Aristocrat: a-ris-to-crat (noun)
A person with tastes, manners and beliefs of the upper class; a nobleman; distinguished

Heyworld recording artist Aristo definitely embodies the derived definition representing him. Born in South America and raised in the west end of Toronto, Aristo's musical pursuit began at the age of 12. Over the years, he began to incorporate his appreciation for various musical genres; however, it was hip hop mavericks EPMD, Big Daddy Kane, Tupac and Nas that would leave a lasting impression on the budding musician. Over the past eight years, Aristo has been busy bringing his music to the public. In 1999 he recorded his first demo tape and began to make a name for himself in the underground hip hop scene. As Aristo started to gain a strong fan base, it became evident that it was time to solidify his name in the world of underground hip hop through the release of various mix tapes:

• Blockwork: Vol. 1 & 2
• West End Ryderz: Vol. 1
• So Seductive: Vol. 1 & 2
• Trials of a Hustler (Interactive CD)
• The Offense: The Playbook 1st Quarter
• Take Control: Vol. 1 & 2

His mix tapes went on to sell over 25, 000 copies worldwide. The success from his mix tapes caught the attention of some top rated hip hop magazines across the world. Aristo was featured in Indie Street (U.S.)), Yo Raps (Germany) and Kingsize (Sweden) magazine as the next big thing. In addition to large venue performances with Juelz Santana, 112 and Too Short, it was clear to audiences that unlike many hip hop artists, Aristo's rhymes challenge current clichés of today's hip hop industry. Backed by freshly crafted beats, his lyrical content takes listeners through a world wind experience as he speaks on his cultural, family and day-to-day struggles into his music.

In 2006, Aristo was approached to do a photo shoot for the popular hip hop inspired clothing label Nexlyne/ Universal. The photos would be used on Nexlyne's web site, however, Aristo gain more exposure as one of the photos was featured on the official NBA web site. Nexlyne proved to be very beneficial for Aristo, as the clothing label features exclusive music from Aristo on its web site. In the spring of 2007 Heyworld launched www.aristo-online.com, in addition to his popular myspace page (www.myspace.com /aristoworld).

This Toronto native has made hip hop critics and fans alike stand up and take notice of his talents. Aristo's witty lyricism, relentless determination for music and desire to inspire today's youth to aim for the best truly embodies a man with sophisticated taste, distinction, and pride.

"Whenever you're trying hard you're never failing, the only failure is failing to try"
 Aristo