Album Notes

What started out as a simple curiosity in tape recording turned out to be a lifelong obsession for DC-area based producer/artist Young Raven. Drawing influences from a number of producers including Dr. Dre, Pete Rock, RZA, DJ Premier, Timbaland, and DJ Quik (and too many others to name here), Young Raven has a sound that is timeless, universal, and unapologetically HIPHOP. "No matter what genre of music I blend into my beats," he says, "the foundation will always be HIPHOP. The drums have to hit, the samples have to grab you, and the repetition has to stay in your head long after the track ends." It's his uncanny knack of beatmaking that has garnered him props in the DC underground scene and earned him production spots on eclectic local artists Shambhala's debut album (visit www.199records.com for more info). But even with all the accolades, Young Raven has remained relatively low key among local artists. He explains: "I used to politik with people at shows and functions and put ads in the City Paper about selling beats and whatnot. And I would say a good 95% of the cats who I came in contact with was either not serious about their craft or not really bringing it artistically. I'm not saying I got the best beats in the world, but I think I'm pretty damn good. I just expect artists to be serious about what they call themselves-if you an MC, singer, poet, whatever."

This frustration eventually made Young Raven take matters into his own hands. Instead of having MCs being his sole vehicle to showcase his beats, he further honed his skills to make HIPHOP and electronic instrumental music, a move that could easily open him up to the more dance-oriented music scene. He also picked up the pad and pen and starting writing songs. "For the record, I'm not the best rapper by any means," he says. "But at this point I really don't care. I need to get these beats out there some way or another, and I'm tired of waiting on artists. We're in the era of producer-driven music, where cats like Timbaland and Kanye West and Alchemist get shine. Young Raven is all about beats. I'm just gonna let the music carry me."

Which leads us to the summer/fall of 2004 and the release of the debut album "Shine." The 11-song LP is a producer-driven project where the focus is on that one element that makes hiphop HIPHOP--the beats! "This is just the beginning," he says. "I'm trying to go left field with the music. I just hope cats will enjoy the ride." Stay tuned...

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/YOUNGRAVEN
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ANKHELEVATIONPRODUCTIONS

Also check out:
Expressions (www.cdbaby.com/youngraven2)
Pacific Coast Highway (www.cdbaby.com/youngraven3)
Futurethought (www.cdbaby.com/youngraven4)
Pacific Coast Highway remastered instrumentals (www.cdbaby.com/youngraven5)