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Imagine if Outkast and Jurrasic 5 fronted the Roots bandThree years ago, the members of hip hop band, 75 Degrees crammed into lead mc/songwriter, Rick Bonds dining room and recorded their debut album, The Rise and Fall of 75 Degrees. They released the album themselves on their own label which they dubbed, Dining Room Records. The CD which incorporated their live instrumentation along with samples, original hooks sung by the band members and witty, honest rhymes, quickly found its way into the hands of admiring fans and critics alike who applauded the groups refreshing and revolutionary musical perspective. Soon the band was gaining the kind of critical press usually reserved for major label artists with publicity machines -Billboard Magazine picked the album as Critics Choice, and called the sextet, the Bay Areas best kept secret, while Englands, Hip Hop Connection called the group, the hip hop Sly and the Family Stone and gave the album 4 stars. Tracks from the album found their way onto shows on MTV, VH1, FOX, ESPN and ESPN2, the band found themselves playing shows alongside artists such as Common, The Roots, Gang Starr, Dilated Peoples, Kim Hill, Jill Scott, and then of course, the dance began. Without a manager, booking agent, publicist or attorney, the group found itself frequently in the LA snake pit, being courted by labels, headlining shows at the Viper Room, and Knitting Factory, and basically, getting caught up. The industry seemed to see dollar signs in the bands music and multi-gender, multi-racial make up. As lead rapper, Rick Bond said in a recent phone interview, We got away from what we were in this for. We started to make music and decisions just for radio contacts, groupies, labels etc.,It got to a point last year where we couldnt even all be in the same room at once. In addition to internal turmoil, the group was locked into a demo development deal that went sour due to creative differences. Luckily through it all, the group stayed in studio, recording and getting their frustrations out in song. The result is an amazingly original, diverse, and perhaps most impressively, hook laden, new full length ominously entitled The Last Great Hip Hop Album. Standout tracks like Ol Man River which chronicles the perceived lifespan of hip hop artists while challenging todays commerce driven views of music, celebrity and fame, and the blistering, studio version of the live show favorite, Got Your Album (and I took it back) are already circulating on college charts and mixtapes from Oakland to Japan. Another track, Jesus Piece has been licensed to the Noci Pictures film, Mr. Id and is already being hailed as a 75 classic, a love song, with dreamy church organ sounds weaving in and out of a main piano line courtesy of keyboardist Amy Nix. With a stage show Urb magazine described as Radiant and many mix-tape and DJ exclusive tracks circulating (many times under different names ala Prince), the buzz on 75 is getting pretty intense. Welcome to the sound of the New Bay Area. Welcome to the making of a classic.
