On his first studio album since 2003’s highly praised Later That Day… (called “easily one of the most creative hip hop albums of the year†by Amazon.com), Lyrics Born (aka Tom Shimura) once again raises the bar with Everywhere At Once. Long known for his innovative beats, creative collaborations and crooner-esque vocal performances, Lyrics Born furthers his song-craft and incorporates elements such as pop, reggaeton and R ‘n B on his Anti- debut.
Loquacious and direct, Lyrics Born is the rare MC who can bridge the divide between the hip hop kingdom and the alternative rock world. His legendarily complex, distinctive and skillful flow, coupled with an electrifying live show, has caused the Bay Area underground virtuoso to become one of the highest regarded acts on the hip hop circuit today. At the same time, his songs, such as 2004’s “Callin’ Out,†are embraced by alternative music fans, who voted the song into the #1 spot on alt-rock radio heavyweight Live105 for five weeks in a row.
Lyrics Born has a long history of writing songs that quickly become incorporated into our cultural landscape: just remember those can’t-get-it-out-of-your-head songs from Nokia and Diet Coke commercials. Everywhere At Once is no different. Standout songs such as “I Like It, I Love It†and “Hott 2 Deff†are guaranteed classics, and with guest appearances by hip hop notables such as Chali 2na and RJD2, the new record expands on LB’s global reach.
“Shimura draws from funk, reggae and rock, even as he blurs their distinctions,†writes Rolling Stone. “He flows with an almost Southern smoothness, plowing through syllables faster than an ear can discern.â€
In addition to artist, producer and sought-after guest vocalist, Lyrics Born is also a founding member of the seminal independent label Quannum Projects, which has launched the careers of many highly-regarded trendsetters such as DJ Shadow, Blackalicious and Gift of Gab. Everywhere At Once is a leap, personally and creatively, from this well-known home to Anti- Records, a label famous for its unequivocal support of the most inspired artists, where Lyrics Born will be labelmates with such notables as Civil Rights voice Mavis Staples, Spearhead’s Michael Franti and Husker du/Sugar’s Bob Mould.
“Lyrics Born exudes the kind of intelligence and charisma that so many [George] Clinton classics showed. Each man crafts sounds and songs that evade easy expectation; each exudes a tangible joy in his own creativity; each has fashioned a masterpiece in his own way,†opines the LA Weekly, and the Boston Globe writes ““Lyrics Born writes hip-hop that rocks — and old-school funk that doesn’t forget the backbeat as it utilizes everything from classic rap to dancehall.â€
Track listing for Everywhere At Once:
1. Intro Tag
2. Don’t Change
3. Hott 2 Deff
4. Differences
5. Cakewalk
6. Shoe Hoes Anonymous(skit)
7. I’m A Phreak
8. I Like It, I Love it
9. The World Is Calling
10. Top Shelf
11. Is It The Skin I’m In?
12. Homeland Security(skit)
13. Do U Buy It?
14. Rules Were Meant To Be Broken (Remix)
15. Whispers
16. I Can’t Decide(Everywhere At Once)
Bonus Tracks:
17. Re-Intro
18. Let Me In, Let Me Out (Remix)