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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.
This one was a long time coming y’all, and The N.A.T.I.V.E.S. "Stankface Music // 4am Dope" is finally out!!!
The whole squad went HARD on this 10-track project (featuring production from D.R.U.G.S. Beats, Jah Freedom & FLLS with features from Mason Parker, Bluz & more…).
Available exclusively on Bandcamp now! Go get it!
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.
We had a great series of sessions tracking vocals on “Sometimes A Man", the debut contemporary-jazz record from Gil. The large part of the project was done earlier this year, with Gil flying back & forth from Charlotte to tracking dates at The Disc Ltd. Recording in Michigan (with producer/engineer Greg Reilly). The music was pretty much wrapped up in Detroit with a team of absolute bad-ass musicians (basically Earl Klughs full recording & touring band). The lineup features Tom Braxton on saxophone, Al Turner on bass, Ron Otis on drums, David Lee Spradley on keys and Al Duncan on keys and strings. Spradley also produced his cover of Klugh’s “Wishful Thinking”.
“You & Me” is the 2nd single from the album & is a Rockie Robbins cut from 1980. Gil's version is a little more jazzy, “smoothed-out” & ready for stepping. Check it out!
You can hear more from Gil here.
I’m super stoked that we’ve just wrapped up 2 really great Hip-Hop projects this week!
We finished “Beautifully Black", a 11-track release with Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon and Navy Blue on production. The stripped back, jazzy chops support Jah-Monte’s voice perfectly & features guest spots from MESSIAH! & more.
This album will be available for streaming on all the standard streaming platforms in a few weeks……..with a vinyl release following soon behind! Seriously, many of y’all will already know, but this guy is so prolific right now - he won’t slow down!!! It’s been pretty inspiring to watch what’s been happening over the past few years for him & his team.
You can check out previous releases from Jah-Monte here & Navy Blue here.
”Self Medicate” from Kil Ripkin is a 10-track album with production from Jah Freedom & features from Skyzoo, Torae & more. Tbh, we finished “Self Medicate” just before the pandemic shut everything down. Of course it became clear really fast that Kil & Jah would have to put things on pause while they figured out how to deal with the situation (like everyone else). Soooooo, when we were not as busy at the studio, I decided to completely remix the album while we waited for the best time to release it. I think it turned out amazing & it’s finally time to let it out!!!
Check some previous releases from Kil Ripkin here & Jah Freedom here.
It’s worth noting that both of these projects feature the artist with a singular producer. It really keeps the vision unified & cohesive throughout the respective album (and not this disjointed “compilation-sound” when the tracks are coming from everywhere).
I feel like there’s a natural flow that is is just THERE on projects like this.
We recently had about 4 & a half days in the studio w/ Johnny Rockett and Alex Charles (flying out from LA) on the production for Johnny’s 1st EP & we crushed it. We tracked all the vocals and guitars in CLT (& Alex will wrap it all up on the West Coast). These guys are super-talented & worked together flawlessly!! Ya gotta love teamwork like this, it really makes all the long hours & work so much easier. Anyway, I can't wait for this to come out!!
You can catch him playing these songs for the 1st time out at 8:30pm tonight at The Kodiak Bar & Lounge (42 Union St S, Suite A, North Concord, NC 28025).
How do you approach music from a business standpoint? As an entrepreneur, musician and writer, Brooklyn rapper Skyzoo is the epitome of a one man band. Since becoming friends in 2005, he and Tobias Rose have been thought collaborators on entrepreneurship and hip hop. Hear Skyzoo’s unique approach to the business of music and how he continues to pursue the music he wants to make. He also discusses how he pivoted his business during the pandemic, including increasing his streaming efforts and building a studio in his basement. Skyzoo speaks about the future of the music industry and the making of his most recent album “All the Brilliant Things.”
Check out Skyzoo on the Links below:
https://www.instagram.com/skyzoothewriter
https://twitter.com/skyzoo
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“U Da Party” is the 1st single from DamarTheEmcee’s Rejuvenation & U. This is the second 13 song full-length we’ve done together over the past few years - his beat selection is always on point & I’ve always loved the unique way he kind of smoothly just floats around the tracks.
Give the project a listen!!!
We’ve recently been working on audio post for 8 episodes of Kompleks Konversations Season 2. This season of Konversations features some really interesting perspectives in regards to conducting business during the pandemic. Give their channel a follow - you will learn something!
Fighting with love for social, economic and environmental justice for all Durham residents. Durham City Council Member DeDreana Freeman sits down with Tobias Rose to discuss how it felt to govern the City of Durham during a pandemic. They look to the future by discussing the long-term effects of the pandemic on cities and predicting what Durham will look like in 2040. Freeman also provides insight into her personal journey in politics and hopes for the Durham community she represents.
Konversations is a business podcast hosted by Kompleks Principal and Creative Director Tobias Rose featuring special guests on a variety of topics. From entrepreneurship to leadership and everything in between, we discuss a different subject during each Konversation. Season 2 of Konversations explores “The New Economy” that has resulted from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
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