CunninLynguists is an American hip hop group from Lexington, Kentucky. The group currently consists of Deacon the Villain, Kno, and Natti. Early beginnings In 1999, Deacon the Villain and Kno met at Club Kaya in Atlanta, Georgia at an event for the now defunct Blaze Magazine that included various members of Atlanta's own Dungeon Family. They had talked online previously through an emcee named Jugga the Bully, who Deacon invited to an open mic he helped throw called "Underground Live" at the Morehouse College campus, which Deacon attended. At the time, Kno was in the group The Continuum, and Deacon was in the group Illstar. Deacon soon returned to his home state of Kentucky and Kno eventually followed. Following several conversations of working together, the two first planned an EP where Kno was only producing and Deacon was rhyming, but soon Kno contributed as an emcee as well. Musical career 2001–2005: Will Rap for Food, SouthernUnderground and Sloppy Seconds The group's debut studio album, Will Rap for Food, was released in October 2001, and was described by Pitchfork Media as "a solid, accessible debut, filled with clever rhymes and tremendously consistent production". In April 2003, Mr. SOS joined the group on the album SouthernUnderground, which was independently released on Freshchest Records. The album featured guests including Masta Ace, Supastition and others, alongside production from Domingo and RJD2, but again mostly Kno. M.F. DiBella of AllMusic commented on "a lyrical deftness and genuine feel for the music rarely seen in the bling-conscious rap of the latter-day era". The group landed a distribution contract with Caroline Distribution in 2004, and SouthernUnderground was the first project re-released after inking the deal with Will Rap For Food being re-released shortly thereafter in 2005. Throughout 2003–2005, the group toured throughout the U.S. and Canada, appearing onstage alongside notable acts such as Nappy Roots, Cee-Lo Green of Goodie Mob and touring extensively with People Under the Stairs, Raekwon of Wu-Tang Clan and Brand Nubian. The group also released the mixtapes Sloppy Seconds Volume One in 2003 and Sloppy Seconds Vol. 2 in 2005. 2006–2008: Mr. SOS leaves, Natti joins, A Piece of Strange and Dirty Acres Following SouthernUnderground, Mr. SOS left the group on peaceful terms. Soon after, the two remaining members met Natti, a fellow Kentucky emcee. Deacon and Kno describe his joining as a casual process, with Natti already being featured on Sloppy Seconds