Josh Martinez

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Josh Martinez
Josh Martinez performing in 2005
Background information
Birth name	Matthew Edward Kimber
Genre(s)	Hip Hop
Occupation(s)	Emcee
Label(s)	Camobear Records
Associated acts	The Chicharones The Pissed Off Wild
Website	http://www.joshmartinez.ca

Josh Martinez a.k.a. The People's Champ (born Matthew Edward Kimber), is a rapper, record producer and record label executive. In the early 2000s, Martinez started his own label, Camobear Records, to which fellow rap artist Moka Only is signed. Josh Martinez was once named by Urb Magazine as one of its "Next 100 Rising Stars".

[edit] Biography

In addition to pursuing a solo career, Josh is a founding member of both The Chicharones and The Pissed Off Wild. The Chicharones are Josh’s underground pop project in collaboration with rapper Sleep of Oldominion. Together they have released two full length albums since a chance meeting between the two at the South By Southwest festival that led to the eventual formation of the group. The Pissed Off Wild, (or the P.O.W.), is a live rock band which Martinez fronts. Musically the band draws more from artists like the The Black Keys and Beck as opposed to the hip-hop sounds that Martinez is more typically associated with.

In 2005, Martinez enlisted the help of a management firm, agent and publicity company in order to help him market his projects more substantially.

Martinez' most recent solo album, Midriff Music, produced by Southern California DJ Samix won the "Best Rap Recording" award at the 2005 Western Canadian Music Awards. After the success of his first solo album and Chicharones material, he proceeded to work on material for his follow-up solo album, Traditional Songwriting with Choruses. Working with some of his regular production partners, he also enlisted the help of some notable guests artists whom he had met over the years.