Sunset Blvd. (album)

Last updated
Sunset Blvd.
Yancey Boys, Sunset Blvd, front artwork, 2013.jpg
Studio album by
Yancey Boys
ReleasedOctober 29, 2013 (2013-10-29)
Recorded1995–1998 (beats, instruments) [1]
2012–2013 (vocals, DJ scratches, mixing)
Genre Hip hop
Length50:11
Label Delicious Vinyl, Yancey Media Group
Producer Frank Nitt (exec.)
Michael Ross (exec.)
J Dilla
Illa J chronology
4 Past Midnite
(2010)
Sunset Blvd.
(2013)
Illa J
(2015)
Frank Nitt chronology
The Smoke Musik EP
(2013)
Sunset Blvd.
(2013)
Singles from Sunset Blvd.
  1. "Quicksand"
    Released: August 27, 2013

Sunset Blvd. is the debut LP by Detroit-based hip hop duo Yancey Boys (Illa J and Frank Nitt), released on October 29, 2013 by Yancey Media Group in conjunction with Delicious Vinyl and distributed through Traffic Entertainment Group. [2] The record is built around a recently unearthed batch of music created by Illa J's late elder brother, James "J Dilla" Yancey. [2] The album features the latter's past collaborators like De La Soul's Posdnuos, Slum Village's T3, Common, The Pharcyde's Slimkid3 and Talib Kweli. [3] Additional guests on Sunset Blvd. include DJs Rhettmatic, C-Minus, and J. Rocc as well as rapper Guilty Simpson and R&B singer Eric Roberson. [4]

LP record Analog sound storage medium

The LP is an analog sound storage medium, a vinyl record format characterized by a speed of ​33 13 rpm, a 12- or 10-inch diameter, and use of the "microgroove" groove specification. Introduced by Columbia in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry. Apart from a few relatively minor refinements and the important later addition of stereophonic sound, it has remained the standard format for vinyl albums.

Detroit Largest city in Michigan

Detroit is the largest and most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan, the largest American city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of Wayne County. The municipality of Detroit had a 2017 estimated population of 673,104, making it the 23rd-most populous city in the United States. The metropolitan area, known as Metro Detroit, is home to 4.3 million people, making it the second-largest in the Midwest after the Chicago metropolitan area. Regarded as a major cultural center, Detroit is known for its contributions to music and as a repository for art, architecture and design.

Illa J American rapper

John Derek Yancey, better known by his stage name Illa J, is a rapper, singer, producer and songwriter from Detroit, Michigan who has released two albums on Delicious Vinyl Records. He is the younger brother of the late legendary hip hop producer, and rapper J Dilla, and a former member of hip hop group Slum Village. He also released a collaborative album as Yancey Boys along with Frank Nitt. Illa J's second solo album ILLA J LP will come out via Brooklyn based record label Bastard Jazz.

Contents

Background

John "Illa J" Yancey is J Dilla's younger brother. Frank Nitt, who grew up with Dilla in Detroit, is the Chief Curator of the late producer's music catalog and oversees the official approval of material released by the Yancey Media Group. [5] In the spirit of further paying tribute to the legacy of J Dilla, in 2012, Illa J and Frank Nitt have teamed up to form a new hip hop duo named after Illa J's original Dilla-produced album Yancey Boys (2008). [6] [7] Illa J began making music under the Yancey Boys banner with the guidance of Frank in 2008. "Putting together the first Yancey Boys album was a chance to put Illa J on the map and keep it in the family," says Delicious Vinyl co-founder & CEO Michael Ross. "On Sunset Blvd, Illa [J] and Frank [Nitt] dove deep into these stunning unreleased Dilla beats to make an honest album with all the right collaborations." [2] As Frank Nitt states: "We've created an album that would make Dilla proud. But this isn't a nostalgia trip. Dilla's beats were so future-forward that they're right on time in 2013, and we've assembled the best artists possible to represent that." [2]

J Dilla American record producer and rapper from Michigan

James Dewitt Yancey, better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer and rapper who emerged in the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan, as one third of the acclaimed music group Slum Village. His obituary at NPR stated that he "was one of the music industry's most influential hip-hop artists," working with notable acts including A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Busta Rhymes, Erykah Badu, The Roots, The Pharcyde, Madlib and Common.

<i>Yancey Boys</i> 2008 studio album by Illa J

Yancey Boys is the debut studio album by Detroit-based rapper/singer Illa J, featuring instrumental production from his late brother Jay Dee, also known as J Dilla. The album was released on November 4, 2008 under Delicious Vinyl. The beats were created from 1995 to 1998 during Jay Dee's tenure with Delicious Vinyl. The album's release was supported by two singles – "We Here" and "Sounds Like Love" featuring Debi Nova. Recording sessions for the album took place at Yancey Boys Studio in Los Angeles in 2008. Stones Throw Records released a digital instrumental version of the album in 2009.

