The EP jumps and jits with four phenomenal tracks including “Lottie The Body” and “Black Bottom Stomp”, both mixed by EAPro’s J. Nadir Omowale.

www.UndergroundResistance.com

“Underground Resistance is like Harriet Tubman escaping from the South.” So says rebel leader “Mad” Mike Banks, of his label, musical collective and revolutionary electronica movement Underground Resistance. “She always had to reinvent herself. I’m sure they had to take a million different angles to get out of there,” Banks explains.

Founded in the late 80s by Banks and his former partner, Jeff Mills, UR charted a critical path through the history of music by packaging hard-hitting electro, house and techno with stark imagery, militant rhetoric, and a post-apocalyptic, futuristic vision of life in the streets of Detroit. Originally inspired by the activist hip hop of Public Enemy, the computer-generated funk of Kraftwerk, and the political philosophy of the centuries-old tradition of resistance movements across the planet, UR’s cadre of artists, producers, DJs and musicians continues to plant sonic landmines in dance and hip hop clubs on six continents.

Like Tubman, UR’s underground railroad moves largely under cover of darkness, in their quest to invent the cutting edge of music, and to combat what they see as the oppressive grip of mainstream media programmers. Banks rarely appears in public without a mask, and on stage, the groups perform in the shadows so the audience can concentrate on the music.

Timeline (feat. Jon Dixon & De’Sean Jones): Lottie The Body by nomowale

Timeline (feat. Jon Dixon & De’Sean Jones): Black Bottom Stomp by nomowale

“I’m a firm believer that music is greater than the men who create it,” says Banks. “If you ever needed any form of spiritual assurance, it is music. Certainly music is more powerful than man, because the man fades and goes, but the music – the spirit, and the work – lives on. Beethoven’s been dead hundreds of years, but somebody is playing Beethoven tonight.”

It was the notion of reinvention and evolution that prompted accomplished musicians Banks and Mills to experiment with a melding of techno and jazz music. “I felt like jazz had kind of topped out,” Banks reveals. “Of course, you have to be a great musician to play it, but a lot of times [jazz musicians] are copying [music] innovated in the 40s and 50s, and they’re innovating nothing.”

Influenced by artists like Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock who combined funk and rock with jazz, and employed synthesizers to create jazz-fusion, Mills and Banks applied a similar concept to create the song “Nation 2 Nation” in 1990. After Mills left UR to go solo in 1992, Banks produced the EP “Galaxy 2 Galaxy” which included a song called “Hi-Tech Jazz”, and the style took off internationally.

Banks later shared the concept with Detroit jazz and gospel musicians like “The Deacon” Gerald Mitchell, Derwin Hall, and the late Derrick Jamerson, son of Motown bassist James Jamerson. In 2001, Banks and Jamerson wrote a song called “Timeline” that exploded onto dance floors in the US and around the world. Dancers in Detroit still hustle, ballroom and jit to the tune today.

Then in 2007, Banks recruited keyboardist Jon Dixon, and saxophonist De’Sean Jones, two recent Wayne State University grads, to perform with him as part of Galaxy 2 Galaxy at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.

“I know a lot of people who play jazz who have never played the Montreux Jazz Fest,” Dixon marvels, “so here I am 22 or 23 years old, and I’m playing one of the most popular jazz festivals in the world, and I didn’t even know who Underground Resistance was.” When he and Jones heard the song “Hi-Tech Jazz” on the radio in a cafe in Switzerland Dixon was asked by a customer if he was “Mad” Mike. At that point Dixon researched and learned about the rich heritage of electronica of which he was now a part.

After Montreux, Banks, Dixon and Jones added DJ, turntablist, producer and community leader Sicari Ware to the fold forming Timeline. The collective’s mission is to take Hi-Tech Jazz to the next level. Their critically acclaimed first performance was at an opening event for Detroit’s Movement Festival in May of 2010, and the group released its first EP in October 2011.

“The one thing I like about Hi-Tech Jazz more than anything else is that it really embodies what I think music should, which is complete freedom, creativity, flexibility and improvisation while having structure, but also giving the people a good time,” Jones says. He believes Hi-Tech Jazz invokes the spirit of Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington and Count Basie, men who are remembered as great composers, and bandleaders, but who, back in the 1940s, played the dance and party music of the day.

At the same time, Dixon appreciates the complexity of the music.  “[Musicians] are looking for something different that they can challenge themselves on,” Dixon says. “Like with any new genre, this is a whole different approach. Everything you know, put that [to the side]. I feel like a little kid again. I can take everything I’ve learned and combine it and it’s just… fun!”

But Jones also stresses the importance of the message and what UR represents. “Music is do or die. It’s that serious,” Jones says. “It’s a gift, but it’s also a responsibility. If you take music seriously, you understand that you’re an ambassador to the world as a musician. It’s more than just the notes. The notes are just a medium for something much greater.”

