Producer, artist and sought after guest vocalist, Lyrics Born is a founding member of the independent label, Quannum Projects which has launched the careers of new-age pioneers like DJ Shadow, Blackalicious and Gift of Gab. He’s also the artist known formerly as Asia Born – a half-American, half-Italian rapper with a Japanese pedigree, born in Tokyo but spending most of his life in San Francisco Bay area and has collaborated with a range of artists that include Jurassic 5 and Morcheeba. April, however, saw the release of his first studio album since 2003’s ‘Later That Day’.
Funky, smooth and throbbing with a crazy ensemble of flanged guitars, wah-wah, horns and slow, slinky grooves tracks like ‘Is It The Skin I’m In’ combine all the super-fly charm of George Clinton’s Parliament and the soulful afro-strut of more recent flies like Amp Fiddler. Punky electro tunes like ‘Do You Buy It’ on the otherhand sound like they’ve been hijacked by the likes of Puffy Amiyumi and the cast of Grange Hill. Not the classic cast, either. The new one.
LYRICS BORN – ‘EVERYWHERE AT ONCE’ – RELEASED 21/04/08