| Ohio’s own J Rawls knows a thing or two about Hip-Hop. The famed producer/emcee has been living the culture for as long as he can remember, even before his first productions began circulating in the early 90s. “I remember taking the laces out of my first pair of Shelltoes and my parents looking at me like I was crazy. I remember Hip-Hop being a breath of fresh air,” says Rawls. Later, J Rawls helped launch the independent Hip-Hop explosion of the late 90s by producing “Brown Skin Lady” and “Yo Yeah” from Mos Def and Talib Kweli’s seminal debut album as Black Star. He went on to anchor Lone Catalysts, one of the most acclaimed early independent rap groups, and release an acclaimed solo album, The Essence Of J Rawls, in 2001. More than a decade after his last solo Hip-Hop album, J Rawls is proud to present The Hip-Hop Affect, now in stores everywhere.
Featuring appearances from Rhymefest, Sadat X, Tanya Morgan, J Sands (of Lone Catalysts), Copywrite, Bad Azz, Edo G, Stalley, Casual, Count Bass D, Wise Intelligent (of Poor Righteous Teachers), El Da Sensei, John Robinson, and more, The Hip-Hop Affect tells the story of how Rawls grew with hip-hop as hip-hop itself continued to grow. Born out of a dialog with his son, THHA explores Rawls’ personal journey from Columbus to Cincinnati to cities all over the world, as well as Hip-Hop’s journey from block parties to MTV to total ubiquity. “We walk, talk, and think Hip-Hop because we are Hip-Hop,” explains Rawls. “We birthed it, created it, and reared it. As with any child, we don’t like every change that we see Hip-Hop make, but we stick with it because we love it.” While Hip-Hop has clearly been an important part of Rawls’ life, the past decade has seen him expanding his musical horizons. He delved into neo-soul and jazz with The Essence Of Soul and The Liquid Crystal Project, and released collaborative albums with Ohio vocalist Middle Child and Stones Throw crooner/rapper Dudley Perkins. All the while, production work for El Da Sensei, Masta Ace, Wordsworth, Beastie Boys, Count Bass D and others has kept Rawls connected to his roots. Now, he’s ready to make a full return to Hip-Hop, and with that comes an opportunity to reflect. “This album tells the story of Hip-Hop and the affect it’s had on my life,” he explains. “I really want to get people to ask themselves, How has Hip-Hop affected your life?” |
