Pigeon John

by Marisa BrownBorn to mixed-race parents in Omaha, NE, John Dust felt out of place due to the color of his skin, a feeling that also continued after he moved to Inglewood, CA. He found solace and friendship, however, in rapping, and by the early '90s was performing at open mikes at Good Life Café, where other seminal acts like the Pharcyde and Freestyle Fellowship got their start. Dust, who was now going by Pigeon John (a name the mother of a friend had given him), soon joined hip-hop collectives L.A. Symphony and Brainwash Projects, and after releasing albums with them decided to strike off on his own. In 2002 he self-released his solo debut, Pigeon John...Is Clueless, which brought him enough success (albeit small) to get him signed to Basement Records, the label that released 2003's Pigeon John Is Dating Your Sister and 2005's Pigeon John Sings the Blues! The next step for the rapper (often labeled Christian because of his positive messages and references to God) was signing to underground hip-hop mainstay Quannum, which issued Pigeon John...And the Summertime Pool Party in September of 2006.