Word up People!
Hope you’re having a good week so far and we’re gonna share some good tunes with you to make it even better…
I recently had the honour of checking out the new EP from Banzai Lab production duo Smokey Joe & The Kid called “The Game” and all I can say is WOW!! This EP is an incredible blend of multiple instruments, percussion, scratches and on point lyricism making up one hell of an EP that you simply can’t miss.
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“In this project, Smokey Joe, Bordeaux’s main musical mafia head, and The Kid aka “Senbeï,” cheeky Parisian master of Turntablism, transport us back in time to the gangster run streets of 1930’s Chicago. These two gangsters mix Hip Hop and Electro with the groove and melodies of early 20th century Swing. Percussion solos played with scratches ,beats and melodies banged out on the MPC, everything is performed live.
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A year after their acclaimed first album « Nasty Tricks » (Banzaï Lab – 2013), the most wanted gangsters of the electro Hip-Hop scene are back with a new EP “The Game”, recorded between Paris, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Clearly Hip-Hop oriented, with samples still taken from traditional american music of early XXth century, Smokey Joe & The Kid took a trip to California to record 4 tracks, each powerful, captivating and overall, absolutely brilliant.
Smokey Joe & The Kid : « We wanted to step out of pure jazz and to get more into the roots of all modern music : the Blues. We drove a lot during our stay in California, and west American landscape fed our imaginary world, as much as the heat of Los Angeles’ streets.”
After collaborating on their first opus with Puppetmastaz, Lateef The Truthspeaker, or Youthstar (Chinese Man), the duo hired this time accomplices from the US West Coast : Gift of Gab (Blackalicious), NON Genetic (Shadowhuntaz) and The Procussions (Watch the making of the EP). Gift of Gab gives a conscious message on “Stay Awake” when NON tells all about his touring experiences “What goes on tour stays on tour” (Gifted Child). Finally, The Procussions end the EP with poetry on “Temptation”.
« The Game » is clearly in reference to the famous “Rap Game” of which they make a personal interpretation, finding there the game field of their old-fashioned megalomania.
THE LIVE PROJECT :
Since 2013, Smokey Joe & The Kid work with the VJ Miss Chemar to deliver a unique A/V Show that mixes old school movies and original pictures of the duo. The strong interaction with the audience makes this a fun, original and incredibly dynamic show”!
You can listen to the first single “Stay Awake” ft. The Gift of Gab and purchase your copy right here:
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/144950717″ params=”color=161514&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
THE FEATURES :
Gift of Gab (From Blackalicious)
The Procussions
NON Genetic
Also, be sure to check out the video for the making of “The Game” here:
[youtube url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXdyRFPN90w?feature=player_embedded&w=640&h=360]
I really enjoyed this EP and highly recommend getting a copy!
For more information on Smokey Joe & The Kid, check out:
Peace! ~dhh