(April 3, 2009 -Brooklyn, NY) After judging over 50 submissions from over
five countries and three continents, Illa J, 2Dopeboyz, Delicious Vinyl,
and
Audible Treats are proud to announce the winners of the Illa
J Remix Contest.
The two winners are Seattle-based rapper Grynch, who dropped a crazy lyrical
flow over "Showtime" and California-based rapper Illecism, who dropped
a winning mad style over "R U Listening."
Four weeks ago, Illa J,
2DopeBoyz.com, Delicious Vinyl, and Audible Treats launched the Illa J Remix
Contest to promote the release of the instrumental version of Illa J's highly
acclaimed album, Yancey Boys - an album featuring
Illa J rapping over beats left behind by his brother, J Dilla. Aspiring rappers
were given two weeks to record their best verses around the concept of Illa
J's hooks for "R
U Listening" and "Showtime," two tracks featured on Yancey
Boys.
Two winners were to be chosen, one for each song, with the two winning submissions
released as digital singles for free download by the legendary Delicious Vinyl
record label. Additionally, each winner was to receive one unique 16 bar verse
recorded personally by Illa J for inclusion on whichever personal project they
choose. Now, after much listening, deliberation, and consideration by Illa
J and Delicious Vinyl, the winners have been chosen.
For Illa J, the contest
served as more than just a promotional tool, but as a way to give something
back to upcoming emcees. Illa says, "I thought it would be a good opportunity
for an aspiring MC to get their shine on. I was also interested to hear how
another MC would flow to the tracks, and what type of flavor they would bring
to it." With over 50 submissions, judging can be a lengthy process. Making
things even tougher was the overwhelming quality of many of the submissions.
Michael (Mike Floss) Ross, founder of Delicious Vinyl says, "I was very
impressed with not only the winners, but with many of the runners-up as well."
Illecism,
who submitted the winning remix for "R U Listening" and hails from
Natomas, CA, is 20 years old, and is excited to be recognized for his hard
work. He also looks forward to the opportunity to work on a song with Illa
J, saying, "It's cool to know I can have Illa J hop on a song for me." More
information about Illecism can found at his website and MySpace (links found
below). Grynch, who submitted the winning remix for "Showtime," and
hails from Seattle, WA, is 22 years old and has been rapping seriously for
five years, having released two albums and an EP to date. More information
about Grynch can be found at his website and MySpace page (links found below).
Illecism feat. Illa J – R U Listening (Remix):http://www.zshare.net/audio/58090077a2d84a62
Grynch feat. Illa J – Showtime (Remix):http://www.zshare.net/audio/58090074c1bb4e94
Find out more about Illecism: http://www.myspace.com/illecism, http://www.weareflyhigh.com
Find out more about Grynch: http://www.myspace.com/grynchmusic, http://www.getgrynch.com
Please post buy links if you can!
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=302570418&s=143441
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=293350507&s=143441
The Background:
When Jay Dee passed away from complications relating to lupus in February 2006, he left behind an extraordinary legacy of production work, including hits for Common, Janet Jackson, and Busta Rhymes. One mother lode of previously untouched beats dates from his time working on the Pharcyde's sophomore album, Labcabincalifornia (Delicious Vinyl, 1995). As Delicious Vinyl owner and founder Michael "Mike Floss" Ross explains: "From '95 through '98 Jay Dee was my go-to guy for hot beats and remixes. He was always making beats, always. So there was a select amount of tracks that he composed for me during that time, tracks as good as anything he'd done, only they never got used. When I finally met Illa J last year, I gave him a CD containing those unreleased beats."
In a case of pure serendipity, 21 year-old Illa J had just relocated from Detroit to Los Angeles and constructed a studio built using Jay Dee's recording equipment. He dubbed it Yancey Boys Studios in tribute to their fraternal bond. "Dilla was 12 years older than me," Illa J says. "So back in the day in Detroit I was just a little kid, sitting on the stairs in our house, watching him make those first beats for Slum Village. I always felt my brother's tracks and had an instinct for what I wanted to do over them." When Illa J set to work in early '08 recording the album, the project flowed quickly as he entered the proverbial can't miss zone. The name of the studio rightly became the title of the finished album, Yancey Boys, which is available online and in stores everywhere on Delicious Vinyl Records.
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