Suspekt7 (Producer, Artist, Arranger, and CEO) was born in Los Angeles, California. The Grandson of Pianist Ivan Ditmars, he was subject to countless hours of everything from smooth jazz to complex classical piano styles. This grandfather of suspekt’s didn’t work alone, numerous times was suspekt7 able to sit in on sessions with a pianists, drummer, saxophonist, and occasional other percussion artists. The music performed in front of him seemed to be one of the only things that was at the same speed as the young child. “I’d be rambling about some flick I’d seen on TV, yappin some strangers ear off, and the piano would start, and then the rest of the band would drop in, my eyes would light up, and whatever I had been yappin about became purely that, whatever I had been yappin about. Drums was my vision at that age because the piano was too consuming to an enlightened music struck 4 year old”. He would mimic what he saw was going down right at his relatives house, which he would almost visit daily.

Suspekt7 grew up the son of two well educated music fans. His parents introduced him to all of the albums from the artists that worked with his grandfather, to all of the vast records of their era, and to everything that was present. By the 5th grade, rap music was slowly getting more prominent in Suspekt’s house, and Digital Underground is what he claims to be the first purchase he made. By the 11th grade Suspekt7 had been playing drums for around, well he got his first set when he was 4, so a while off and on. He had been in 2 different bands, one as a vocalist, and the other as the drummer. He had been writing almost all of the lyrics for the bands, and started to write hip hop style flows to some of the music produced by his peers. “I naturally wrote all of the lyrics for the stuff we were doing with a complete rhyme scheme. For example, this track about this homeless man I used to see, the lyrics went, walking down the street and you see this guy, cart for a car he won’t be driving by. It would just seem off if the lyrics didn’t match the ending of the previous sentence.” Suspekt7 started writing raps during history classes in high school. He connected with longtime friend Livingston to skateboard at local hot spots, and they would sit after sessions and flow. They came up with Apokalips 3 during a skate session one day after deciding to form a hip hop group with MC/producer Jack Monroe.

“Monroe and Livingston are a little younger than me, so when they were taking these Midi classes making beats, I would creep in and learn from them on the schools expense and then take the mixdowns home and write to them.” At this time Suspekt7 was also exploring the art of tattooing. He was going to work serving his apprenticeship by day, and working with A3 at Livingston’s grandmother’s house as much as possible. “Liv created this makeshift vocal booth inside of his closet, and we would put down raps over his instrumentals in this like 2 by 2 by 6 foot hot box that was hot boxed. We used Sonar programs to produce with and a computer that could barely hang with the creative ideas Liv was trying, cutting and pasting the tracks , no sequencer, but if you don’t start somewhere, you never start right. Krazy Kut, meanwhile, was Djing at local parties and whatever clubs would let him embark on the scene. He and Livingston would get together to “orchestrate”- (2 by 4‘s on the set ups), and working with Krazy on our projects became a regular.” Together they produced The Plant (LP).

This album was sold in local record shop Lou’s Records, and out of the hands of the group members at numerous spots locally. With the home production studio Suspekt7 has since created, the crew has and still is continuing to perfect their music production. In 2003 Suspekt7, Livingston, Jack Monroe and Krazy Kut find themselves producing, and in all directions. MC Jack Monroe has released From Hags to Bitches(The Jack Monroe ep) in 2002, and is currently working on his solo full length album. Jack Monroe’s current location is Berkeley, CA. Suspekt7, Livingston, and Krazy Kut have formed . Suspekt7 has started indie label Mandatory Records to support the production. Plans for full length albums from all artists, solo and group, widespread distibution, and tours are in the making. Total production costs comes from the labels pockets, practicing imperialism and a sincerity in work, in a conformist, and play it to death, materialism society (86 other reasons not available at moment). Present location for Suspekt7 and Mandatory Records is Encinitas, California.