Profit

Profit is a name used by more than one act, including an Armenian rapper and a German dubstep duo. The rapper is Nazaret Aslanian, an Armenian artist based in North Hollywood, Los Angeles. He performs with two producers, Taron and Kris P, who together with him form Entity. He describes himself as Armenian and says his family moves from Armenia and builds a middle-class life through hard work and careful money management. He presents himself as a “nine-to-five hustler”, combining office work and rap, and says his background is in school and work rather than street crime. He says he never sells drugs or gangs with anyone, despite being around people who do.

Profit records an extended demo titled DEMO OF THE YEAR and starts out performing shows in Los Angeles. His material includes a song about Zankou Chicken, which he says surprises listeners and helps draw attention to his music. He is also described as having a track appearing on a C-Mob release.

The German act Profit consists of producers Martin Hewing and Florian Achatzy. Before using the Profit name, they work as the Drum & Bass project Dub Tao and issue numerous releases on international labels. Their music crosses genre boundaries and combines elements of electro, dubstep and vintage reggae in a live setting with an MC. They perform both as a live act and as DJs, and play venues and events including Watergate and WMF in Berlin, as well as the Love Parade in Mexico City.

The duo receive support from acts and outlets connected to bass music, with records played by LTJ Bukem, Fabio and Jazzanova. Mad Decent support their MC Navigator feature “Whine Gyal”, while Digital Soundboy’s Benny Page remixes their Lee “Scratch” Perry and Warrior Queen feature “Two Edged Sword”, taken from the Two Edged Sword EP. Their live set also mixes in tracks by artists including The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Moderat, Ada, Santigold and the Gladiators.