Travis “I.T. Official” Meade is an American rapper, songwriter, and multi-faceted performer. He was born in Staten Island, New York on February 16th, 1991 to parents Heather and James Meade. His mother is West Indian (black), born in Barbados, and his father is a New York native Irish-Italian
(white). When he turned 4 his family moved to Manalapan, New Jersey where he lived most of his youth. He would eventually move to Newark, South Amboy, and Jersey City.

I.T. Official’s appreciation for music developed at an early age listening to his parents play a variety of classic rock, funk, and jazz oldies during car rides. He was inspired as early as 6 years old by emotional song writers like Eric Clapton, Billy Joel, and Ray Charles. He began writing poetry at 10 years old, and in his formative years as a writer, I.T. immersed himself in the works of hip-hop’s
great lyricists like Eminem, Ludacris, Fabolous, and Lil Wayne. Finding his commercial voice
in more recent years, he has found inspiration from artists like J Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Drake,
Travis Scott, and Russ. His family supported his dreams as best they could, but being one of the first in his family to pursue a career in music and entertainment, there was only so much guidance they could offer. Much of his early musical growth was fostered by his two older cousins; Barrie was his writing partner, and Donte was his manager and mentor. With their guidance, I.T.’s skills improved drastically and he began to stand out amongst his peers at a young age.

Sharing a common goal, he and two of his friends formed the rap group Crown Table, where lyrical sparring, competitive songwriting, and high energy performances are a way of life. Fellow rhymers/cofounders AfriKing and Sir Wann have pushed him for years, and I.T. learned about the art of collaboration and finding musical balance. Together they create exciting, lyrically elevated records with a unique mix of cultures. Keep your eyes peeled for those Crown Table collabs.

In his pursuit of success, I.T. had to learn to overcome many challenges that stand in the way of an independent artist. Confined by an indie budget, I.T. sharpened the creative skills that would save him money including graphic design, videography, web design, beat production, digital marketing, and audio engineering. He graduated from Rutgers Business School in Newark, N.J. in 2013 and worked a career in logistics that earned him enough money to move out, support himself, and fund some of his musical endeavors after work hours. He balanced this double-life for 5 years, until he was forced to make a choice. With his unquenched thirst for a career in music, he knew he would never truly be satisfied doing anything else. So he asked for support from his family, friends, and God, and he took a leap of faith and left his career to pursue music full-time.

Shortly after quitting his job, his eyes were set on Los Angeles. He felt drawn to the California vibration from his first visit to the NAMM Conference. So, he packed his car with all the necessities, sold off the non-essentials he was leaving behind, and hit the road on a cross-country tour with his DJ David Michael. Stopping in Toronto to perform during Caribana, touching open mics at a Denver brewery, and eventually landing in Long Beach, CA. Since then, I.T. went from sleeping in his car to working at a full- service studio, co-founding an ad agency, and going viral on Facebook.

And I.T.’s just getting started.