15 Mins

many blessings to you and yours.
stay woke.

Purchase LP, CD, Digi or Vinyl Deluxe Pack --> https://illa-j.bandcamp.com/album/illa-j

From deep musical origins in Detroit, rapper/singer/songwriter Illa J has been slowly navigating his way through the oft-turbulent waters of Hip-Hop since the tender age of 13, when the young John Yancey aka Illa J wrote his first rhyme alongside his brother, the late great J Dilla. After his brother’s passing in ‘06, he began teaching himself piano, bass and taking vocal lessons while finding himself touring the world and recording a slew of Dilla-related projects, notably being an active member of Slum Village until 2014. His first solo album, '08s Yancey Boys and the Frank Nitt 2013 collaborative album Sunset BLVD were both released on seminal label Delicious Vinyl. Feeling the need for a change creatively as well as geographically, in 2012 John moved to the future music hotbed that is Montreal ultimately making the connection with Canadian producers Nick Wisdom & AstroLogical aka Potatohead People (whose acclaimed Bastard Jazz debut album Big Luxury in Spring 2015 featured Illa J on two hit singles). The success of their initial collaborations inspired the team to dive into the studio and embark on Illa J's new self-titled solo album, and present an entirely fresh sound of his own.
 
The album Illa J, produced without any samples by Potatohead People alongside a few groundbreaking co-producers, showcases a more mature and at-ease Illa J who is equally comfortable on top of an electronic boogie-inspired beat (“Universe”) as he is getting grimey over a trunk rattling G-Funk joint (the Kaytranada co-produced “Strippers”). On tracks like the sparse, Rhodes driven “Cannonball” (co-produced by Montreal’s Noo Bap), and the early 90s Spiritual / Acid Jazz inspired “Sunflower”, Illa flexes his muscles through both song and rhyme. And of course being true to his roots, the classic Detroit boom-bap sound is ever present on joints like “French Kiss”, “Perfect Game” (quite possibly Rap’s only ode to bowling), and “Never Left”, a touching tribute to his brother and a call-out to abusers of Dilla's legacy.  Vancouver mainstay MC Moka Only contributes invaluably to the cohesive sound of the album as well, providing signature smoothed-out vocal choruses to tracks like “She Burned My Art”, “All Good Pt. 2” and “Who Got It” (co-produced by Mosaic). Dropping Fall 2015 on Bastard Jazz Recordings, Illa J is a brilliantly-produced, diverse, and long overdue solo effort from Yancey.


Buy LP, Digi, CD

Illa J - Cannonball (prod. Potatohead People & Noo-Bap)

The multi-instrumentalist/producer and L.A beatsmith combine on a sun-drizzled number, wrapped up in a lo-fi crackle. Taken from Wu-Lu's cassette beat tape 'Ginga'. 

Read more: http://www.stampthewax.com/2015/11/13/premiere-wu-lu-feat-mndsgn-open-rising/
Listen on Youtube: http://bit.ly/wu-lu-MNDSGN
Buy: http://wu-lu.bandcamp.com/releases

Follow:
@wu-lu
@mndsgn

Photo credit: https://instagram.com/rohanayinde/

Wu-Lu & MNDSGN - Open Rising (Cassette Version) (STW Premiere)

Written by JJ Soulx
Produced By Roadz Pro and First Eye Productions

JJ Soulx - Bigger

The ‘Back To The Basics’ mixtape is one for the people. JJ has been gaining a great following performing on London’s underground, the mixtape includes some of the most requested songs and is a compilation consisting of many different flavours. From Neo Soul to Classic Reggae, JJ shows us yet again why she is so relevant to the many different stages that she has performed on, supporting other great acts, such as ‘The Wailers’, ‘Yolanda Brown’ and ‘Akua Naru’. ‘Back to The Basics - The Mixtape’ is a soundtrack to JJ’s creative journey thus far. It captures the life of a young songwriter who gets caught up in the city life, to survive London living, all at the expense of her musical dream.

“Why should you get stuck in a 9 to 5?” A question JJ faces in her pursuit of simplicity, back to the basics. In her song ‘Gambling’ she asks, “will he be loyal like the morning?” JJ reveals the insecurities she’s dealt with, common to many women in love relationships.

JJ Soulx’s soulful voice fused with reggae and spoken word, with her conscious lyrics, make this mixtape both uplifting and one which many can relate to. JJ’s signature vocals are something the world most definitely needs. The tone that lifted your spirits on your travels can now follow you home.

Back To The Basics - The Mixtape

7. Firing Corruption

Nabeyin - Chikatetsu

https://open.spotify.com/track/6qh165jrr1UqE3rrhvzIF3?si=bb3efa06f3394a80

nostalgic uploading something like this, sorta where i started.
this here is a sample, but the keys are me.

coffee.                      (now on spotify) link in description

just something fun i made the other night

Kickback

"Singer/songwriter JJ Soulx flows soulfully and poetically, with lyrically conscious music and a tone that expresses great passion.

Spending her early years surrounded by the sounds of jazz, soul and gospel, she grasped a great sound & feel for music. In her teenage years, JJ would dedicate any free time she had in the studio and on the stage.

In 2011, JJ received her first official airplay from BBC’s Tony Blackburn and Gary Crowley. In the same year she became a law graduate and soon found herself trying to juggle two career paths.

In 2012, JJ landed a project with EMI where she recorded the crowd favorite “Looking Forward”. She continued to spend her hours outside of work exploring her creativity, performing in some of London’s most respectable venues including The Jazz Café and The Roundhouse; gaining a lot of experience along the way.

“Is the city life worth all the stress it’s given”, sings JJ Soulx. In November 2014 she made the biggest decision of her musical journey so far, putting her full-time legal career on hold to fulfill her music passion.

“My musical gift has come from and has been inspired by the divine source, so to me, it is and should be a lifestyle. To do this I have gone ‘Back to the Basics’, which represents a new verse in my life”.

JJ has been developing a dynamic and inspiring collection of material due to be released in 2015. This includes her current single “Back To The Basics”, an acoustic soul rhythmic track featuring the Kora played by “Jally Keba Susso”; which marries the sound of West Africa with JJ’s soulful melodies and harmonies"

 

7. Firing Corruption

jjsoulx

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