'Hip-Hop' Bands // p 2 of 2

José James

osé James (born January 20, 1978) is an American vocalist best known for performing and blending modern jazz and hip-hop. James performs all over the world both as a bandleader and with other groups.

Biography

José James attended The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. In 2008, he debuted with his first album, The Dreamer, on the Brownswood label. Blackmagic followed in 2010. 2010's For All We Know came out on the Impulse! label. For All We Know became the winner of both the Edison Award and L'Académie du Jazz Grand Prix for best Vocal Jazz Album of 2010.

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Lady Wray

Nicole Monique Wray (born May 2, 1979), also known as simply Nicole, is an American R&B and hip hop singer. Her 1998 debut single "Make It Hot" was certified gold.

Musical career

Wray was born in Salinas, California and raised in Portsmouth, Virginia. After being introduced to Missy Elliott, Wray was featured on Missy's platinum certified debut Supa Dupa Fly. When Elliott started her own label, The Goldmind, the then 17-year-old Wray was the first artist signed. She impressed Elliot with her singing skills.

In 1998, her debut album Make It Hot was released. Heavily criticized for Elliott's heavy-handed involvement (she produced, wrote, and performed on much of the album) the first single, "Make It Hot", peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was certified gold. Her second single, "I Can't See", reached number 36 on the Rhythmic Top 40 chart. Her debut album Make It Hot peaked at number nineteen on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart (number 42 on The Billboard 200) and dropped off by the end of the year. The third single, "Eyes Better Not Wander", peaked at number 71 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Later that year, Wray would sing the hook to "All n My Grill" on Missy Elliott's platinum certified second album, Da Real World.

In July 2001, Wray released "I'm Lookin'", the first single from her planned second album Elektric Blue. "I'm Lookin'" peaked at number 66 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, but the album would eventually be shelved.

After amicably parting with The Goldmind, Wray was sought after to feature vocals on various albums and soundtracks. She would go on to sign a new album deal and under the guidance of Damon Dash was featured on Cam'ron's gold certified 2004 release, Purple Haze.

Later that year she released the single, "If I Was Your Girlfriend" from her scheduled Roc-A-Fella Records debut and sophomore studio set LoveChild. Though garnering some buzz, there ultimately was not enough push to release the album. After the temporary halt of Roc-A-Fella, LoveChild would suffer the same fate as its predecessor.

Wray moved through the Dame Dash Music Group, and also Channel 7 Records, garnering several guest vocal appearances.

Still maintaining her work relationship with Damon Dash, Wray joined The Black Keys rock/hip-hop collective Blakroc, and was a major vocal contributor to the group's self-titled November 2009 debut. Wray was then enlisted to add her background vocals on The Black Keys' seventh studio LP, Brothers, which was released in May 2010.

In 2010, she appeared on Kid Cudi's second album Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager on the song "The End", alongside Chip tha Ripper and GLC.

In 2012, Wray teamed up with fellow soulstress Terri Walker to form retro-soul duo Lady. They were signed to Truth and Soul Records and their self-titled debut album was released on March 5, 2013.

In 2016, she announced a new single "Do It Again" and a new album "Queen Alone" set for a September 23, 2016 release date, under her new stage name Lady Wray.

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Lauryn Hill

Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter and rapper, known for being a member of Fugees, and for her solo album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, which won many awards and broke several sales records. Raised mostly in South Orange, New Jersey, Hill began singing with her music-oriented family during her childhood. In high school, Hill was approached by Pras Michel for a band he started, which his friend, Wyclef Jean, soon joined. They renamed themselves the Fugees and released the albums Blunted on Reality (1994), and the Grammy Award–winning The Score (1996), which sold six million copies in the U.S. Hill rose to prominence with her African-American and Caribbean music influences, her rapping and singing, and her rendition of the hit "Killing Me Softly". Her tumultuous romantic relationship with Jean led to the split of the band in 1997, after which she began to focus on solo projects.

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998) remains Hill's only solo studio album. It received critical acclaim showcasing a representation of life and relationships and locating a contemporary voice within the neo soul genre. The album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 and has sold approximately eight million copies there. This included the singles "Doo Wop (That Thing)" (also a number one), "Ex-Factor" (became her biggest solo hit in UK), and "Everything Is Everything". At the 41st Grammy Awards, the record earned her five awards, including Album of the Year and Best New Artist. During this time, she won several other awards and became a common sight on the cover of magazines.

