PHAT KAT REPRESENTING MOTOR CITY TO THE FULLEST WITH NEW ALBUM ENTITLED CARTE BLANCHE
04.23.2007
Full of Detroit trailblazers, Carte Blanche drops May 8th
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
(Brooklyn, NY April 23, 2007) Detroit native Phat Kat, aka Ronnie Cash, is set to release his second solo album, Carte Blanche on May 8th on Look Records. Carte Blanche marks the first time Phat Kat was given total creative control to cherry-pick the best beats and the best emcees to work with. The result is an example of the finest in Hip-Hop Detroit has to offer.
In the early 90's Phat Kat, the emcee also known as Ronnie Cash, was busy making his first album in the basement of his buddys' mom's house. The group was called First Down and his partner was Jay Dee, now known as legendary DJ/producer J Dilla (R.I.P.). Since then, Phat Kat has become a permanent heavyweight on the Detroit scene. He appeared on the Representing The Streets compilation with the now-classic "Front Street," contributed to albums by Dilla and Slum Village, and in 2004, after inking a deal with Barak, he released his first solo album The Undeniable LP. Phat Kat is now set to release a new solo effort entitled Carte Blanche.
Phat Kat speaks of major players in the rise of Detroit such as Proof, Eminem, D12 and Dilla with the insight of a sibling. "We all knew Detroit hip-hop had some real lyricists, more than the drug dealing, violent types that everyone assumed Detroit would be full of, and whether it was in 5 or 15 years the songs we were putting down would get their due. Unfortunately for Dilla, he had to be gone for people to come out and say he was the greatest – I've always said that," says Phat Kat. In the wake of Dilla's passing and with the national spotlight securely focused on Detroit Hip-Hop for more than a minute now, Phat Kat puts it on his shoulders "To give the world a crash course of Detroit Hip-Hop. This is what it is." Almost everyone associated with Carte Blanche represents the D. Dilla contributes five tracks, but the work of up-and-coming producers Nick Speed, Young RJ, and Black Milk is just as impressive. Other guests include SV's Elzhi and T3, Truth Hurts, Melanie Rutherford, Fat Ray, Loe Louis and Guilty Simpson. Rather than pursuing cameos and features from overexposed stars, Phat Kat chose instead to work with his peoples from the D, figuring "The people I got on my album is just as hot as people that's out."
Detroit Hip-Hop appears to be a mainstay on the mantle of Hip-Hop's elite cities. Phat Kat has been in the mix before it was on anyone's radar and associated with all the major players thereafter. With Carte Blanche, Phat Kat delivers an album that gives us all we've come to appreciate about Detroit MCs: it is intricate but still intimate, hardcore but still lyrical. Along the way, we are introduced to the up-and-coming torchbearers of Detroit Hip-Hop and we are also given another chance to vibe with a fallen legend. Carte Blanche will be released on May 8th on San Francisco based Look Records.
Bio, pictures, and full album streams available here:
www.audibletreats.com/download/PhatKat/
Phat Kat's MySpace page:
www.myspace.com/phatkatakaronniecash
Phat Kat's iMeem page:
phatkat313.imeem.com/
Web Inquiries: Michelle McDevitt michelle (at) audibletreats.com
