Despite a 10-year gap since their last release (2000’s Train of Thought), Reflection Eternal’s influence remains. Last year, rap trio Tanya Morgan—which consists of Brooklyn MC/producer Von Pea and Cincinnati natives Don Wil and Ilyas—decided to name their latest album Brooklynati, a term originally coined by Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek.
During a recent interview with XXLMag.com, Talib shared his thoughts on the rap rookies’ similar roots. “Big ups to Tanya Morgan,” he began. Read More at XXLMag.com…
On Monday, February 22nd, Brooklyn and Cincinnati come together in Downtown Manhattan, as Tanya Morgan, comes to rock the stage at SOB’s. Fresh off their critical acclaimed sophomore effort, Brooklynati, which received Best of 2009 list honors from AllMusic, eMusic and PopMatters and Time Out NY, Tanya Morgan is already in the studio working on new music, including three solo albums from each of the groups members. On Monday, February 22nd, they will premier new music off Donwill’s forthcoming project, Don Cusack in High Fidelity. Listen to the single, “I See You” here.
Also joining the fray is Kooley High, P.sO (formerly P.Casso) and the young up-and-comer YC the Cynic. It will be Kooley High’s first official performance in NYC, and if you don’t already know about these North Carolina boys (and girl), you should get familiar quick. After working with 9th Wonder and taking over the hip-hop scene in their hometown of Raleigh, NC, Kooley High is set to show and prove in the Big Apple. P.sO, formerly P.Casso will be debuting songs off his forthcoming Moontones mixtape, and finally, YC the Cynic will be setting the show off with his quick wit and impressive wordplay. The 19-year-old YC the Cynic is going to make an impact in 2010, with his impressive debut mixtape, You’re Welcome, set for release February 9th. The lead single, “Say Superman” has already been turning heads and eating up blogs across the net.
Tickets for this show are $10 in advance and $12 the day off. You can purchase your tickets HERE.
Blitz the Ambassador, the Ghanaian-American hip-hop artist whose video “Breathe” has been in heavy rotation at MTV2, will kick off a 6-city tour of California with an acoustic set at La Peña in Berkeley on Wednesday, February 10th. Blitz’s live performance, where he leads a 6-piece band with a blaring horn section, sets him apart from the pack as a unique musical force in hip-hop. After a series of high-profile local gigs like opening for Big Daddy Kane at Celebrate Brooklyn! and sharing the stage with the Roots at the Okayplayer Holiday Jam, Blitz is set to take his band, The Embassy Ensemble, and their live show to the West Coast. Following the show at La Peña, Blitz and the Embassy Ensemble will travel to CSU Chico on February 11th, Sacramento on February 13th, San Francisco for an exclusive performance with Soul singer Martin Luther at the Elbo Room on February 15th, and then Los Angeles for a set at the UCLA Hip-Hop Congress on February 17th, before wrapping up with a set at Afrofunke in Santa Monica on February 18th. Blitz the Ambassador’s _Stereotype_ (Listen/Download) was recognized as the Best Album of the Year by DJBooth.net and the Society of Cinema and the Arts, who said that despite his independent status, his use of “rousing horns beat-wise…and the passion and urgency with which Blitz delivers his rhymes make him impossible to write off.”
On Saturday, January 9th, Donwill of Tanya Morgan unleashed new material from his solo debut, Don Cusack in High Fidelity to a packed crowd at Santos Party House in Downtown Manhattan. The audience ate up the performance, digging on Donwill’s blend of up tempo dance joints (“Love Junkie”) and more sensitive love songs (“I See You”, above), and building anticipation for his solo debut album. There will be a mixtape release, called Laura’s Tape dropping Valentine’s Day Weekend to further build anticipation for the release.
Tanya Morgan – “The Make Believer” (prod. SMKA) (DOWNLOAD HERE)
From The 808 Experiment: Vol 2, brought to you by Atlanta’s own SMKA, available Everywhere Jan 18th!
Via SMKA:
Tanya Morgan is one of a handful of artists on The 808 Experiment: Vol 2 carefully selected from outside of Atlanta. Tanya Morgan is a 3-man rap group that epitomizes the talented, experienced hip-hop act. Having recently released their critically acclaimed (and possibly one day “Classic”) album Brooklynati, Tanya Morgan has cemented their place in hip-hop history. And with 3 solo albums set to drop in 2010, the members of Tanya Morgan, Donwill, Von Pea, and Ilyas, are poised to stake their individual claims at hip-hop glory, before reuniting for another Tanya Morgan project in 2011. Look out for Donwill’s Don Cusack in High Fidelity leading off on March 23rd.
SMKA’s The 808 Experiment is an annual compilation, produced entirely by Atlanta’s own SMKA production team, which showcases the immense talent and diversity that exists in hip-hop…and especially our home town of Atlanta. Though a majority of the artists are from Atlanta, this project features artists from all over the states, and abroad. The project features unknown artists, well-established artists and up-and-coming buzz artists, which makes it a truly unique compilation of music.
(The 808 Experiment: Vol 1 was critically acclaimed, and received Creative Loafing’s award for Best Local Mixtape of 2009). Download Vol. 1 Here.
