Look for the upcoming REKS album, ‘The Greatest X’, (pronounced The Greatest Unknown) in summer 2016 on Brick Records. It will feature production from Large Professor, The Alchemist, Evidence, Statik Selektah, Nottz, Apollo Brown, Black Milk, MoSS, Buckwild and Streetrunner and also guest appearances from R.A. The Rugged Man, Jared Evan, Termanology, Planet Asia, Rasco, Phat Kat, Guilty Simpson, Akrobatik, Reef the Lost Cauze, Dutch Rebelle, Edo G and others.
REKS explains the motivation for the song “Hands Up” (Wink Wink) was made as a wake up call to those tuned out to our realities and engaged by societal distractions. In essence, I believe when a class of citizens are oppressed for an extended period of time, there is a point where they have little choice but to awaken. In today’s America, not much has changed for the masses who were labeled 3/5 of a person in The Constitution. At the song’s root is the idea of being policed differently from our neighbors solely on the basis of our melanin. We are shot in the streets like dogs and described as radical when defending the idea of our freedom.”
“Hands Up” (Wink Wink) is produced by Grammy Award winning producer Streetrunner, who has provided beats for Terror Squad, Lil Wayne, LL Cool J, Ludacris, Twista, Joe Budden, Nicki Minaj, The Game, Royce da 5’9″, Rick Ross and more.
REKS has announced his upcoming album, ‘The Greatest X’, (pronounced ‘The Greatest Unknown’) which will be released in early 2016 and will feature production from Large Professor, The Alchemist, Statik Selektah, Nottz, Apollo Brown, Black Milk, MoSS, Buckwild and Streetrunner and also feature guest appearances from R.A. The Rugged Man, Slaine, Termanology, Planet Asia, Rasco, Guilty Simpson, Akrobatik, Dutch Rebelle and others. This was produced by The Arcitype.
Customers who pre-order the album on iTunes receive “Nightcrawler” immediately. The iTunes version of the album includes two exclusive songs that are not on LP or CD.
The 500 super deluxe vinyl/CD bundles announced last month are now sold out, but there is a new deluxe bundle that has just been launched via Get On Down (clear vinyl 2-LP, CD with 70 page hardcover casebook, limited-edition t-shirt and sticker sheet):
The wait is finally over…the new album from CZARFACE (Inspectah Deck + 7L & Esoteric), entitled ‘Every Hero Needs A Villain’, officially drops on 6/16/15!
Peep the track list below and pre-order the iTunes version or the Deluxe Bundle from Get On Down!
CZARFACE
(Inspectah Deck + 7L & Esoteric) ‘Every Hero Needs A Villain’
In stores 6/16/15
Pre-order from iTunes here:
Pre-order the Deluxe Bundle from GetOnDown.com here:
http://getondown.com/product.php?id=17947
*Bundle Includes-
-70+ page Hardcover Casebook CD, with cover art by L’Amour Supreme (Mishka NYC), full lyrics, and debut Czarface comic ‘Death & Abduction’
-2xLP on limited Red & Cyan colored vinyl (this colorway is only available at Get On Down, as part of this bundle), with full size ‘Death & Abduction’ comic book
-Limited edition Cassette featuring the full Vocal album plus the Instrumentals
-Czarface Sticker Sheet, with 12 stickers of art from L’Amour Supreme and Alfredo Rico-Dimas (only available at Get On Down, as part of this bundle)
-Limited t-shirt (only available at Get On Down, as part of this bundle)
‘Every Hero Needs A Villain’ Track List:
1 Don The Armor
2 Czartacus
3 Lumberjack Match
4 Nightcrawler feat. METHOD MAN
5 World Premier feat. LARGE PROFESSOR
6 The Great (Czar Guitar)
7 Red Alert
8 Junkyard Dogs feat. JUJU OF THE BEATNUTS
9 Sgt. Slaughter
10 When Gods Go Mad feat. GZA
11 Ka-Bang! feat. MF DOOM
12 Deadly Class feat. MEYHEM LAUREN
13 Escape From Czarkham Asylum
14 Sinister
15 Good Villains Go Last feat. RA THE RUGGED MAN
CZARFACE – Wu-Tang founding MC Inspectah Deck and veteran Boston duo 7L & Esoteric – isn’t concerned with the glitz and the B.S. that modern consumer culture is pushing. And neither are the group’s fans.
In 2013, the trio appeared relatively unassumingly with their self-titled debut, which was chiefly produced by DJ 7L and included guests ranging from Ghostface Killah and Cappadonna to Vinnie Paz, Action Bronson and Roc Marciano. The soon-to-be acclaimed group found out quickly that there was a groundswell of hip-hop fanatics thirsting for the lunchpail, lyrics-above-all-else rap they fell in love with in the ‘90s. Several pressings of the album on CD, 2-LP and even cassette later, they are back and ready to up the ante.
This time around the group is the same, but it’s fair to say that all three men have stepped up their game. “We knew how we felt about the last album, but weren’t sure how it would be received by listeners,” explains MC Esoteric. “But people really responded to it, even more than we had hoped. That gave us the confidence to really spread our wings and let loose on this one. The chemistry is even tighter this time around. We know exactly what lanes we are cruising in and what weight class we are fighting in for Round 2.”
