The guys over at chromemusic did their due diligence and found the sample that was used in the track “As We Enter”. The sample originates from the Ethiopian jazz legend Mulato Astatke’s track “Yegelle Tezeta”. It’s also nice to see how the Distant Relatives project is coming full circle. Part of the premise of “Distant Relatives” is about the links to Africa that are shared by Nas and Damian so its only right the production reflects that.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Mulatu Astatke “Yegelle Tezeta”
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
I can’t wait for the full album. Check out the audio below…
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
More new music from their upcoming Distant Relatives album. Check it out below…
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
These dudes are just building the tension with this Distant Relatives LP. Here is an interview with Damian Marley speaking on Africa, Rastafarianism plus performances by him and Nas.
In The Fader’s latest release of Ghetto Palms they blended in a snippet of “Afro Beat” a collaboration from Damian Marley and Nas (which logic only reasons most be off of the Distant Relatives project), along with some Ethiopian soul music and the Weapon Riddim.
The fire-starter was “Afro Beat”—Nas’ collabo with Damian Marley which just leaked in a truncated snippet version. Featuring Nasir and Junior Gong alternating bars over a chop-n-quench of Ethiopian soul pioneer Mulatu Astatke, it manages to spear all three birds in one track even though it is barely a minute long. Luckily the original, a ’60s Ethio-jazz monster that foreshadowed the fusion experiments of Fela, is long enough to carry both of them. That gave me a framework to cut together a couple other Ethiocentric joints—beats that are so idiosyncratic they don’t even blend, exactly, but are so much on the same vibe it doesn’t even matter, really.
Ghetto Palms blend
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Afro Beat Snippet
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
When we first caught wind of the Distant Relatives project, we had to mention it on the blog cause it sounds like it can be an epic album. As it stands, it looks like the Nas/Damian Marley compilation is coming closer to fruition. Check out the video preview…
