LOS ANGELES (Quanumm Projects) - Renowned lyricist, Latyrx's Lateef the Truth Speaker and mixmaster, Blackalicious' Chief Xcel have teamed up to create hip hop's Maroons: Ambush and are set to release their highly anticipated mini LP this Tuesday, October 26th on Quannum. A precursor to their full length, Ashe, the duo's natural collaboration will leave you asking for more.
As Chief Xcel reflects, "Lateef and I have been working together since 1992. With each MC I work with, I am able to explore more of our musical influences, one thing I make for one MC might not work for another MC but either way, it takes me on this musical journey and Maroons is a fulfillment of that with Lateef."
Lateef and the Chief first met in the studios of KDVS-FM at the University of California and soon formed Solesides
Collective with their cohorts, Gift of Gab, Lyrics Born, and DJ Shadow. Lateef debuted in 1996 on a now-prized limited-edition single with the DJ Shadow-produced cuts, "
The Wreckoning" and "Latyrx" while Chief went on to form Blackalicious with Gab. After Blackalicious' Nia dropped, the two started to lay down the groundwork for this powerful alliance and the result is the compelling Maroons: Ambush.
The first single "Best of Me/ Best of Me Bonus," featuring Gift of Gab of Blackalicious, is a stripped down track that utilizes the most essential of hip hop elements - a melodic chorus, a strong snare-driven beat and the duo's sing song rhythms. "If" is a politically driven track that will hit airwaves around the election. Ambush is a powerful collection of tracks written, mixed, produced and performed by Lateef and the Chief.
In addition to working with Chief Xcel, Lateef also linked up with
Fatboy Slim on the renowned DJ's latest album, Palookaville, which was released on Astralwerks on October 5th. The pair collaborated on the tracks "
The Journey" and "Wonderful Night," which will be the second single on the album, and they just wrapped the video shoot for it with director Jon Watts in New York. Meanwhile, Chief Xcel has just finished a remix track of the single.
Lateef will be touring as part of Fatboy Slim's band in
Europe and the UK in October and November. Look out for scheduled TV appearances to support Palookaville in both the US and UK on The Late Show with
David Letterman, The
Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Saturday Night Live, BBC and the Jules Holland Show.
In addition, Chief Xcel has paid tribute to the late Fela Kuti on The Underground Spiritual Game (Quannum), a mixtape of some of Kuti's most amazing work, which is in stores now. He also just took part in Red Hot & Riot Live, a festival celebrating the music of Fela Kuti and benefiting AIDS, in London on October 17th.
Keep your ear to the street for word on the new Blackalicious album, The Craft, slated for release in April 2005.
