Along Came REKS

• The Name: REKS stands for Rhythmatic Eternal King Supreme.
• The Style: Renowned for a muscular vocal delivery, dexterous wordplay, and gritty, street-oriented lyricism. He stands as one of independent hip-hop's most consistent torchbearers for over two decades.
• Origin: Born Corey Isiah Christie; raised in the blue-collar enclave of Lawrence, Massachusetts, getting his start in hip-hop as a teenage breakdancer with the Funk Town Connection b-boy crew.

• 2001 (The Breakthrough): Dropped out of UMass-Amherst to release his debut album, Along Came the Chosen (Brick Records). It became a Boston college radio staple and earned Boston Music Award nominations for Hip-Hop Album and Artist of the Year.
• 2003–2005 (The Grind): After national press coverage in The Source, XXL, and Vibe, REKS kept it organic—selling his sophomore LP Rekless out of his trunk and building a massive grassroots fanbase through the mixtape circuit (Happy Holidays, Rash Music).
• 2008–2009 (The ShowOff Era): Formed a legendary, long-standing creative partnership with fellow Lawrence native Statik Selektah. Executive produced by Statik, the critically acclaimed album Grey Hairs (2008) and its follow-up More Grey Hairs (2009) featured production from elite boom-bap architects like DJ Premier.
• 2011 (Billboard Success): Released Rhythmatic Eternal King Supreme, featuring an all-star production lineup including Pete Rock, Hi-Tek, and The Alchemist. The project peaked at No. 41 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and snagged another Boston Music Award nomination.
• 2012–2020 (The Work Ethic): Maintained a relentless, near-annual album release schedule. Highlights include Straight, No Chaser (2012), the massive double-album The Greatest X (2016), and T.H.I.N.G.S. (2020), which featured heavyweights like Pharoahe Monch, Evidence, and Nottz.
• 2024 (The Historic Pace): Solidified his status as a legendary workhorse by releasing an unprecedented 12 albums in 2024 alone.

The Bottom Line: With dozens of albums, hundreds of elite producer collaborations, and global tours under his belt, REKS continues to release hard-hitting music and perform worldwide, remaining an unshakeable pillar of underground hip-hop.