Inspectah Deck adds, “Czarface is like the Danger Room for the X-Men, I can use all my weapons on there. When I’m in Wu-Tang, I have to come a certain way because we have a certain style of fan, when I’m here doing the Czarface projects, it allows me to actually be an MC, it allows me to actually just spit…I love that. I love when i can just spit freely and just be an MC.”
The fighting analogy – whether drawn from pugilism or ‘80s wrestling, both which figure into Every Hero Needs A Villain – is an apt one, considering the unrelenting lyrical attacks that Deck and Esoteric unleash on track after track, each trying to one-up the previous verse. Best of all, it is friendly camaraderie, based around a loose theme of renegade mutant MC talents running wild. DJ 7L explains, “All three of us are influenced by comics, sci-fi movies, TV, wrestling. Czarface encompasses all of that, and it helps with the visuals as well.”
On the production side, 7L shows yet again – as he did with the group’s debut – that he remains a formidable yet underappreciated musical force, constantly providing hard, funky and alternatingly ominous backdrops for the assembled MCs to use as lyrical luge paths.
If that wasn’t enough, it’s all iced with a ridiculously intricate and beefy 70-plus page, hardcover CD casebook with lyrics and extensive artwork by Gilberto Aguirre Mata (El Ultimo Codice) and L’amour Supreme, and with “Death & Abduction,” a comic written by Esoteric; and an explosive, comic-book-inspired cover by L’amour Supreme (Mishka NYC). The LP version also comes on Clear double vinyl, with a full-sized “Death & Abduction” comic.
Inspectah Deck (Wu-Tang Clan) and 7L & Esoteric (Demigodz/Army of the Pharaohs) return with the first joint from the upcoming ‘Every Hero Needs A Villain’ album!
‘Triple OGzus’ Features Guest Appearances And Production From DJ Premier, Termanology, Reks, MoSS & Kid Called Quest
After trailblazing around the globe numerous times with Gang Starr as a core member of the Gang Starr Foundation, Big Shug, who has appeared on Gang Starr’s classics such as 1994’s Hard To Earn “F.A.L.A.,” 1998’s Moment Of Truth “The Militia” and 2003’s Gold-certified The Ownerz “Capture” (Militia Pt.3), follows up his last street savvy endeavor, I.M. 4-EVA (2012), with his new project, Triple OGZus, which will be released on 3-17-15.
While MoSS, Reel Drama and Kidd Called Quest contribute production, staying true to the Gang Starr Foundation formula, Big Shug recreates his indelible bond with DJ Premier on the albums two singles and videos, “Off Rip,” which also features Termanology and Singapore Kane, and “I Bleed For This”. Preemo produces three tracks in total on Triple Ogzus and as Shug states, the bond the two have fostered over the years only continues to grow “Premier is my brother and with all the technology and changing faces, we are still the same. We represent the Gang Starr legacy and we are serious about that!!!”
Big Shug explains “Triple OGzus represents me as a street veteran, underground icon and original gangster who is always wise to the game. I love the fans and will always represent authentic hip-hop music with my soul.”
Tracklisting and credits for Big Shug’s ‘Triple OGzus’:
1.) “I Am Somebody” (produced by DJ Premier)
2.) “I Bleed For This” (produced by DJ Premier)
3.) “The Reason” (produced by Gem Crates)
4.) “Days Go By” (produced by Big Shug)
5.) “Never Change” (produced by Reel Drama)
6.) “Not A Fan” f/ Reks & Termanology (produced by Kid Called Quest)
7.) “Triple OGzus” (produced by Kid Called Quest)
8.) “Make That Body Do” (produced by Reel Drama)
9.) “Off Rip” f/ Termanology & Singapore Kane (produced by DJ Premier)
10.) “2 Good” f/ Trumayne (produced by Kid Called Quest)
11.) “All In” (produced by Kid Called Quest)
12.) “Showtime” f/ M-Dot (produced by DJ Brans) cuts by DJ Djaz
13.) “Make Moves, Get Money” (produced by Moss)
14.) “Get It” f/ Singapore Kane (produced by Reel Drama)
15.) “Relationships” (produced by Reel Drama)
16.) “Chase Then Ball” (produced by Kid Called Quest)
17.) “Soldiers It’s War Out Here” (produced by Kid Called Quest)
18.) “In The Rain” (produced by Charles Roane for C.R.E.A.M.I.N.C.)
“Off Rip” directed by Myster DL for Ill Mannered Films
Probably the deepest song on the record, “I Know Who I Am” came about as part of a DJ Seedless project. He crafted an Afro-Beat jazzy groove that caught the attention of legendary MC Wise Intelligent (of Poor Righteous Teachers) who dropped a scorching verse. To fill out the track, Seedless hit up the Veggies, and Ran and Story came through with multi-layered rhymes chronicling the past, present and future, capped off with Ran’s epic historical breakdown of who, when, what and why we are who are we are. Listen and be inspired.
