Meet the AG Team

Nate

With over 15 years of professional experience under his belt, Nate began his career working with some of the most respected recording and mixing engineers in the Big Apple. He worked with Hip Hop legends such as the Beatnuts, MOP, Onyx, and Greg Nice. Nate moved to Baltimore in 2001 to help operate studios working with major label artists such as Lil Mo, Alicia Keys and Mya while freelance engineering for Def Jam artists like COMP and Dru Hill. In 2005 Nate opened Above Ground Studios and since then has engineered hits for some of the hottest artists in Baltimore and across the Nation.  He is currently working with Interscope recording artist Blaqstarr and Jive recording artist CJ Hilton.

Val

Starting out as a high school intern when Above Ground first opened its doors in 2005, Val has developed skills on the mixing boards, as an engineer, an on keyboard, doing ill production. He has an excellent ear for what sounds good between the speakers and remains cutting edge with all trends in the music industry. Val has worked with some of today’s newest rap stars such as OCD and Future (Tony Montana, Same Damn Time, Magic).

RANDOM: A true sneaker head, you might see Val rocking limited edition Lebrons or some vintage Jordans.

Jay Funk

A seasoned veteran who started producing at the age of 15, Jay Funk makes records as good or better than any of the top producers in the music industry today. By 16 he already had a major label placement featuring Method Man on Dru Hill’s debut album for Def Jam. Since then Jay Funk’s list of accolades is longer than can be included in this bio but to name a few he has produced for Trina, Young Buck, and DMX. His organic and unorthadox beats are true to his name -- Funky! Whether recording R&B, Pop, Rap, or Rock, Jay is a perfectionist, always having fun with artist getting them to give their best performance.

DK

This music child prodigy began producing at the early age of 12. His modern sound still delivers a fresh classic feel. DK has worked with major label artists such as Little Brother, Mac Miller, and CJ Hilton as well as with buzzing independent artists like OCD (Moosh and Twist). He has produced music for major corporations such as MTV and Addidas.

Alex 

Alex has studied music from a young age and plays a variety of musical instruments including guitar, bass, and piano. In addition to being well versed in musical theory and song structure, he gets down digitally with sequencing programs such as Reason and Cubase. Alex has a great ability to meld electronic and acoustic sounds creating an original experience for every artist he's worked with.  He has a worldly dance and pop sound and can write everything from synthesized night club bangers to heart felt pop ballads and acoustic rock songs.

RANDOM: Superman reigns supreme in his comic book world.

J. Powell

Jimmy Powell is an artist and video editor. As a painter who graduated from the Maryland Institute of Art, Jimmy brings his artistic eye to all projects. He has edited a wide range of music videos, commercials, documentaries; and just recently finished editing an entire independent film. One of the best things about working with Jimmy is his extensive bag of video tricks. He can pick up pace and energy with quick cuts and jump edits or slow the vibe down with visual effects and slow motion. With the use of his trusty laptop and Final Cut Pro Jimmy can sculpt and mold many different types and styles of video into a captivating work of art.

RAMDOM: FYI…unless you are an Olympic gymnast its probably not a good idea to challenge Jim to a flipping contest as he can usually drop about 20 back flips in a row without breaking a sweat.

Phil

You could say photography is in Phil’s blood. He comes from a family of top quality photographers and has been taking photos since the age of 5. Throughout his career as a professional photographer, Phil has been hired to take photos of countless celebrities including Michelle Obama, Mary J Blige, and Ray Lewis. His work has been displayed in magazines, newspapers, album covers and art shows. Phil possesses an innate talent for capturing the moment in the picture frame. Instead of the photos appearing forced and boring, the subjects look cool and natural in their setting. 

Rasaan

Rasaan is a videographer with over 10 years of professional filming experience.  He attended Baltimore School for the Arts where he gained a strong foundation in proper production protocol and learned how to work under pressure. He then went the School of Visual Arts in New York where he studied filming techniques. After graduating from film school Rasaan moved back to Baltimore and has since filmed everything from music videos and commercials to weddings and documentaries. His methods illicit a clean look that makes subjects appear to float across the screen. During the past year, Rasaan has flown to South Africa to film a documentary for the Global Africa Project and has had work showcased on tour for the Museum of Art and Design.

RANDOM: This Gummi Bear fanatic might kick you off the set if you show up with anything but the Haribo brand.