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I’ve been waiting on this one for a minute!!!
A while back I had the pleasure of jumping in & assisting Black Violin along with The Blind Boys of Alabama with the mixing (and some additional vocal tracking) on “We Are One”. The vocal & string arrangements on this one are pretty incredible……...and when the snaps drop………………it REALLY hits you!!!
Anyway - have a listen below, it’s a beautiful record and I’m so honored to have contributed to the discography of these legends!!
Alright………All of this new music from Jah Freedom + Kil Ripkin is FINALLY about to drop - the album is all wrapped up & turned in (& the release date will be announced very soon)!!!
The guys have dropped “Train” featuring Supreme today to get everyone ready!!!
Check it out below.
We wrapped up the latest EP from Dirty Art Club a few weeks back & “Future-Zine” dropped for streaming today. Check it out here on Spotify.
To be honest, I’ve really been wanting to work on one of these projects since they 1st started doing them. I’ve always felt like I could bring something useful to the table. Well, it finally happened & we’re all super-pleased with the way it turned out!
I can’t wait to get him back in the studio to see what’s next……
If you’re unfamiliar, listen to some of the previous releases from Dirty Art Club here on Spotify or purchase on Bandcamp.
Soooooo, “Beautifully Black” is finally out & the response has been awesome so far!!! I’m so stoked that people are responding to it (exactly in the way that we hoped they would) & you KNOW that I can’t wait for the vinyl release in 2022!!!
Working on this project has been a pleasure & I’ve seen how hard Jah-Monte is working right now & I’m telling you………the dude is just getting warmed up.
Check it out here on Bandcamp & a slightly “abbreviated” version on Spotify.
From Pitchfork:
”It’s hard to pick out a single track; it’s best to run straight through and wait for a Navy sample chop or Jah-Monte line that will have you smashing the rewind button. But the intro, “The Missing Link”, sets the stage. Navy’s loop is as comforting as your grandparents’ home-cooked meal, and Jah-Monte uses it as a canvas to flex his chops. In the first half his dizzying flow feels like you’re stuck in a mental maze, but then he switches on a dime, pausing to take a breather between each candid reflection.”
This is the official description from the Bandcamp page:
Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon levels up again on new album “Beautifully Black”, entirely produced by fellow underground legend Navy Blue. Navy would be a premier choice for collaboration for anyone who knows their rap music, but with someone as talented as Jah-Monte on the mic the results outclass any expectations with ease. Navy’s production is smooth and luxurious, a perfect fit for someone of Jah-Monte’s rapping calibre. The two part “The Missing Link / The Sneaky Link” is exemplary of this style, the MC’ing in top form but also giving plenty of breathing space for the classically-influenced beat. Not only does Navy match his energy on each of these 11 tracks, he also creates a kind of cohesion often missing on full albums from single rapper/producer combos. It’s been a while since the last time Jah-Monte tapped in with a single artist like this, so to position himself alongside Navy like this is a move that feels as calculated as it does organic.
”Tried Your Best” and “Telfar & Karl Kani” feature the very talented Kelly Moonstone, a rapper well worth mentioning for her contributions here because her chemistry with both Jah-Monte and Navy results in two of the best tracks on the record. There’s other features here too (including a standout contribution from Navy himself), but it’s on these tracks that the album’s strongest suite of songs emerges. The beats here really are beautiful, reminding us once again that when it comes to artists with incredible and consistent work rates Navy is right there alongside Jah-Monte himself. In many senses then, this is the perfect album for the two to release at this point in time. 2021 has well and truly belonged to the scene that the two inhabit, and as two of its most proficient members they deserve all of the acclaim that they receive. The fact the last song is titled “Complex & Pitchfork Opinions” should tell listeners everything that they need to know about Jah-Monte’s place in the game, and the further greatness that is undoubtedly to follow.
Check some previous releases from Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon here & Navy Blue here.
