by Katherine Fulton
Before he was eDIT, indie hip-hop artist Edward Ma began his career in the late '90s as the Con Artist. During his stint as the resident DJ at Konkrete Jungle Los Angeles, Ma worked with Hive, Daddy Kev, James Tai, Busdriver, P.E.A.C.E., and Mikah 9; he also hosted a regular program on Dublab Radio. When not performing, Ma acted as producer and engineer for other musicians such as Sole, the aforementioned Busdriver, Aloe Blacc, Emanon, and Dr. OOP under the Con Artist moniker. The name was retired in 2003 and replaced with eDIT while Ma was completing his first solo album.
In 2004, Crying Over Pros for No Reason was released on the Planet-Mu label. Rather than rest on his laurels, Ma continued to explore his craft, creating remixes and mash-ups that gained him further recognition in the world of electronic music. Fans and fellow DJs weren't the only ones to take notice -- in 2006, Urb magazine named Ma one of their "Next 100" artists to watch. Certified Air Raid Material, the follow-up to Crying Over Pros for No Reason, was released in the autumn of 2007.
Outside of his work as eDIT, Ma has created ad music and jingles for Face the Music. These compositions have appeared in commercials for Scion, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, and Calvin Klein, among others.