Phillip Martin III (born January 10, 1968) in

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

, also known by the

stage name A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...

Nino, is an American

rapper Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

, producer, director, screenwriter,

film editor Film editing is both a creative and a technical part of the post-production process of filmmaking. The term is derived from the traditional process of working with film which increasingly involves the use of digital technology. The film edit ...

, entrepreneur and music distributor. Martin has co-authored two books and directed two movies. Martin's previous stage names include Pony J and Jake. Martin took on the stage name of Nino as part of the Texas rap group PKO (Pounds, Keys and Ounces). Martin distributes music under the umbrella of Big Ballin Records and Youngsta Records. He has also used various other outside companies to distribute a series of

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

s of

popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fun ...

P.K.O.

As a teenager, Martin grew up in

. In the mid-1980s, he made friends with Mark "Magic" Outing and together, along with Robert "AK" Hill and childhood friend Ted "K-Sam" Meadows, they formed the nucleus of the rap group PKO (Pounds, Keys- or kilos, and Ounces, a reference to the weights at which drugs are bought and sold). PKO performed at local nightclubs and parties and developed a strong

fan base A fandom is a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of empathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest. Fans typically are interested in even minor details of the objects of their fandom and spend a significant p ...

. They began to release singles under their

independent label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented ...

, Youngsta Records. In 1992, PKO gained notoriety when

CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by the M ...

interviewed the group about the controversy surrounding their underground

hit single A hit song, also known as a hit record, hit single or simply a hit, is a recorded song or instrumental that becomes broadly popular or well-known. Although ''hit song'' means any widely played or big-selling song, the specific term ''hit record' ...

''Shoot the Police''. After the release of the single, PKO recorded their first full length EP, ''Don't Fuck With Texas''. In 1994, they released ''The Good, the Bad, the Mafia'', which has sold 300,000 units to date and peaked at #64 on Billboard's album charts. After their CNN appearance, PKO performed with

N.W.A N.W.A (an abbreviation for Niggaz Wit Attitudes) was an American hip hop group whose members were among the earliest and most significant popularizers and controversial figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, and the group is widely considered ...

, the

Geto Boys Geto Boys (originally spelled Ghetto Boys) was an American hip-hop group originally formed in Houston, Texas. The Geto Boys enjoyed success in the 1990s with the group's classic lineup consisting of Bushwick Bill, Scarface and Willie D, earning ...

and

Too Short Todd Anthony Shaw (born April 28, 1966), better known by the stage name Too Short (stylized as Too $hort), is an American rapper and record producer. He became famous in the West Coast hip hop scene in the late 1980s, with lyrics often based on ...

Master P Percy Robert Miller Sr. (born April 29, 1967), known by his stage name Master P, is an American rapper, record executive, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He is the founder of the record label No Limit Records, which was relaunched as ...

invited PKO to contribute a single to the October 31, 1995 release of '' Down South Hustlers: Bouncin' and Swingin'''. PKO is credited with track #9 on the album, ''Got It Sowed Up''. The album reached #139 on Billboard 200 and #13 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop charts. Martin and fellow PKO member "Magic" Mark recorded a diss towards

DJ Quik David Marvin Blake (born January 18, 1970), better known by his stage names DJ Quik or Da Quiksta, is an American rapper and producer, known for his production in the G-funk style of West Coast hip-hop. Blake has collaborated with Snoop Dogg, ...

entitled ''San Antonio Ain't Shit Like Compton'' in response to ''Jus Lyke Compton'', a track on which DJ Quik compared San Antonio to Compton. The track ''San Antonio Ain't Shit Like Compton'' appeared on 1994's ''Tha Good, Tha Bad, Tha Mafia''. PKO declined recording deals with major labels and remained an independent label. Throughout the 1990s PKO released their own albums as well as those of other artists on their label, Youngsta Records. Martin later went solo, and his debut album, ''Nino'', sold 100,027 units and hit #84 on the Billboard Rap Charts. PKO is most remembered as the

Southern Southern may refer to: Businesses * China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China * Southern Airways, defunct US airline * Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US * Southern Airways Express, M ...

group equivalent to NWA.

Big Ballin' Records

In 2008 Martin co-wrote two books with

real estate agent A real estate agent or real estate broker is a person who represents sellers or buyers of real estate or real property. While a broker may work independently, an agent usually works under a licensed broker to represent clients. Brokers and agen ...

Mechelle Bower: ''Faith and Finance'' and ''10 Easy Steps in Creating Success and Wealth as a Real Estate Agent''. Martin and Bower collaborated again on the creation of "Born2flyy Ent", based in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

. Born2flyy Ent specializes in pop and

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

artists. One of their former clients is Mika Means of the

Universal Motown Universal Motown Records was an American record label that operated as a division of Universal Motown Republic Group. It was the contemporary incarnation of the legendary Motown Records label, and the "urban" half of UMG, although there were some ...

record label.

Albums with P.K.O.

* (1989) Don't Fuck with Texas * (1990) Armed and Dangerous * (1992) They Scared of a Nigga * (1994) Old School * (1994) Tha Good, Tha Bad, Tha Mafia * (1996) No Pain No Gain * (2000) From Dirty to Clean * (2001) Ain't Went No Where * (2006) Greatest Hits: Still Big Ballin' * (2006) Still Big Ballin': Screwed * (2006) Live in Japan

References

External links

* http://www.discogs.com/PKO-Dont-Fk-W-Texas/release/989608 *http://music.aol.com/artist/pko/albums {{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Phillip, Iii Living people 1968 births African-American rappers Rappers from San Antonio Gangsta rappers 21st-century American rappers 21st-century African-American musicians 20th-century African-American people

P.K.O.

Big Ballin' Records

Albums with P.K.O.

See also

References

External links