Delicious Vinyl American independent record label

Delicious Vinyl is an American independent record label founded by Matt Dike and Michael Ross in 1987 and based in Los Angeles, California.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Exclaim! (7/10) [9]
Pitchfork Media (7.3/10) [10]

Upon its release, Sunset Blvd. opened up to generally favorable reviews from music critics. Pitchfork Media's Jonah Bromwich gave the album a 7.3 out of ten, saying: "Sunset Blvd. refuses to let itself be colored by regret. This is the most joyous record that we've seen from Dilla's disciples since the producer's death in 2006. By avoiding the tendency to wallow in the past or to define itself in opposition to contemporary rap, it joins the ranks of albums from Camp Lo and Black Milk, two other former backpack acts who updated their formula successfully this year, breaking free of the cliches that had held them back and making genuinely engaging hip-hop music." [10] Exclaim! reviewer Kevin Jones gave the album a seven out of ten, saying: "Though some of the beats are thought to date back to the producer's Pharcyde period, Sunset Blvd. maintains a general freshness and lingering sense of soothing familiarity, while the energetic vocal contributions make for a complete album that does the Yancey name justice for both Illa J and his legendary older brother." [9] David Jeffries of AllMusic gave the album four out of five stars, saying: "Fans thinking these rare beats should be handled with more respect are missing the point -- and can seek out the instrumentals, which are available as a bonus or separately -- but those who approach this as fond memories on Friday night will find themselves smiling until the sun comes up on Monday. Good times, great rhymes, and excellent beats." [8]

Music criticism

The Oxford Companion to Music defines music criticism as 'the intellectual activity of formulating judgements on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres'. In this sense, it is a branch of musical aesthetics. With the concurrent expansion of interest in music and information media over the past century, the term has come to acquire the conventional meaning of journalistic reporting on musical performances.

Camp Lo is an American hip hop duo, formed in 1995, which hails from The Bronx, New York. The duo consists of rappers Sonny Cheeba and Geechi Suede, both of Muslim upbringing. The duo is perhaps best known for their 1997 hit "Luchini AKA This Is It".

Black Milk American rapper

Curtis Eugene Cross, better known by his stage name Black Milk, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer.

Singles

On August 27, 2013, the lead single, "Quicksand," featuring longtime J Dilla collaborator Common, and Dezi Paige, was released as an EP along with "Fisherman" on the B-side, featuring guest performances from J Rocc of Beat Junkies, Vice and Detroit Serious. [11]

The World Famous Beat Junkies is an American hip hop crew of DJs specializing in Turntablism. Established in 1992 in Orange County, California by J. Rocc. As of 2014, The BeatJunkie Crew also host their own record pool, clothing line and radio station. The Beat Junkies opened their own DJ School in April 2017, located in Glendale, Ca. January 2018 they announced plans go online and launch beatjunkies.tv.

Track listing

All tracks include beats produced by J Dilla. [1] [2]

No.TitleLength
1."Dilltro" (featuring Dank)1:30
2."Fisherman" (featuring J. Rocc, Vice and Detroit Serious)3:49
3."Lovin' U" (featuring Eric Roberson)4:00
4."Go and Ask the DJ" (featuring Guilty Simpson and J. Rocc)4:01
5."Jeep Volume" (featuring T3 and C-Minus)3:51
6."Flowers" (featuring Niko Gray, Talib Kweli and Rhettmatic)4:36
7."Honk Ya Horn" (featuring J. Pinder)3:56
8."Slippin'" (featuring Early Mac)3:35
9."Without Wings"3:08
10."Beautiful" (featuring Posdnuos and Botni Applebum)3:37
11."Quicksand" (featuring Common and Dezi Paige)4:41
12."Rock My World" (featuring Slimkid3 and Niko Gray)3:19
13."The Throwaway"3:23
14."This Evening"2:45
Total length:50:11
Notes
Sample Credits

Personnel

Credits for Sunset Blvd. adapted from AllMusic [14] and from the album liner notes. [15]

Related Research Articles

The Pharcyde band that plays West Coast hip hop

The Pharcyde is an American alternative hip hop group, formed in 1989, from South Central Los Angeles. The original four members of the group are Imani, Slimkid3, Bootie Brown, and Fatlip. DJ Mark Luv was the group's first disc jockey (DJ), followed by producer J-Swift and then J Dilla. The group is perhaps best known for the hit singles "Drop", "Passin' Me By" and "Runnin'", as well as their first album, Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde (1992). The group continues to tour and record, both collaboratively and in solo projects—the most recent being Hardson's collaborative EP with the award-winning DJ Nu-Mark released in 2014 on Delicious Vinyl.

