Five Deez is an American hip hop group from Cincinnati, Ohio and a part of the Wanna Battle collective, which also includes DJ Hi-Tek, Talib Kweli, Rubix, and Lone Catalysts. The group consists of members: Fat Jon the Ample Soul Physician (John Marshall), Pase Rock (Patrick Johnson), Kyle David (also known as Chilly Most), and Sonic (Corey Brown). Fat Jon currently resides in Frankfurt, Germany; while Pase Rock lives in New York, with Kyle and Sonic remaining in Cincinnati. Origins and collaborations The members of Five Deez originally met while attending Walnut Hills High School in Cincinnati, OH. Fat Jon, Sonic and Kyle David met in band class while Pase met Fat Jon during lunch after moving to the school at a later time. They chose the name "Five Deez" as simplification of the term "fifth dimension" of which they describe as "the realm where you experience music." They chose this name because another group was going by the name Fifth Dimension at the time of their formation. Five Deez has toured and worked with such artists as Rakim, BlackStar, Mr. Dibbs, Hieroglyphics and J-Live over their career. Five Deez have also worked extensively with members of the Japanese hip hop scene, as they have also gained a strong fanbase in the country. Japanese artists that they collaborated with include Nujabes, Shing02, LEMS, Haruka Nakamura, and Force of Nature. Style/Influence Five Deez's influence comes from many different genres of music. Their sound derives elements from electronic, hip-hop, jazz, house, and techno music. One of the group's major strengths is the fact that they move from straightforward hip-hop to up-beat, danceable music. Some critics have even called them the "kings of dance-rap.” They are also well known for straying away from the hip-hop norm, as they have included live-instrumentation, instrumental songs, and even singing on their albums. Their beats combine the mellow, organic sound of electronica and trip hop with the "boom-bap" of hip-hop. They draw samples from many different instrumental sources such as violins, flutes, synths, and record samples. Their subject matter stretches a wide spectrum, from songs about dealings with women, and dissing wack MCs to their exploits with shoplifting and dates with aliens. They have described their inspiration and influences as coming from such artists as: Prince, Steely Dan, Miles Davis, the Neptunes, Kraftwerk and others. They were also strongly influenced by old-school hip-hop (as seen on their