Madgestiq, pronounced "Majestic" is a Portland, Oregon rapper who has recently gained prominence for being Portland's most outspoken conscious rapper, as well as for being a scion of the Portland based Stoudamire basketball dynasty.
Madgesdiq, born Antoine Stoudamire, was a talented basketball player in high school, but after a college career with some health problems, he ended up playing for various foreign and minor league teams. In the late 1990s, he grew tired of this lifestyle, and after some time sojurning, decided to become a rapper, something he had been doing for fun since he was a teenager.
Madgestiq's first album, The Rebirth runs a gamut of subjects, from partying to ganja to Rastafarian spirituality. During his show, he said this was to let people gradually get into his message, with the most accesesible tracks at the beginning of the album and the most philosophical at the end. Although Madgesdiq is definetly an old school rapper, and engages in lots of boasting, underneath it there is an articulate message about personal conduct and the world situation. It is perhaps not the most original message, but it is something he believes in.
His name fits him well, even when I watched his show in the Portland State University cafeteria, he was very commanding. He also has a rather clear diction and the ability to communicate with the audience in a sophisticated way, challenging them without preaching to them. His album does not quite convey his live presence: as an MC, he still has a few things he needs to work on. While his flow is very measured and skilled, he lacks some of the distinctiveness that other rappers have. However, he could still evolve into a truly innovative, important rapper.