Fatlip American rapper

Fatlip is a Los Angeles-born hip hop musician. He started his career in the hip hop group The Pharcyde.

<i>Labcabincalifornia</i> 1995 studio album by The Pharcyde

Labcabincalifornia is the second album by The Pharcyde, released in 1995, three years after their debut Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde. The album's production was handled by The Pharcyde themselves and Jay Dee, with additional help from Diamond D and M-Walk. The first single was "Drop". The video for "Drop" was directed by Spike Jonze, and used footage of the group performing the song backwards, replayed backwards, giving it a surreal quality. The backwards theme of the video is also a reference to the song itself, which features a backwards sample. "Drop" was a hit, as was the follow-up single "Runnin'," which peaked at #55 on the Billboard Hot 100. Overall, this album is a more mellow and introspective affair than their debut and features more somber themes such as dealing with fame and success, drug abuse, and broken down relationships. Album sales compared to Bizarre Ride did not fare as well; the group was not able to reach Gold status. After Labcabincalifornia was released, Fatlip left the group to concentrate on his solo career.

Slum Village hip hop group from Detroit, Michigan, United States

Slum Village is a hip hop group from Detroit, Michigan.

<i>Welcome 2 Detroit</i> 2001 studio album by J Dilla

Welcome 2 Detroit is the debut studio album by American hip hop recording artist J Dilla, released on February 27, 2001. The album followed his group Slum Village's critically acclaimed Fantastic, Vol. 2, and kicked off BBE's "Beat Generation" series.

<i>Donuts</i> (album) 2006 studio album by J Dilla

Donuts is the second studio album by the American hip hop producer J Dilla, released on February 7, 2006 by Stones Throw Records. It was released on the day of his 32nd birthday and three days before his death, thus making it the final album released during J Dilla's lifetime.

<i>Champion Sound</i> 2003 studio album by Jaylib (J Dilla and Madlib)

Champion Sound is the only studio album by the duo Jaylib. Half of the songs are produced by Madlib and feature J Dilla on vocals, and the other half are produced by J Dilla and feature Madlib on vocals. This album was the first of the Madlib duo collaboration albums made during the 2000s.

J-Swift American record producer

J-Swift is an Afro-Cuban Spanish American music producer responsible for songs with groups on the Delicious Vinyl Label. He has produced the hip hop groups The Pharcyde and The Wascals.

<i>The Shining</i> (J Dilla album) 2006 studio album by J Dilla

The Shining is the third studio album by American hip hop producer and rapper J Dilla, who died February 10, 2006. The Shining was incomplete at the time of J Dilla's passing and was posthumously completed. Discounting the instrumental album Donuts, The Shining was the first full-length solo release by J Dilla since Welcome 2 Detroit five years earlier, and as such was highly anticipated. It was released on August 22, 2006 through BBE Records. An instrumental version of the album followed its release shortly afterward.

The following list catalogs song-writing, musician and production credits for James Yancey, also known as Jay Dee and J Dilla. Yancey began his career as the producer for Detroit hip hop group, Slum Village, and as a member of the production trio The Ummah, before launching a solo career in the early 2000s. After a stint on MCA Records, the vast majority of Yancey's work, both as an artist and strictly as a producer, was released on smaller independent labels, most notably Stones Throw Records and BBE Records.

Frank n Dank

Frank n Dank are an American hip hop group from Detroit, Michigan. They also go by the names Frank Nitt and Dankery Harv, and are best known for their many collaborations with the late J Dilla. Known for their party-driven, tongue-in-cheek raps, the duo first came to public attention as guests on producer J Dilla's album, Welcome 2 Detroit in 2001. Prior to this, they had been performing in their hometown, Detroit, since the mid-1990s and had released the 12"s "Everybody Get Up!" and "Me and My Man" between "Love ", both produced by J Dilla.

<i>Jay Deelicious: The Delicious Vinyl Years</i> 2007 compilation album by J Dilla

Jay Deelicious: The Delicious Vinyl Years is a compilation album that catalogues hip hop producer J Dilla's early production career. The album showcases Dilla's first work with Pharcyde, and consequently, his rise to fame with other artists. As well all proceeds from the sale of this album will be given to his mother, Maureen Yancey.

Slimkid3 rapper

Trevant "Tre" Hardson best known by his stage name Slimkid3, is an American hip hop recording artist and record producer from Los Angeles, California. He is a founding member of The Pharcyde.

