Conrad Clifton

Conrad Clifton was the 2nd child of seven, which influenced him to want to find his own identity. This, in turn, interested him in the creative arts (acting, music, painting, creative writing, etc.). He appeared in his first promotion at age 7, for the Nebraska Dept. of Social Services "Foster Care" campaign, which included billboards, bus stops, and public transit vehicles. He did his first stage play "The Runaways" at age 13, with his older brother Javin. Music was always a part of Clifton's life, learning to play the piano as a child, and singing with a traveling city choir at a very young age. In his mid-teens Hip-Hop began to be the focal point of his love for music. He began rapping at the age of 15, and out of a necessity for music to write to, he started to produce his own. He attended High-Tech Institute in Phoenix, Arizona, where he graduated with an Associates Degree in Architectural Drafting Technology. He left Phoenix, to move to Dallas, Texas, where he began working in the field of Structural Engineering. Being unsatisfied with the future he envisioned with this career choice, he began to pursue his artistic passions, stronger than ever. He joined Bowie Model Management, where he booked ads with Fossil, Nokia, Foot Action, and more. Later, he booked a national TV commercial with Dr. Pepper & Laila Ali. He was originally to be an extra, but was chosen from the crowd to be a principal character. This reignited his passion for acting, and he began proper training at KD Studio, with Shiela Anderson. He furthered his training with Theresa Bell at Art of the Scene Actors Studio, and Mona Lee at BriteLites Studios. He also received 2 years of martial arts training at Lee's White Leopard Kung-fu School, to prepare him for future roles in action films. Shortly thereafter, making music for himself turned into making music for everyone in the neighborhood. In 2004, he left Dallas for Atlanta GA, to further pursue his music career. Clifton began to enter beat battles in 2005, going by the name of "HeadROC". These battles pitted producer against producer, with the winner being selected by crowd reaction. For years, he held a record for most wins at the Apache Café "Mighty Mighty Beat Down". Later, he joined a production company called Battery 5, where he had the opportunity to work with highly successful producers Tricky Stewart, Bryan-Michael Cox, and Jazze Pha. He would go on to work with recording artists Missy Elliot, Rick Ross, The-Dream, Jazmine Sullivan, Yung Joc, Asher Roth, Ester Dean, Chilli (of TLC), and many more. In 2007, Clifton appeared in the Reel One Entertainment documentary "Beat Makers". His character and passion were noted by director LaRon Austin, who cast him as "Kuchio" in his next film "B.A.M." (2008). He later joined with director R.L. Scott, for his martial arts/action film "Champion Road" (2008), where he played the role of "Lincoln". Clifton also produced the title song for the film, entitled "Champion". In the Lionsgate Films release "Step Off" (2010), he plays the lead role of "Rippa". And in 2011, he joined an all-star cast (Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Kate Winslet & Laurence Fishburne) for director Steven Soderbergh's "Contagion". Today, based in Brooklyn NY, he continues his career in entertainment with the release of his own original music. Listen to his debut album "Picture in Picture" (2013).