THE SKY BENEATH is a collective of artists (dj's/producers, vocalists, and emcees) from both coasts of the U.S. and five countries around the world. At the core of its sound is intelligent lyricism, cross-genre experimentation, and innovative, great beats.
The Sky Beneath, as a group, was formed in July of 2003 when long-time friends Furyus, Beaujangles, Pakwit & Steven Van Beathavin decided to focus their creativity, energy, and love for music on a long-overdue album. In just three weeks, they recorded "The Ground." Shortly after, they released it on a small scale through their newly established record label Sky Beneath Records (formerly "NorthBest Records").
In the Fall of 2003, the group members went their separate ways to continue their respective educations. Pakwit resumed work in Oakland at Expression College for Digital Arts, Beaujangles & Furyus resumed work at Stanford and Yale and Beathavin traveled to South America. While at Yale, Furyus formed a second group, 'Fifth Floor,' with friends, NuSonRize & Fitzgeezus. Managed by Furyus' recently established BudgetBooth Productions & Recordings, the group put together an short album - "The 5th Floor" - with original lyrics recorded over beats from some of their favorite producers. After achieving unrivaled popularity on campus, the three went on to win a Battle of the Bands competition at Toad's Place - one of the Northeast's premier concert venues.
While at Stanford, Beaujangles and Philly roommate, DJ Kucer Vandross formed the backbone of the 'Chevy Blazer Band', which included drummer Adrian Perry, bassist Matt Henick, and pianist Chris Earhart. The following year, after changing drummers and adding vocalists (Mei Li and Mia Woolfalk) as well New York emcee Dan Doktori, the group Hercules in New York was born. The band rocked live Hiphop shows.
For the next two years, Beaujangles maintained a presence as a talented MC in the area, frequently showcasing his freestyles on 90.1 KZSU on DJ Drew's nightspot, and performing live shows with Hercules in New York. He also collaborated with bay-area rapper MC Lars, rocking several shows together and recording the track "Great Dough-Nation." In 2004, Jangles gave his send off to school by dominating the biggest local freestyle battle of the year.
In April of 2004, The Sky Beneath became The Sky Beneath Crew when it expanded to include its 'Fifth Floor' members on the East Coast, and the crew began work on their next album. A few months later, Seattle producer, DJ Shingi (originally from Zimbabwe), joined the crew. Eager to showcase new material, the crew released The Winter EP in January of 2005 as a preview to their upcoming full-length album. With a diverse collection of beats from producers Steven Van Beathavin and DJ Shingi, and with an uncommon mixture of lyrical styles representing Seattle, Berkeley, Oakland and Lynn (MA), the album showcased a truly unique flavor of Hiphop music.
In February of 2005, Sky Beneath Records brought Australian DJ and producer, DJ Nos, to the crew. His turntable skills and infectious beats - which draw on influences from DJ Premier to DJ Shadow - added yet another dimension to The Sky Beneath Crew.
In May of 2005, The Sky Beneath picked up two new members, Self-Suffice & Hyper-C. Suffice, as his name suggests, is truly an independent artist, but since he has made so many classic tracks with The Sky Beneath and rocked so many shows with the crew in the last two years, it only seemed right to consider him part of the crew. Similarly, Hyper-C - originally considered a featured artist - made such a strong contribution to the crew's sound during collaborative work in 2005 that he was made an affiliate member.
Sky Beneath Records now provides a hub to the various musical projects these talented artists will continue to pursue in the years to come.
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