Fake Four | |
---|---|
Founded | 2008 |
Founder | Ceschi, David Ramos |
Distributor(s) | Sonic Unyon, Redeye Distribution |
Genre | Indie hip hop, indie rock |
Country of origin | U.S. |
Location | New Haven, Connecticut |
Official website | www |
Fake Four is an independent record label based in New Haven, Connecticut. It was founded by brothers Ceschi and David Ramos in 2008. [1] [2]
According to an interview with Ceschi on Ugsmag.com, the Ramos brothers started Fake Four with help from Grimm Image Records in San Bernardino, California and Squids Eye Recording Collective in Dayton, Ohio as an outlet to release and distribute their personal music projects and those of their friends. Since the initial release This Up Here by David Ramos, Fake Four Inc. has been a self-sufficient label. [3]
Fake Four Inc. does not adhere to genre specifications. Brett Uddenberg of URB praised the label for pushing the boundaries of indie rap. [4] [ failed verification ] Chris Faraone of The Phoenix wrote: "you heard it here first: Fake Four is the most important label in progressive hip-hop right now." [5]
The first full-length release on Fake Four Inc. came with This Up Here by David Ramos on May 20, 2008. [6] [ failed verification ] It is a self-published album by co-founder of the label and Modern Drummer magazine's Top 10 Progressive drummers. [7] and XLR8R [8] [ failed verification ].
In 2010, Fake Four Inc. became official label partners with Circle Into Square in Portland, Oregon and took on production and distribution duties for the smaller like-minded label. Fake Four Inc. is exclusively distributed by Sonic Unyon in Canada and Redeye Distribution worldwide. [ citation needed ]
In 2013, an Indiegogo campaign for Fake Four Inc. raised over $52,000 to cover manufacturing costs and operating expenses. [9]
Fake Four Inc. has released albums by Astronautalis, Blue Sky Black Death, Boy in Static, Busdriver, Electric President, K-the-I???, Myka 9, Noah23. Nearly all releases on the label have placed on CMJ charts, including Vessel by Dark Time Sunshine on #2 CMJ Hip Hop ranking and Lawson Graham by Factor Chandelier and Owl Hours by Awol One & Factor on #3 CMJ Hip Hop showings.[ citation needed ]
Fake Four Inc. has also been noted for their intra-label collaborations [1] and artists signed to the label have self-booked tours through the United States, [10] Canada [11] and Europe. [12]
According to their site as of 2017, Fake Four Inc.'s current promoted artists include
Artists still on the roster include
Artists now archived include
Artists with one time releases on the label include
Regan Farquhar, better known by his stage name Busdriver, is an American rapper and producer from Los Angeles. He has collaborated with rappers such as Myka 9, R.A.P. Ferreira, Nocando, Open Mike Eagle, 2Mex, Aesop Rock and Radioinactive. His primary producers have been Daedelus, Boom Bip, Daddy Kev, Loden, Paris Zax, Omid, Kenny Segal, and Nobody. He has also worked with D-Styles on two albums.
Blue Sky Black Death was a production duo with ties to the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle, Washington. It consisted of Ryan Maguire, better known by his stage name Kingston, and Ian Taggart, better known by his stage name Young God, or, later, Televangel. They are known principally for their hip-hop and instrumental music, made with a mixture of live instrumentation and sampling. Their name is "a skydiving phrase alluding to beauty and death."
Charles Andrew Bothwell, better known by his stage name Astronautalis, is an American alternative hip hop artist currently based in Brooklyn, New York.
Noah Raymond Brickley, better known by his stage name Noah23, is a Canadian-American hip hop artist from Guelph, Ontario. He is co-founder of the Plague Language collective and record label, and has been described as "one of Canada's best, most underrated MCs".
Sole and the Skyrider Band is an alternative hip hop quartet based in Denver, Colorado.
Graham Murawsky, better known by his stage name Factor Chandelier, is a Canadian underground hip hop producer from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He is a founder of Off Beat Production and Side Road Records.
Lawson Graham is a studio album by Canadian hip hop producer Factor Chandelier. It was released on Fake Four Inc. in 2010. It features guest appearances from Gregory Pepper, Cars & Trains, Radical Face, Sole, Myka 9, Ceschi, and Moka Only. It is an ode to Factor's grandfather.
1969 is a studio album by American rapper Myka 9. It was released on Fake Four Inc. in 2009. Entirely produced by Canadian producer Factor Chandelier, it features guest appearances from Aceyalone, Busdriver, Awol One, and Gel Roc. The title of the album comes from the year Myka 9 was born and the zeal of that era. In promotion of the album, Myka 9 toured across the United States with Factor, Sole, and Ceschi.
The One Man Band Broke Up is a solo studio album by American hip hop artist Ceschi. It was released on Fake Four Inc. and Equinox Records in 2010. It is a concept album about the rise and fall of a musician named Julius.
Anthony Charles Martin, better known by his stage name Awol One, is an alternative hip hop artist and graphic designer based in Los Angeles, California.
Dark Time Sunshine is an American hip hop duo, consisting of Seattle rapper Onry Ozzborn and Chicago producer Zavala. The group is signed to Fake Four Inc.
Christopher Tafoya, better known by his stage name Sleep or Sleep of Oldominion, is an American hip hop artist from Farmington, New Mexico, who is currently based in Portland, Oregon. He is a founding member of the Pacific Northwest hip hop collective Oldominion and hip hop duo The Chicharones alongside Josh Martinez. He is signed to Strange Famous Records.
Sole is an American alternative hip hop artist based in Denver, Colorado. His discography consists of eighteen studio albums, four collaboration albums, ten EPs, two mixtapes, three remix albums, three compilations, twelve singles, one audiobook, one DVD, and many guest appearances on other artists' tracks.
Mestizo is an American rapper from Los Angeles, California. He is a co-founder of Machina Muerte. He resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Cannonball!!! is a 2012 studio album by American rapper Bleubird, released on Fake Four Inc. Production is handled by Astronautalis and Radical Face. "Time 4real" features a guest appearance from Ceschi.
Julio Francisco Ramos, better known as Ceschi Ramos, or simply as Ceschi, is an American rapper from New Haven, Connecticut. He is a co-founder of Fake Four Inc. He won the Connecticut Music Awards for Best Hip Hop in 2014.
Michael Sean Martinez, better known by his stage name Onry Ozzborn, is an American rapper and producer from Seattle, Washington. He is a founding member of alternative hip hop groups such as Grayskul, Dark Time Sunshine, and Oldominion, among others.
Ryan McMahon, better known by his stage name Iame, is an American rapper, record producer and record executive from Portland, Oregon. He is a member of the hip hop groups Oldominion and Sandpeople. In 2012, he released the album Lame$tream, which was given favorable reviews including Willamette Week, who on said "This is an MC at the very top of his game" and the albums's songs "shines a light on the MC's powerful grasp of storytelling." He has shared stages with Grayskul, Sleep, The Chicharones and Boom Bap Project, among many others.
The Grey Area is a studio album by American hip hop artist Onry Ozzborn, a member of the Pacific Northwest hip hop collective Oldominion. It was released June 17, 2003 on One Drop Records. Guest appearances include Sleep, Qwazaar and Luckyiam of Living Legends, among others.
In Between is the third solo studio album by American hip hop artist Onry Ozzborn, a member of the Pacific Northwest hip hop collective Oldominion. It was released November 8, 2005 on Camobear Records, an independent Canadian hip hop record label run by Josh Martinez. Guest appearances include the likes of Aceyalone, Busdriver and Ill Bill.