Stephane Armleder enters the building January 31st 1977.

He’s an aquarius with Swiss, American, German and French blood. Rumored to have Russian, Hungarian and English origins too.

Grows up in Avully, a calm area in the suburbs of Geneva, Switzerland.
Quickly develops an interest for crazy American toys, comic books, horror movies, and skateboarding.

First music experience : Michael Jackson ‘Off The Wall’, the (not yet) Genevan Heathen dances with the white glove and breakdances at school parties. Does play-pause mixtapes, 9 years old and already hosting that shit. Brings Fat Boys tapes to the party, most kids don't know what's going on.

HipHop and skateboarding become the main occupation very soon. Thanx to a fantastic dad who goes to New York every now and then, John B Rambo jr gets all the hottest rap tapes 1 year before they come out in Geneva and the freshest skateboards.

Junior High School, bumps Above The Law, Public Enemy, NWA and such. Kind of an outcast at school (but in a cool way).

High School, first loves. Going out with girls from school doesn’t seem to work out, Rambo falls in a girl who goes to an international high school on the opposite side of town. Shout out.
Meanwhile girls at his high school think he’s cold and doesn’t seem to care about anybody but him and his friends. « Oh this guy doesn’t even say hi ». Mean or shy? You tell me.
Lot of skateboarding, lot of English speaking with homegirl, lot of being a crazy nerd about hiphop, trying to know everything there is to know.

First show attended: Ice Cube, Lench Mob, Kam in German speaking part of Switzerland with the homie Thomas. From there, hopping from hiphop party to hiphop party with DJ Raze and crew. Always complains about lack of westcoast hiphop at parties.

Moves to Boston after High School. The college days. Lives on Marlborough street with the girl he met in Geneva 3 years earlier.
It’s the indy hiphop era. Rambo & YSK go to every single show at the Middle East and shit. Meets with 7L&Esoteric, Mr.Lif and all them cats.

Does Samizdat Fanzine with YSK. He writes article and hooks up interviews, she takes photos and takes care of the graphic work.
Rambo also studies International Relations.

Meets a French guy that goes by the name of Tekila while spending his holidays in Geneva.

Meets Microft Holmes at an Eminem show in 1999 or something. Microft gives him the name ‘The Genevan Heathen’.

Microft introduces him to Matt Foley aka Jeep Jack. Jeep Jack gives him the name 'John B Rambo'.

Rambo starts messing with indy hiphop label RCR (Record Company Records).

2000, graduation cum laude.

Goes back to Switzerland.

Works for a Human Rights organization for a while.

2001, moves to Tokyo to learn Japanese.

Chills with Dai Kurihara from Trieight Recordings, and does online journalism for a few French and Swiss websites.

Goes back and forth between Tokyo and Geneva, plus starts to get a crew of friends in Paris through his friend Tekila (now Tekilatex) from the group TTC (Big Dada).

Does more and more work for RCR as their official overseas representative, and starts "The Heathen's Corner" for the label's site, a kind of VIP report on Rambo's life which quickly becomes cult.

Van Houten writes like no other.

Break-up. Sad. Shout-out.

Rambo hooks up with a bunch of crazy kids in Tokyo, including the soap opera star Mark Kenji Condon. Parties like a psycho.

TTC comes for a show in Tokyo. Rambo plays guide and meets Tacteel too. Legendary photo sessions. The ‘Rambo style pic’ attitude is born.

December 2002, starts Villa Magica Records with Sylvie Fleury and John Armleder. First release: Christmas in Roxbury by Jeep Jack, L Contra, and Michael Hutcherson. The Geneva-based label has since released albums and singles by Kid Rolex, Steven Parrino, DJ Sid, Tacteel, Chainsaw Rich, ReSet, Jordan Wolfson, Gerwald Rockenschaub, Team404, Jeep Jack, L Contra Band, Genesis P-Orridge & Thee Majesty and many more.

January 2003, back to Geneva.

Rambo gets heavily involved in the music industry, as well as art world (notably working with Ecart at Art Basel).

Throws first Villa Magica Records event in Zurich.

Falls in love with girl from Geneva.

Goes back to Boston to visit friends and record the never-released Spacebar EP with Jeep Jack (now DJ Matt Foley), Miss Wu, Chronic Colin and Katmandu.

Starts Murda Funk Radio Show with DJ Raze & Charly Charlz on online radio Basic.ch.

Hosts all DJ Raze mixtapes.

Organizes the most fabulous Xmas party ever in Geneva. The annual Villa Magica Xmas Party becomes a landmark in Genevan nitelife. 2000 people show up every year. Jeep Jack, DJ Sid, ReSet, Chainsaw Rich, Gerwald Rockenschaub, Femmes Friquees, and Fuckaloop perform at these events.

Continues the Villa Magica Records hustle.

Starts Spacebar Geneva with Kid Rolex, Miss Thuy, and Yogi. Drunk every Tuesday nite for some recording action.

Works with the TTC/Institubes posse in Paris.

Starts his own series of mixtapes called ‘Notgoinganywhere’. Critically-acclaimed. John B Rambo has invented a new style of mixtapes/compilations. Charisma, humor, own identity, love.

Hosts the first Alors Les Filles party (Institubes) in Paris.
Interns at Domino Records in London.

Hosts the legendary Cuizinier mixtapes ‘Pour Les Filles’ vol.1 and 2.
Throws tons of parties at L’Usine, Letage and the Centre d’Art Contemporain in Geneva. Villa Magica parties become THE events to attend in Geneva.

Records with Cumshot Deluxe for a track off their album 'Petites Morts' (Hentai).

Rambo works with famous Swiss label Mental Groove.
Works on t-shirt collections with Matt Foley.

Break up. Thank you.

Rambo records with Tekilatex, Gonzales, and Renaud Letang for a song off Tekilatex 'Party de Plaisir' album (out January 2007 on Virgin).

Interns at auction house Phillips De Pury & Company in New York. Lives in Brooklyn.

January 2006, back to Geneva again.

Starts working on solo music with Kid Rolex and others.

Puts out 'notgoinganywhere vol.6' with Oliver of Mental Groove and signs with Corso Fleuri Editions for the following volumes of the mixtape series.

Records mixtapes with Tacteel. It’s the Hair Squad.

Opens for various international artists.

Gets some press.

Grinds like there’s no tomorrow.

Hooks up with the whole world.

God knows what’s next.

SHOUT-OUT TO ALL THE BELOVED PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS BIO


Bio by Mitsuko Pendergrass
©2008