The critically acclaimed duo known as the Sound Providers, are back again this time with a secret weapon: up and coming Florida-based emcee Surreal.
Jay Skills and Soulo, the two man hip-hop production team have been blessing eardrums since their first release, Dope Transmission b/w The Field, in 1998, consistently dropping well crafted hip-hop joints on wax platters to the pleasure of hip-hop fans worldwide. Their ‘back to basics’ format of flavourful beats, scratched choruses, and hype rhymes garner the Sound Providers aka SP’s an enthusiastic following which continues to grow with each release. Motivated by the positive feedback, from the media and hip-hop community alike Jay and Soulo stepped back into the lab to follow up with more sure-fire tracks. In 2001, when faced with the departure of lead emcee, Profile, the SP’s moved forward and collaborated with some of their favourite emcees such as Asheru (of Unspoken Heard) and Little Brother to name a few. The results from these sessions birthed the long overdue and highly praised debut LP, ‘An Evening With The Sound Providers’. With a more polished sound the two beat-scientists demonstrated their versatility with a new evolved sound and an outstanding LP.
Enter forthcoming wordsmith of Florida named Surreal.
This longtime hip-hop fanatic has been steadily making moves, paying dues and retiring scores of emcees within a 500-mile radius of his lab in Tampa Bay. A true emcee in every sense of the word, this master of ceremonies has the ability to switch from braggadocio battle emcee to soulful and introspective artist with an innate flow that only comes from a gifted and natural performer.
One particularly warm Florida evening, amidst a sea of hands in the air, one member of the crowd was both moved and impressed. The cat in the crowd was Jay Skills, one-half of Sound Providers, and he immediately recognized the potential of the talented emcee. Shortly thereafter, the two met for the first time and made plans to connect in the studio. Soulo hopped on the first flight to the sunshine state, to meet with Surreal and Jay, and the chemistry was instantly clear.
Surreal and the SP’s were born.
The following months consisted of a flurry of beat CD’s, song ideas, rhymes inked, samples scratched, album conceptualizing and long hours in the lab. The results were laid to tape and the efforts, and essence of these hip-hop fiends were captured and stamped onto wax for the world to hear. So lend an ear to the fresh sounds of Surreal and the SP’s. Did they make a dope record? True Indeed.
