www.myspace.com/downtownsoul
downtownsoulrecords@yahoo.com
THE BEAT THIEF
UK producer working with Poetic Pilgrimage, Manny Moscow, Neezy, OC Jigga, Cookie, Richard Roe, Jay Diamond and Sam Steele. 2009 kicked off with Jigga's "Roll with Me", on UK Running's "Digital Revolution 2", followed by his first mixtape, "The Russian R3volution", a collabo with Manny Moscow. He has four tracks featured on Poetic P's long-awaited followup "Star Women" (out in Nov) as well as handling the bulk of production on Neezy's upcoming "Pain & Pleasure", Richard Roe's debut, and two more projects with Moscow.
Email the Beat Thief
an acclaimed UK hip-hop producer, who followed up 2008's instrumental release "Fall Back Music" with the extremely well-received "Underground Journeyz" in Jan 2009 - credits include Big Cakes, Logic, OC Jigga, DVS, Naja Soze, KRZ and Mic Assassin among many others. Look out for big forthcoming collabos with Non Applicable and Logic.
Email HAKA
a distinctive Brixton emcee whose first release was "True Stories SW9" in 2007, featured in HHC and a no. of online media, lately receiving airplay from not only Harry Love and DJ MK but also Tricksta and UK Runnings. In shops now with a standout track on Best of UK compilation "Verbal Scriptures". Definitely one to watch, with sophomore effort "Laylow Season" due out this Summer.
Email OC Jigga
prodigious producer and emcee. Founding member of Reading crew DSM, has supported Canibus, credits include Mohammed Yahya, Poetic Pilgrimage, Spitz of Renwick, OC Jigga, Scotty Hinds and Frontblock. Shanakee dropped no less than three separate releases in 2008 and is currently working on the remix project "As A Man Fights" with the Beat Thief.
Email Shanakee
2 years going has some how managed to yield 6 official DowntownSoul releases and another two projects that never saw the light of day. All of them are found below, most available for free download by clicking the album cover...
Remixed: July 2009
Released: July 2009
Artists: Manny Moscow, The Beat Thief
a remix of up n coming London emcee Manny Moscow's debut mixtape, "The Russian R3volution" was completely remixed and released by the Beat Thief in just over two weeks during summer 2009, after UK Runnings' Tricksta had introduced the two artists over the net. Playing more like a mid 90's concept album, classic boom bap from the Beat Thief melds with Moscow's distinctive flows for a tasty hip-hop feast. Click the cover to download for FREE
Recorded: 2007 - 2008
Released: January 2009
Artists: Haka, OC Jigga & Others
Haka's debut album has received rave reviews from across the UK hip-hop scene (google it if you don't believe us lol!), immediately placing him in the top rung of UK beatmakers, explaining why he's now working exclusively with established names like Logic and Big Cakes and has even had true titans of the UK scene asking after him. OC Jigga features on no less than 8 tracks, alongside some future classics from Non-Applicable as well as street spitters like DVS and KRZ.
Produced: Oct - Nov 2008
Released: UNRELEASED (Dec 2008)
Artists: The Beat Thief
"Soul Snax" is a set of 70's funk & soul inspired hip-hop instrumentals completed by the Beat Thief in December 2008, but never officially released. Does what it says on the tin. Click the cover to download for FREE
Recorded: 2006 - 2008
Released: October 2008
Artists: Shanakee, DSM
Volume 3 of Shanakee's collection of unreleased tracks, remixes and freestyles
Recorded: 2007 - 2008
Released: July 2008
Artists: Shanakee, DSM, OC Jigga
"As A Man Fights" was a significant release from Shanakee, representing his first solo offering, and a heartfelt look at those issues which matter most to him. An introspective look at his life, family and direction "As A Man Thinks" is slow-burner classic with exquisite production entirely handled by Shanakee and guest spots from OC Jigga as well as his DSM cohorts.
Recorded: 2006 - 2008
Released: January 2008
Artists: Shanakee, DSM, OC Jigga
Volume 2 of Shanakee's collection of unreleased tracks, remixes and freestyles, featuring DSM, Silent and FrontBlock
Recorded: 2006 - 2007
Released: UNRELEASED (July 2007)
Artists: X-Ray, OC Jigga & Others
Its almost criminal that "X-Ray Vision" remained unreleased for two years after its completion in July 2007. Bringing together over twenty emcees from all over the US, France and the UK, with all the beats produced by X-Ray, this is a global eclectic hip-hop mix. Featuring acclaimed US emcees Cymarshall Law and JC the Truth, as well as OC Jigga, and French lumiaries such as Atsi, not to mention Logic, the Extremists and even Da Lench Mob affiliates Drunkside Locs from South Central LA ! And yet another FREE DOWNLOAD
Recorded: 2006 - 2007
Released: June 2007
Artists: OC Jigga, Haka, Shanakee
The seminal DowntownSoul release, "True Stories SW9" put OC Jigga on the UK map, and ended up in HHC, as well as getting airplay across the UK, and spawning off-the-wall Drum n Bass remixes - the interest generated by this release was inspirational at the time and showed the rest of us this hip-hop sh*t just might be worth it after all ! Features early bangers from Shanakee and Haka, as well as L.Man, Silent, DSM, Frontblock among others. FREE DOWNLOAD
DTS artists have appeared on a number of compilation mixtapes, particularly by heavyweights of the UK scene DJ Ames and Tricksta's UK Runnings. Below are a couple from 2009 - click on the covers for more details.
Laylow Season is the long-awaited sophomore effort from OC Jigga, with production helmed by Medication Beats' Jetsun as well as Haka, Shanakee and the Beat Thief. Yeah its biased to say so, but best believe its well worth the wait !
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