentor of, many upcoming artist. She is a regular participant in educational lectures at universities, as well as in music conferences and seminars.