Music:
Member Since: 26/03/2006
Band Website: www.smokesignyl.com
Band Members:
Influences: my parents,leroy smokes, mos def, james brown, outkast, led zepplin, wolf and my bad self, common, truth maze, the weather in the twins, p funk, descendents, bob marley, child of the black madonna, tribe, the roots, k west, timbaland, dre, freindly, all the hippies, michael(both), my boss, the media, michael jordan, the police(both),highstyle, jamaica, north dakota, boima freeman, bill clinton, ghandi, my girl.
Sounds Like: author: John Book/Music For America
When I reviewed Leroy Smokes back in The Run-Off Groove 118, I stated that at a time when things have become mind-numbingly generic, they may become the refresher that true heads are thirsting for. The group consists of two MC's and a collective of musicians, and as someone who always looks for a good live band, they offered a style of hip-hop that was uniquely their own, and had nothing to do with any other hip-hop bands with varying levels of popularity. Everyone in the group is free to do their own side projects. One of the MC's, B Ruckus, is presenting himself as Brainchild, and The Brainchild Project (Smokesignyl) is B's brand of hip-hop that can be both raw and accessible at the same time, and for the most part is heavier than his work with Leroy Smokes. If his band is about letting the hair down and celebrating the good life, The Brainchild Project is about getting down to work to discuss and come up with solutions to the problems of the world. "Road Of Life" has him talking about how we can only let ourselves go "on the weekends" and reminiscing on when things were simple, how finding faith may be what is needed but it's hard when faith is also devoted to people who run the country but have an agenda that has nothing to do with the people he is supposed to protect and serve. In fact, Brainchild touches on politics a number of times throughout the album, especially in "Military + Industry = $" (listed on the CD as "Why We Fight"), a great reggae-flavored instrumental with a number of spoken samples featuring soundbytes of what has happened to the United States since 9/11, and questioning if any of it makes sense, whether it's money used for defense spending that could have housed a number of homeless residents in New Orleans and Mississippi. It's the kind of track that could easily find a home on an album by The Roots or Ozomatli, complete with bluesy, mournful guitar work that brings everything home. After a brief moment of silence, things return to normal, but the idea is that... can anything return to normal when there are generations of people in this country who don't remember or have no concept of normalcy? Some songs on the album have a Dave Matthews Band-type feel to it, while others could have been forgotten outtakes on Common's Like Water For Chocolate. One may feel a need to play this back to back with Sublime. There's a lot of character to each of these songs, whether Brainchild is rapping or allowing others to speak for him while he produce and mixes the sounds. It's his "project" that makes you want to hear more of what he and his musical family has to offer, because while attention is paid towards him, it is very much a group effort between family and friends, a type of vibe that has little to do with commercial or Hollywood endorsements, and more about smoking good herb and living for today in the hopes of a better tomorrow. That's what The Brainchild Project is too, a hopeful album with powerful and moving messages, done without being overbearing. cdbaby.com
Record Label: smokesignyl records
Type of Label: Indie
