Tajai on RAP NOIR
In the film noir tradition of Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles and Otto Preminger, TAJAI from Hieroglyphics (and Souls of Mischief) and super producer UNJUST (Ron Jon Bovi, First Light, Chosen Few) have come together to craft RAP NOIR, a collection of stories from the darker side of things. On this album TAJAI plays narrator of tales of crime, vice and passion all over cinematic soundscapes provided by Unjust.
"As an Edgar Allan Poe and Charles Bukowski fan, I wanted to delve into speaking on the seedier things I have encountered in my life as an Oakland resident and world traveler. Also, as a fan of greats like Slick Rick, Kool G Rap, Ice Cube and Nas, I wanted to use my skill at storytelling to add on to rap's tradition of cinematic wordplay that takes the listener directly into the action, often while including lessons and useful life observations” states Tajai on the project. “Unjust has the cinematic beats. I want to big up storytelling and its importance in hip hop, in literature, and in general. This project is the culmination of this desires.”
In addition to the original, “classic” version of the record, Rap Noir also is releasing TRAP NOIR – an alternate version of the album to more “contemporary” beats produced by underground fixture HARRIS THE KNOWITALL.
"I'm dropping these two records like an audio experiment in perception, in style. It is a cinematic record. With a couple of subtle tweaks it can be viewed differently so it's cool to look at from a different angle. I've known Harris the Knowitall for several years, he was part of LEAGUE510 - a group I signed to my label Clear Label Records. I always respected his production skills so when it was time to make the TRAP NOIR record I knew he had the ability to make it like no one else could, and make it so that my record wouldn't sound like anyone else's. My point was to not get a generic “trap producer” but a real producer who would master those tempos, that was important.
The rest, as they say, is history. Look out for "Black Hoodie Chronicles" - COMING SOON!