Soon afterward, Hill dropped out of the public eye, dissatisfied with the music industry and suffering with the pressures of fame. Her last full-length recording, the new-material live album MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 (2002), sharply divided critics and sold poorly compared to her first album and work with the Fugees. Hill's subsequent activity, which includes the release of a few songs and occasional festival appearances, has been sporadic. Her behavior has sometimes caused audience dissatisfaction; a reunion with her former group did not last long. Her music and public statements have become critical of pop culture and societal institutions. Hill has six children, five of them with Rohan Marley. In 2012 she pleaded guilty to tax evasion and served a three-month prison sentence the following year.

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Melodiesinfonie

The line crackles and I can barely hear Kevin to begin with. Skype interviews aren’t my personal go-to when it comes to speaking to an artist but Kevin being based out of Zurich and us sitting in balmy Mumbai and an even balmier Bengaluru, respectively – we weren’t exactly spoilt for choice. But, the connection cleared up soon enough and as Kevin’s soothing voice filled up the virtual line, we jumped right into it.

Kevin Wettstein aka Melodiesinfonie, a musician, producer and composer based in Zurich, has officially been active on the music map across Europe, South Africa, America, and dare I say, India, for almost a decade now. Down to earth and uncomplicated, his simple words belie the intricacies of his lush jazz & hip & hop pieces.

We spoke with him to understand more about who he is and what he does best.

Read the whole interview onthejunglefloor.com

^{Source onthejunglefloor.com}

Mndsgn

Mndsgn was born Ringgo Ancheta in San Diego, California and was raised in New Jersey. He is the youngest of four in a family of Filipino descent. His mother was a nurse and his father was a Navy man. He learned to play organ before his older brother introduced him to rap music and beat production at a pivotal age.

In 2008, platforms like Myspace and AIM messenger connected Mndsgn with beatmakers Knxwledge, Suzi Analogue and devonwho to form Klipm0de. The collective played and released beat tapes through Bandcamp. Ancheta relocated to Los Angeles in 2011 and self-released beat tapes as well as a few projects distributed by labels Leaving and Fresh Selects, and regularly performed at local hubs such as Low End Theory.

In 2013, Mndsgn collaborated with Danny Brown on "Sweeney Song," which appeared on Classic Drug References Vol. 1. His first solo studio album for Stones Throw Records, titled Yawn Zen, was released in 2014. He followed up with Body Wash in 2016, an album that drew heavily on ‘80s R&B and boogie which Vinyl Me, Please cited as one of "The 10 Best Stones Throw Albums To Own On Vinyl", before releasing raw, mixtape-style records Snax and Snaxx in 2018 and 2019, the latter which Clash called "an instant classic" and "everything we’ve come to expect and more, from the San Diego beat maker".

In March 2021, Mndsgn announced his third studio album for Stones Throw Records, Rare Pleasure. Inspired by R&B, soundtrack music, psychedelia and jazz, Rare Pleasure features Kiefer (musician), Swarvy, Carlos Niño, Fousheé, Devin Morrison, Anna Wise and more. Rare Pleasure was released in June 2021 on Stones Throw Records.

In addition to his solo work, Mndsgn co-wrote and produced Prophet’s 2018 album, Wanna Be Your Man, and Peach Fuzz with Tyler, the Creator.

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NxWorries

NxWorries (pronounced "No Worries") is an American music duo from Los Angeles, California that consists of record producer Knxwledge and singer/rapper Anderson Paak. They are currently signed to Stones Throw Records and have released their debut studio album Yes Lawd! on October 21, 2016.

2015–present: Link Up & Suede and Yes Lawd!
Knxwledge's and Anderson Paak's debut under the name NxWorries, "Suede", was released as the lead single of their EP, Link Up & Suede. The song premiered on February 10, 2015, on Stones Throw Records' SoundCloud page. The song contains a sample of "The Bottle" as written and performed by Gil Scott-Heron. The song became a viral hit, with more than a million SoundCloud listens and nearly as many YouTube plays. From August 21 to September 17, 2015, NxWorries toured with Earl Sweatshirt and Remy Banks. On August 25, 2015, the music video for "Suede" was released on the official Stones Throw YouTube channel. The second single, "Link Up", was broadcast on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 radio show on December 1, 2015. Link Up & Suede was released on December 4, 2015 under Stones Throw Records.

