Seattle, Washington-based emcee D.Black made waves late last year with the release of his highly celebrated sophomore album, Ali-Yah, on Sportn’ Life Records/MYX Music Label. Showcasing his development as an artist since his emergence onto the hip-hop scene, Ali-Yah features 14 soulful, yet heavy-hitting, tracks chockfull of insightful lyricism, smooth delivery, and bangin’ production, which was supplied by powerhouses Jake One and Vitamin D. “Yesterday” and “The Return” are just two of the many standout tracks that ended up on countless mixtapes and catapulted Ali’Yah onto many year-end lists.
With all the critical acclaim that the album has received, it seemed only natural to release an instrumental version for public consumption, which D.Black is proud to do. A lifelong advocate of music and its unmistakable power, D.Black hopes aspiring emcees will take these expertly arranged beats as a foundation for their own inspired verses.
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=330128082&s=143441
The Background:
Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, D.Black’s musical roots are deep, with his mother and father both involved in pioneering hip-hop groups in the Seattle music scene. In 2006, D.Black released his debut album, The Cause & Effect, a huge regional success, allowing the emcee to share the stage with Nas, Freeway, Bun B, Clipse, Paul Wall, The Boot Camp Click, and more. After being mentored by Vitamin D, a staple and veteran of the Seattle hip-hop scene, D.Black began making a name for himself by working on projects with producer Jake One. One such collaboration resulted in D.Black being featured on Jake One’s White Van Music, on the track “God Like,” helping to cement the Seattle emcee as a household name beyond the Pacific Northwest. Jake One and Vitamin D were also both instrumental in helping D.Black create his new album, offering guidance and production on the record. D.Black’s new album, Ali’Yah, is now available everywhere via Sportn’ Life Records/MYX Music Label.
About MYX Music:
MYX Music Label was founded in 2007 by industry veteran Karim Panni of the Boom Bap Project (Rhymesayers Entertainment). MYX Music Label is under the umbrella of MYX TV, which is the only music and lifestyle channel dedicated to the Asian American community. Distributed nationally, MYX TV showcases the hottest major label and independent content as well as dynamic original programming that fuses fashion, comedy, and culture. MYX Music Label integrates the newest technology while developing innovative digital distribution and promotion strategies to service their artists. The MYX Music Label was created for the sole purpose of using the MYX TV visual network platform to promote the finest independent hip-hop and urban music. MYX Music Label’s ambitious release schedule for 2009 includes groundbreaking works from production duo Keelay & Zaire, D.Black, Jern Eye, and Kam Moye aka Supastition. Also, adding to their versatility as a label, MYX Music Label DVD releases include The Nutshack, Built From Skratch, Str8 Laced and Slanted Comedy, which features today’s top Asian American comedians For more information on MYX Music Label, please visit http://www.myxmusiclabel.com
Streams:
“Special”:
D.Black speaks on Ali’Yah:
D.Black on the Seattle Hip-Hop Scene: