It’s been quiet around here because Pablo and I have been working tirelessly on new Du-Rites stuff, including a single (“Gamma Ray Funk” b/w “Fish Sammich”) due in May, the score to Bobbito Garcia’s Rock Rubber 45s documentary and a possible album for the fall (we’re about 70% done). We took time out to do an interview with Micro-Chop/Medium about it all.
and stay tuned.
So each year Bandcamp picks 5 of the bunch of artists that use its services that stood out in their opinion. It’s an accolade somewhere between a Grammy and winning the Scrambleboard on Soul Train. I was one of the 5 for 2016. No prize, but I get to run my mouth about what happened to me musically in 2016 and what’s on deck for 2017. Thanks to all of you who supported Fish-n-Grits, The Du-Rites and everything else I got involved with this year. Read the feature HERE.
With a budget of $0.00 and an album that doesn’t neatly fit into one genre, The Du-Rites didn’t expect a wave of media coverage. But we have gotten some ink and air time since the October 21 release (in addition to tweet endorsements from RJD2, Dante Ross, Phonte and Masta Ace). More to come, but here’s a few:
WFMU Interview + J-Zone Funk 45 Set
Convinced? Get the album on vinyl or digital download with bonus liner notes on Bandcamp. Also available on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, at ReDefinition Records (vinyl), in mom and pop shops, etc. Not convinced? Shit happens!
Happy to see my most mean-spirited, anti-industry song was the one to make Rolling Stone’s Top 30 Songs of 2016 (So Far) List. Once every few years, being an asshole on record pays off. And the song came out in 2015, so hopefully that means I’m ahead of my time! Read about it here.
Although I’ve worked in the media, I’ve always been indifferent to reviews or the idea of hawking anyone for press. But anyone who took the time to write something about me or my music can’t be all that shitty a person. Well, maybe they can, but that’s another post. Anyway, now that my most recent album is nearly three months old, I’ve compiled all the press for it in one place. This way, you can read all about Fish-n-Grits without scrolling through pages of bit torrents. Enjoy.
Stereogum: On J-Zone, Rap’s Great Disgruntled Comedian
Passion of the Weiss: Make America Mad Again – J-Zone’s Unrelenting Rap Music
Bandcamp: J-Zone’s Fish-n-Grits and the Great Rap Divide
Hip-Hop DX: J-Zone Fish-n-Grits Album Review
The Library: J-Zone – Hip-Hop’s Check and Balance
Examiner: J-Zone is seriously concerned about the health of hip-hop in Fish-n-Grits
Blatantly Blunt: J-Zone Fish-n-Grits Album Review
The Real Hip-Hop: J-Zone Fish-n-Grits Interview
