El Da Sensei is a rapper from Newark, New Jersey who is perhaps best known as a member of the influential hip-hop duo Artifacts during the 1990s. Sensei's group went on to influence a whole new sub-culture of hip-hop listeners, particularly those who were also graffiti artists known as "backpackers." El Da Sensei broke out on his own in 2003 with the release of his solo debut album, Relax, Relate, Release to some critical acclaim, only to be beaten his follow up album The Unusual which served secure his place as one of hip-hop's top solo talents.