Cydeways: The Best of the Pharcyde is a greatest hits album by Los Angeles hip hop group The Pharcyde. It was released November 14, 2001. The album features songs by the four emcees; Fatlip, Slimkid3, Imani and Bootie Brown from their first two albums Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde and Labcabincalifornia while they were signed to label Delicious Vinyl.

<i>The Diary</i> (J Dilla album) 2016 studio album by J Dilla

The Diary is the sixth studio album by American hip hop recording artist J Dilla. It was originally intended for release in 2002 via MCA Records under the title Pay Jay. This long-lost album is the final batch of unissued material that J Dilla had assembled for release during his lifetime. It also represents his first rap album released since Ruff Draft (2003) and Champion Sound (2003). Unlike previous full-length releases – from Jay Stay Paid (2009) to Dillatronic (2015) – all edited with unreleased instrumentals, The Diary is a collection of Dilla's vocal performances over his production and that of other producers, such as Madlib, Pete Rock, Nottz, Hi-Tek and Karriem Riggins among others. It also features vocal performances by Snoop Dogg, Bilal, Kokane, Frank n Dank, Nottz, Kenny Wray and Boogie. Recording sessions for the album took place from September 16, 2001 to April 2, 2002 at The Spaceship in Clinton Township and Studio A in Detroit, and it was mastered by Dave Cooley at Elysian Masters in Los Angeles.

<i>Yes!</i> (Slum Village album) 2015 studio album by Slum Village

Yes! is the eighth studio album by Detroit hip hop group Slum Village, released June 16, 2015, on Ne'astra Music. The 12-track LP features nine songs produced or co-produced posthumously by the late member J Dilla. Vocals of late members J Dilla and Baatin were also placed on the album. Yes! also features appearances from De La Soul, Phife, Black Milk, Frank Nitt, Bilal and J Dilla's younger brother Illa J.

References

  1. 1 2 "iTunes - Music - Sunset Blvd. by Yancey Boys". iTunes. Retrieved 28 Oct 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Baker, Soren (18 July 2013). "J Dilla Beats Featured On Yancey Boys' "Sunset Blvd" LP". HipHopDX. Retrieved 28 Oct 2013.
  3. Shamz (27 Sep 2012). "Yancey Boys (Illa J x Frank Nitt) – Sunset Blvd (prod. J Dilla) [Artwork + Tracklisting]". Okayplayer. Retrieved 26 Oct 2013.
  4. “Yancey Boys LP Sunset Blvd...”. Delicious Vinyl. 29 October 2013. http://deliciousvinyl.com/2013/10/yancey-boys-sunset-blvd-beats-j-dilla-vinyl-cd-digital-available-now/
  5. Frydenlund, Zach. "Frank Nitt Named Chief Curator Of J Dilla's Music Catalogue". Complex. Retrieved 28 Oct 2013.
  6. "FEATURED ARTIST: Yancey Boys (Illa J & Frank Nitt)". Traffic Entertainment Group. 9 Sep 2013. Retrieved 29 Oct 2013.
  7. Eddie "STATS" (6 Dec 2012). "Audio: Unreleased J Dilla: Yancey Boys x Frank Nitt – "The Throwaway"". Okayplayer. Retrieved 29 Oct 2013.
  8. 1 2 Jeffries, David. "Sunset Blvd. - Yancey Boys | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic . Retrieved 2013-10-28.
  9. 1 2 Jones, Kevin (29 Oct 2013). "Yancey Boys - Sunset Blvd. • Hip-Hop Reviews • exclaim.ca". Exclaim! . Retrieved 29 Oct 2013.
  10. 1 2 Bromwich, Jonah (31 Oct 2013). "Yancey Boys: Sunset Blvd. | Album Reviews". Pitchfork. Retrieved 31 Oct 2013.
  11. "iTunes - Music - Quicksand - EP by Yancey Boys". iTunes. 27 Aug 2013. Retrieved 28 Oct 2013.
  12. 1 2 Kenner, Rob. “J Dilla...The Afterlife”. Complex. 7 February 2016. http://www.complex.com/music/2016/02/j-dilla-essentials-guide-the-afterlife/
  13. M-Smooth. “Yancey Boys / Throwaway...”. KZSU Stanford 90.1 FM. 22 June 2013. http://zookeeper.stanford.edu/index.php?s=byAlbumKey&n=1029361&q=&action=search&session=
  14. "Sunset Blvd. - Yancey Boys | Credits | AllMusic". Rovi Corporation. Credits. Retrieved 28 Oct 2013.
  15. Sunset Blvd (Media notes). Yancey Boys. Delicious Vinyl, Yancey Media Group. 2013.CS1 maint: others (link)