Rockwell Knuckles facts for kids

Rockwell Knuckles is a talented hip hop and rap artist. He is from St. Louis, Missouri. He has performed at big music events like SXSW. He has also been nominated for several Riverfront Times Music Awards. Rockwell Knuckles lives in Brooklyn, New York today.

Early Life and How He Started

Corey Barnett was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He went to high school at Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School. This is where he got his unique stage name. One day, after a tough situation at a bus stop, a friend noticed his 'rocky knuckles'. From then on, he started using that name.

Later, many rappers in St. Louis began using names that ended with 'y'. So, Corey thought, "What should I do?" He decided on "Rockwell Knuckles" because he felt he "rocked well."

After high school, Rockwell Knuckles went to Harris-Stowe State University. However, he soon left college. He joined a group of seven St. Louis rappers called Pangea. By 2003, the group had split up. Rockwell then moved to Los Angeles to work on music with a team called the Art Thugs. In July 2004, his house caught fire. He lost all his belongings. This event made him decide to start fresh and begin his solo music career.

Rockwell Knuckles' Solo Career

Rockwell Knuckles released a 29-song mixtape called The New Standard. This was in late 2005. This mixtape helped him get opening spots for famous artists. He opened for musicians like GZA, RJD2, and Brother Ali.

In 2007, he started writing songs for his first album. This album was called Northside Phenomenon. It came out in November 2007. In February 2008, he joined the Koch Madness competition. He made it to the semi-finals.

In 2010, Rockwell Knuckles released Choose Your Own Adventure. He performed this project on stages with many well-known artists. These included Lupe Fiasco, Pac Div, BIG K.R.I.T., J. Cole, GZA, and Yelawolf. His next big album was called You're ... Out, I'm ... In.

On August 30, 2010, a reviewer on Uproxx.com wrote about Rockwell Knuckles. They said that every SXSW event helps new stars emerge. The reviewer mentioned that they had picked Rockwell Knuckles as a future star. On April 13, 2010, his song "Government Name" was featured on Good Music All Day.

In 2011, Rockwell Knuckles' song "Play Catch" was featured. It was part of the soundtrack for the ski and ride movie One For The Road. This movie was made by Teton Gravity Research. The soundtrack for the movie won an award. It won Best Soundtrack at the International Freeski Film Festival in Montreal, Quebec.