The Brooklyn-based rapper earned his stripes as one of the most lyrically-gifted, socially aware and politically insightful rappers to emerge in the last 20 years. His travels around the globe as one of rap’s most in-demand performers combined with his conversations with political activists and his genre-straddling work with Idle Warship and others caused Kweli to realize that he was limited in a sense, a prisoner of sorts of his own success as one of the world’s best rappers with something significant to say.
 
“My music has been associated with those types of causes, with positivity, spirituality, intelligence and being thought-provoking and such,” he says. “I think sometimes people get caught up in that part of me as an artist and don’t necessarily understand the musicality or fully appreciate the music and the entertainment value behind what I do. I tried to stretch my wings a little bit and bring something that was less beholden to the world of hip-hop and more existing in the world in general.”
 
The result of this artistic growth and exploration arrives with Kweli’s dynamic Prisoner Of Conscious AKA P.O.C., an artistic tour de force that signals the start of the next chapter of Kweli’s remarkable career. The BK MC spent more time working on Prisoner Of Conscious than any of his other albums, a three-year journey that found him exploring new vibes, joining in some unlikely collaborations and taking him to foreign lands.
 
Produced by Symbolyc One (Kanye West, Ghostface), the title track’s alternatively rap and rock-based beat provides a distinctive platform for Kweli to deliver rhymes that detail his artistic awakening, while producers Sean C & LV (Jay-Z, Raekwon) created a Marvin Gaye-esque vibe for “Come,” a cut featuring Miguel that showcases Kweli trying to convince a series of women to do things his way.
 
Continue reading at talibkweli.com…
 
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It is rare when a voice as powerful as RES comes around. Born Shareese Ballard in Philadelphia, RES has become an iconic example of the artist that defies classification. RES only belongs to one genre; her own. Her travels around the world as a solo artist, along with her participation in the super group, Idle Warship with Talib Kweli, have solidified her as a creative force to be reckoned with.
 
RES’ solo debut album How I Do remains a cult classic. Her follow up entitled Black Girls Rock was released completely independent and showcases RES as an artist finding her own voice. Now she is back with Refried Mac, a collection of Fleetwood Mac songs reinvented by RES and producer Tom Spiker. ReFried Mac gives RES a platform of familiar songs to showcase her amazing voice.
 
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Sonnymoon is the brainchild of musicians Dane Orr (NY) Anna Wise (CA) and Joe Welch (VA). Their dynamic journey through an experimental approach to pop music began in 2009 when front woman Anna Wise and producer Dane Orr began making music together after meeting in Boston.
 
Though they caught the interest of listeners with soothing covers of Drake and Beyoncé, the group presents a wide array of sounds. From synthesized textures and samples to hard-hitting drum grooves, Sonnymoon often explores odd meters and unusual musical states, with Wise’s vocals guiding the trip.
 
Sonnymoon has released two albums: Golden Age, Sonnymoon and an EP: 2012. They have shared the stage with The Roots, Shabazz Palaces, Flying Lotus, Teebs, Shigeto, and Gonjasufi. Anna also appears on Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city.
 
Sonnymoon is currently located in San Francisco, working on their third LP.
 
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Javi Santiago is a young, aspiring artist and visionary. Originally hailing from Minneapolis, MN, he grew up surrounded by strong artistic support. Not only was he influenced by his parents, who were jazz musicians, but also he was influenced by his own generation. His music is an eclectic blend of genres including jazz, hip hop, rock, R&B and others. Javi started playing piano at the age of 5, and was classically trained until he discovered his love of jazz music. In high school, he was a prominent player on the Twin Cities music scene and started his production career making tracks for Twin Cities hip hop artists. He won the Schubert Club Jazz Piano Scholarship Competition two years in a row (’06, ’07). He took the piano chair in the Minnesota Youth Jazz Band (’05-’07) and the Dakota Combo (’07 with Bobby Watson). In 2007, Javier was selected by the great Dave Brubeck and a panel of judges, in an international search, to be a part of the Brubeck Institute Fellowship program in California. Since then he has played at venues all across the nation and studied with some of the best instrumentalists in the world. The Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet (’08-’09) won Best College Group Of the Year in DownBeat Magazine two years in a row (2009 and 2010). Javi received his bachelor’s degree in piano performance in late 2011 at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in NYC. Not only is Javi a virtuosic pianist, but also a producer, composer, arranger and educator as well.
 
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MC/Actor/Writer Malik Work is one of New York City’s lyrical giants. Work built his reputation on co-founding the seminal live hip-hop crew, The Real Live Show, with a decade of residencies and performances at venues all over the U.S. and Europe. The group’s sophisticated musicianship— and the literate rhymes of Malik, a.k.a. Dionysos, and his co-MC, Stimulus—garnered The Real Live Show critical acclaim. The Village Voice enthused: “If ever a group lived up to their name, it’s The Real Live Show. With a distinguished palette of players backing them, New York City purebred MCs Stimulus and Dionysos paint a pitch-perfect portrait of hip- hop’s spirit.” The Real Live Show also has the distinction of being the first hip-hop band ever to play the Greenwich Village’s esteemed Blue Note Club.
 
Having established such a notable hip-hop NYC heritage, Work is now stepping forward with two revelatory solo projects. He’s releasing a mixtape titled Work In Progress featuring the cleverly absurd single “Let Me See Some I.D.” And he’s issuing the first ever interactive beatless rhymes project, Work With The Voice.
 
Continue reading at malikwork.com…
 
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AKA SUGA is a producer, composer, arranger, flutist and keyboardist born and raised in Kyoto, Japan.
 
She is also an in demand DJ. Hitting the decks in cities as diverse as Tokyo, London and NYC. Where she currently lives. Most recently, AKA SUGA composed the score for the feature film ‘Mr. Obscure’.
 
Her style is a mixture of all the sounds that have fueled her life up to this point. She draws upon her background as a classical musician and blends it with a keen ear for the film scores that accompanied the yakuza movies that she loved as a child. As an artist she has a deep and intuitive love for Hip Hop especially the pioneers of Hip Hop’s golden era. These muses have meshed together to create something that is unique.
 
A sound that like her country of birth pays homage to the past. But instinctively moves forward into unknown territory.
 
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