Floating

Get On The Mic

Over Again

90066

Don’t Stop

Mind State

Official

Reflection

Big City

Ride

Presto has consistently stayed true to his soul and jazz-inflected formula of ethereal hip-hop beats over the years. Presto's first record, the self-pressed EP “Breakin' Concrete”, came in 2000 and featured the underground cut "Relax Your Mind," which DJ Mark Farina grabbed for his mix CD “Mushroom Jazz 3” (2001). More interest in the record resulted in the launch of his record label, Concrete Grooves. In the years following, he hit the underground scene with a flurry of releases starting with his first full-length album “Inflight Instrumentals”. Under the Concrete Grooves imprint he released numerous instrumental records and also found opportunities to develop other artists. He worked with MC LOWD and Mr. French on the “Calligraphy” EP when he crossed paths with former Black Eyed Peas vocalist Kim Hill after she left Interscope. His label pressed up her “Right Now” 12" EP in 2005 which was going to be a teaser for her unreleased album “Pharoah’s Daughter”. The “Right Now” EP was produced by Presto, DJ Dummy, and Kim Hill. After his second album “Magic LP” arrived in 2006, he spent a couple of years building his reputation and making connections with several reputable artists in underground hip-hop. Distributed via Fat Beats and Mic Life Japan, his 2008 album, “State of the Art”, boasted many guest appearances, among them Sadat X, C.L. Smooth, Fatlip (of the Pharcyde), Large Professor, Raashan Ahmad, Blu, and O.C. His video for “Conquer Mentally/On” was in rotation on MTV2 during that time and is still on YouTube. Presto has produced tracks for Beneficence featuring collaborations with Roc Marciano and Truth Enola. He has also appeared on labels such as Plug Research, Bastard Jazz, and Puma Strut. After the end of Concrete Grooves in 2010 and a long hiatus, Mukatsuku Records released a 7” in 2022 including two songs from Presto’s unreleased full length instrumental album “Basement Beats”. Mukatsuku then followed up with a 7” release called “Presto Classics” which got radio play by Stretch and Bobbito (Episode 58 on Apple Music Hits) and also got play by DJ Mitsu. Presto has resurfaced from the beat lab with his new unreleased 10-track instrumental album, “Basement Beats”. This album was recorded while living in New York City. He wanted to give listeners a view into his daily commute in NYC from the early 5am walks to Union Square to his daily E Train commute to Times Square. “Official” stands out as a gritty drum loop provides a bed for a melodic sample that sings as a soulful synth melody is played on the chorus by his daughter. “Floating” provides a smooth backdrop with dusty drums as Presto plays the wah-infused Rhodes piano along with Avatar (Rest in Peace) on the bass guitar, giving a nod to their previous live fusion band Wayward Saints. The 12-track “Basement Beats 2” album is a collection of instrumentals Presto recorded while living in NYC but also includes some revamped unreleased beats that were discovered in storage while relocating to the West Coast in 2020. These two new releases from the Basement Beats series bring a dose of old school hip-hop traveling into the future while comfortable in the present.

Presto

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