The brainchild of production duo Mark Rae and Rhys Adams, Yes King fuse a melée of styles from hip hop, dancehall, ragga and ska into their own unique brand...
Mark Rae has long been a figurehead of the UK music scene following the success of his first production outfit Rae & Christian, the establishment of the former Grand Central Records and Manchester’s Fat City record shop. Rhys Adams remixed Mark Rae’s ‘Candystripe’ under the name of Frankie Valley subsequently lent his production and writing skills to Mark’s follow-up LP ‘Into The Depths’ and a natural collaborative partnership was cemented.
Rhys and Mark later joined forces while producing the album ‘Two Culture Clash’ for Wall of Sound in 2004 and the pair went to Jamaica to record in situ with local vocalists - the level of activity that followed resulted in a hard-drive full of half-finished rhythms which inspired them to create an album project.
The name Yes King originates from a Jamaican greeting which was bestowed by the Jamaican artists they worked with over the course of making the album - the term was used so often that it captured the essence of the project. The title of the album came from reggae legend Dawn Penn’s track ‘Rock This World’ which sets the tone for the album.
Although conceived in Jamaica Yes King has a strong London feel. There is a rich history of Jamaican music in Ladbroke Grove, the bulk of the album was recorded close by, many London based artists make guest appearances on the album and collaborators Mystro and Sweetie Irie were raised in the area. Ladbroke Grove’s Trellick Tower was chosen for the artwork as it captures the spirit of Yes King and is the most prominent landmark in the area.
The album production consists of a blend of the old and new, bringing the best of both worlds together through live instrumentation with the crunchy beats associated with hip hop and R&B, and also by authenticity to its reggae roots through the instrumentation and melody epitomised by the brass. Such diversity has created a truly unique album offering something to young hip hop fans right through to old school reggae lovers.
The album features guest vocalists as eclectic as the production styles and includes performances from Ayak - a 22 year old female singer/rapper who won 2004’s Prince’s Trust Urban Music Awards; Dawn Penn - immortalised by her dancehall classic ‘No, No, No’; Veba - one of the UK’s finest female vocalists who appeared on both Rae & Christian albums; Tor - an East London based female rapper described by Ras Kwame as "One of the sickest lyricists the UK has to offer"; Mystro - arguably the UK’s finest lyricist with a critically acclaimed debut album under his belt; Kenny Knots - a UK based dancehall artist with a string of top ten hits to his name; Sweetie Irie - who has been at the forefront of the UK Ragga scene since the eighties collaborating with artists such as Ian Brown and Gorillaz; Baby Chann - the only female member of legendary UK bashment crew Suncycle; Prezident Brown - original Jamaican reggae deejay of Hi Power Soundsystem and Pete Simpson - a vocalist from Sheffield who has worked with artists such as Joey Negro and Jon Cutler.
Just to remind you - B'Tol and Jagos will be in this months Hip Hop Connection, on sale from the 1st July 2008... Along with a review of the album "Something's What We've Done", still available via download through Chemical Records!!
Click the banner on our page for full previews of the tracks and to purchase!
Hey Rhys. Enjoyed the Welly sandwiches show and tunes you and Mark were spinnin'. I gave a couple of test press 7" vinyls (Babylon Retreat and Hawera) to Mark. Let me know if you're keen for copies and I'll post them to your YesKing label addy. Hope ya both catch some fish in Waiheke! Peace- Koa / Rhombus
Yagga yoski Yesking! Hope all is going well with the new album..im still spinning the "Rock this world" single every damn time i play out..the crowd is just a bunch of happy smiles when i put it on..hehe..gotta love it:) Big up from Dj Tanna,Norway
'Beatz In The Capital' is here for eveyone to download free. Hear music from past and present. Over 20 tracks, including 'Black Girls' and plenty of freestyles . Come and be a part of my journey to the album - Right now I'm in Japan I'm in Japan, Next to come, compliation ''Beatz International"...ah yooooou xx
Yes King!!! - Myself and Jagos' solo project, entitled "Something's What We've Done" is now available from our page via Chemical records...
And as we're exceptionally nice, the critically acclaimed album "Hole in my Old School" is available for FREE Download - including a track which won the 1Xtra Homegrown vote!!
"40 Long Days"
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