Final Loosie Single Released As DaVinci Wraps Up Forthcoming Feast Or Famine EP
The Song:
It's no secret; DaVinci is one of the most gifted young lyricists around, and with this latest track, "Pangea," the Fillmore District's prodigal son has voyaged into spaced-out Philly Sound territory, rhyming over a song, unaltered, by legendary keyboardist Dexter Wansel. The song serves as the final loosie before ramping up for the July release of his forthcoming EP, Feast Or Famine.
Straying far from a typical hip-hop production, DaVinci chose to use a completely unaltered version of Wansel’s famously ambient song "Rings of Saturn" because it helped him reach a higher level of creativity. "The soundscape took my ideas to a cool, laid-back place where I could explain how, through any obstacle, things will work in my favor," says DaVinci. Mirroring the untouched nature of Wansel’s song, the song’s title represents DaVinci’s current state in his career. "Pangea symbolizes something in it’s pure, original form, as well as creation and birth," he explains. "I dropped my debut album last year and I’m about to drop my EP, so this is all still a part of the creation of me as an artist." Despite the airy, psychedelic feel of the song, he still brings the fire lyrically, dropping lines like, "Listen, I never had a pot to piss in/ Not to mention a block that ain’t hot to pitch in."
The Fillmore District has bred more rappers per capita than any other district in San Francisco, and although the older generations recall its rich musical history rooted in Jazz, the Fillmore today is rife with drugs, turf wars, and
mass gentrification. DaVinci, a young MC raised in the Fillmore, is a prime example of the duality of this area, who at the age of 13 was homeless, hungry, and hopeful for a way out. Explains DaVinci, "My music has everything to do with my environment: from
robbing, killing, pimpin' to selling and abusing drugs," he explains about his heavy content. "It's a direct reflection of what my friends and family have been through and are still going through." While his story is similar to many other young rappers’ upbringings, DaVinci was surrounded by an incredible pool of Fillmore talent and by studying with the greats, he was able to sharpen his skills and aim higher than most, cultivating his story-telling abilities beyond mere drug-and-gun-talk. Growing up in the same 10-block radius as Bay Area rap legends San Quinn and JT the Bigga Figga, DaVinci was content in merely watching the next generation follow in
their footsteps, until he received overwhelming praise from his peers from a mixtape appearance, which then prompted him to pursue rap professionally. In 2006, San Quinn welcomed him onto the "Pressure Makes Diamonds Tour" with rap veterans Xzibit and Tech N9ne. Since the tour, DaVinci has kept busy appearing on numerous mixtapes and compilations, as well as preparing his official debut album, The Day The Turf Stood Still. The Day The Turf Stood Still is available now via SWTBRDS Creative Collective.
SWTBRDS
Background:
SWTBRDS (pronounced Sweetbreads) is a Bay Area-based record label that exemplifies the raw, rare and boutique qualities of its namesake. Founded in 2009, it houses rapper, DaVinci, renaissance DJ, Prince Aries, DJ + rapper duo StreetMedia, as well as the dynamic production team, Drums & Ammo, featuring the collective musical work of producers Ammbush, REL, Al Jieh and 6Fingers. Their first release was the self-titled StreetMedia LP, followed by Adrian Champion Presents: Stars & Stripes - The White Stripes Reimagined in Winter & Spring of 2009. Their most recent release was The Day The Turf Stood Still by DaVinci, his debut album, which received critical acclaim from publications such as Pitchfork.com, Wax Poetics, SF Weekly, XLR8R, Ozone Magazine, URB.com, and more. With a diverse release schedule on the horizon, SWTBRDS kicks 2011 off with Prince Aries' Clean Ass Whip mixtape, an ode to West Coast Hip-Hop's cruising aesthetic, dropping in May 2011. Soon to follow are DaVinci’s Feast or Famine EP and The MOEna Lisa LP, Drums & Ammo, Vol. 1, the self-titled first installment of a new instrumental series, REL's sophomore solo instrumental album, The Orchestration 2, Ammbush's solo artist EP, and StreetMedia's sophomore album.