Album Notes

BIO:
Brooklyn-based Producer/MC J.Bless and Oakland, California-based front-man MC/Singer Seasunz combine production and vocal talents to create a unique brand of jazz, soul and reggae influenced hip-hop in their first collaborative album. J.Bless has produced and recorded extensively with the Maspyke crew [Bukarance Records]. J.Bless’ work has also been featured on various compilations, including the recent track “Speaking With Rhymes (Dub)” off Basement Soul – Volume 1 [UniqueUncut Records, England], which is currently being charted on various radio shows in the US and Europe. Frontman emcee and vocalist Seasunz is also part of the acclaimed Bay Area hip-hop/reggae group, the Wisdom Creations Band [Wisdom Creations], which tours extensively throughout the West Coast, performing with the likes of KRS-One and VP Records reggae artists Anthony B. and Warrior King. Seasunz has also collaborated with Bay Area breaks DJ and Producer Lorin Bassnectar on various recordings and performances. Guest spots on the album include Tableek of Maspyke [Bukarance Records], Emilio Rojas a/k/a Raks One [Wax Reform], Wes Restless of the Chicago-based group Dynamic Vibrations, and multi-instrumentalist Gordon Rubin on sax and flute.

REVIEW:
When one sees the phrase hip-hop hybrid, the question arises: "what's the other half?" For J. Bless & Seasunz, it's soul music, so one might hear a bit of Mos Def, Slum Village, The Roots, The Pharcyde, or Nubian M.O.B. in their style. Together, they go by the name Solar Stereo, and with tracks such as "Song For Artists", "Break Silence", and "Long Road", they're a group that play around with the concept of duality. One MC comes from Oakland, the other from Brooklyn, so that's another hybrid to add to their mix. They talk about life, true life, not a manufactured Hollywood motion picture, and in terms of metaphors, these guys got it like New Kids. You want to worship the notebooks they write in, but one feels a bit intimidated by doing so. They are easy going, don't mind slapping people around subliminally, and the listener wants to pack a few things to be able to follow their paths of rhythm. The album is formatted well, never any B.S. or fluff, just pure, quality hip-hop.

Reviewer: John Book, Music For America (http://www.musicforamerica.org/node/114160)