On March 3, 2016, a music video for "Link Up" was released on the official Stones Throw YouTube channel. It featured guest appearances from Eric André and Earl Sweatshirt. On June 19, 2016, Paak confirmed that NxWorries' debut studio album is finished and set for release. On July 25, 2016, it was confirmed that the album was to be titled Yes Lawd. On September 19, 2016, Yes Lawd! was confirmed for a release date of October 21, 2016, in addition to releasing a single, 'Lyk Dis' off the album, but was released on October 14, 2016.

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Rejoicer

Yuval Havkin aka Rejoicer is one of Tel Aviv’s busiest producers and founder of the Raw Tapes label, home to Israel’s own beat movement.

He was born in London and moved to Tel Aviv at the age of 5. He began collecting vinyl at the age of 14, and started his way in the music world as a Jungle/Drum&Bass artist in 2006. He later moved on to hip hop, and produced beat tapes under the Guadaloop moniker.

After finding a crew of like minded beat makers from around the city, Rejoicer founded the Raw Tapes Label in 2009.

Since then he released more then 20 albums under all different aliases. In 2011 Rejoicer started the band Buttering Trio with KerenDun and Beno Hendler and released Toast LP. the trio played shows with Oh No & DJ Romes, Black Milk, Peanut Butter Wolf, Hudson Mohawke and more. He has collaborated with Free The Robots, Dudley Perkins & Georgia Anne Muldrow, Bajka, Balkan Beat Box, Ester Rada, Cohenbeats and many more, and continues to be one of Tel Aviv’s most interesting artists

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Swantourage

Swantourage is a four piece instrumental band based out of Salt Lake City, Utah. The band, apply named after their founder, Dustin Swan, has been shaking booties across the rockies for several years now.

Dustin has been a big part of the music scene in Utah performing with local bands like Samuel Smith Band and PIG EON.

Three singles by Swantourage have been released in 2019 and there is more expected to come this year. Keep an eye and an ear out for this group.

^{Source Darren Farnsworth}

The Roots

The Roots are an American hip hop band, formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The Roots currently serve as the house band on NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, having served in the same role on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon from 2009–2014.

The Roots are known for a jazzy and eclectic approach to hip-hop featuring live musical instruments and the group's work has consistently been met with critical acclaim. ThoughtCo ranked the band #7 on its list of the 25 Best Hip-Hop Groups of All-Time, calling them "Hip-hop's first legitimate band." Although the band no longer tours extensively due to their Tonight Show obligations, their live shows are frequently regarded as the best in the genre.

In addition to the band's music, several members of the Roots are involved in side projects, including record production, acting, and regularly serving as guests on other musician's albums and live shows.

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Tricky

Adrian Nicholas Matthews Thaws (born 27 January 1968), better known by his stage name Tricky, is an English record producer and rapper. Born and raised in Bristol, he began his career as an early collaborator of Massive Attack before embarking on a solo career with his debut album, Maxinquaye, in 1995. The release won Tricky popular acclaim and marked the beginning of a lengthy collaborative partnership with vocalist Martina Topley-Bird. He released four more studio albums before the end of the decade, including Pre-Millennium Tension and the pseudonymous Nearly God, both in 1996. He has gone on to release eight studio albums since 2000, most recently Ununiform (2017).

Tricky is a pioneer of trip hop music, and his work is noted for its dark, layered musical style that blends disparate cultural influences and genres, including hip hop, alternative rock and ragga. He has collaborated with a wide range of artists over the course of his career, including Terry Hall, Björk, Gravediggaz, Grace Jones, and PJ Harvey.

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Wax Tailor

Jean-Christophe Le Saoût (French pronunciation: [ʒɑ̃ kʁistɔf lə sut]; born July 19, 1975 in Vernon, Normandy), better known by the stage name Wax Tailor, is a French trip hop/hip hop producer. He has released six studio albums collaborating with a great number of artists.

After being a host on a French radio in the Paris suburb of Mantes-La-Jolie, Le Saoût started the French Rap band La Formule in the 1990s. He created his label Lab'Oratoire in 1998 and produced records from La Formule as well as Break Beat compilations and a collaboration with the Swedish band Looptroop. He began work on the Wax Tailor project in 2001, first appearing on a remix of Looptroop & La Formule's "Deep Under Water".

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