For Banks Timeline is about continuing to innovate. “We never get stuck in one sound too long,” Banks says. “If an artist can’t grow, you can’t keep up with UR. Like I said, it’s like being a runaway slave. For us it’s a matter of survival.”

An earlier version of this article appeared in BLAC Detroit Magazine.

Efforts to promote Saxappeal’s 2009 debut album “Stay Saxy” were often rebuffed by smooth jazz radio programmers who judged it “too urban” for their stations. That was good news.

That first album by Saxappeal, also known as LaDarrel Johnson, blends hip hop and new soul sensitivities with a sultry contemporary sax sound that is meatier and more adventurous than typical smooth jazz fare. The prominence of the horn, however, ensures that Saxappeal’s music won’t be played on most R&B, urban contemporary or hip hop stations, where all songs must feature singing or rapping.

He could have bowed to the pressure and churned out a second album that conformed to the dictates of the almighty programmers. Instead, he stayed true to his art, titled his new disc “Unmarketable” and set about creating an album of music that he describes as “delicious jambalaya.”

Read More In BLAC Detroit Magazine

“After listening to the debut release of this singer, writer, poet, visual artist, and emcee… I was drawn to appreciate her stand in the creative spectrum. She delivers a diverse collection of her world through music which appeases the listener who’s curious about her total package.” – Lady Tha Producer, StudioNoize.com

READ MORE HERE —>>>

IAYAALIS – Studio Noize Featured Artist

The awards show will be held Friday, April 15 at The Fillmore Theatre Detroit, 2115 Woodward Avenue. Cast your vote Today at DetroitMusicAwards.net.

On Thursday, April 14, join Nadir and fellow nominee Eliza Neals for at celebratory toast a Detroit’s Hard Rock Cafe. Nadir kicks of the night with a solo funk set that you won’t want to miss.

Thursday, April 14, 2011 – 8pm
Pre-DMA Rock & Soul Showcase with Eliza Neals & Nadir
Hard Rock Cafe Detroit
45 Monroe Street, Detroit, Michigan
For more info visit HardRockCafe.com

One of the best, of course, is IAYAALIS. Check her out!

Check out this live performance video of “Workin’ For The Man” by Nadir from the 2010 St. Michael’s We Care Telethon in Monroe, Michigan. The video was produced by WUPW – Fox Toledo.

St. Michael’s We Care offers monetary and other assistance to individuals residing in Monroe County, Michigan with a life-threatening illness to be paid after the use of insurance (if any), other organizations, and/or money derived from other sources is exhausted.

This performance happened at the height of the US health care reform debate. We felt it was important to do this benefit in support of a great organization that offers aid to families and individuals in their time of greatest need.

The band is Alesha Brown (keyboards & vocals), Mia Treadwell (drums & vocals), Chris Spooner (bass & vocals), Nadir Omowale (vocals, guitar). “Workin’ For The Man” was written by Daniel Lee (aka The Invisible Kid) and Nadir Omowale. It’s the title track of the Workin’ For The Man album.

Distinctive vocals, creative rhymes, and personality are ingredients that make Detroit’s Maceo Tha GrammarGod one to watch. But truth be told, ‘rapping’ isn’t the hard part. If you have enough soul, a poetic spirit, and can rhyme to a beat, blessing the mic is easy.

His skills as an MC are undoubtedly a result of his longtime devotion to his craft, and he has no intention of putting the mic down. Back in 2001 he joined the Scribe Tribe Syndicate, a group that started as an online crew in 1999 (in the Throw Down Temple forum of Hip-Hop legend Davey D’s Website). Throughout this excursion, he’s showcased his skills as one of Hip-Hop’s best-kept secrets. And despite the lack of promotional backing and support upcoming artists receive from Detroit’s media outlets and mainstream music venues, Maceo refuses to give up.

His sophomore album, Return of Tha GrammarGod, is a bit different from most of today’s hip hop because it is a concept record. Each song relates to a different movie. “Reflections (Boyz in the Hood)” recalls Maceo’s younger days on the streets of Detroit. “Primal Instinct (Planet of the Apes)” uses gorilla samples that invokes the mood that Maceo creates as he is stomping other MCs in battle.

But make no mistake. It’s the lyrical approach that separates Maceo from the multitude of rap artists. He believes in staying true to the roots of hip-hop, when rocking the microphone was more boasting about your skills as an MC, than your materialistic possessions.

When asked about his style of rap, and how it fits into the genre, he simply states, “My style is a style that’s not a style. I’m too versatile to be classified as a certain type of MC.”

Return of tha GrammarGod was mixed and mastered by EAPro’s Nadir Omowale at the 1440 Collective Studio. Maceo will return to the 1440 for the album’s launch party.

“Yo, I’ve been plugged in with the 1440 Collective for almost three years now…they’re like family,” Maceo says. “Whenever I have a project or a promotion in mind, the first place I think of using as a resource is the 1440.

“And I’ll tell you this – if you’re an independent artist, the 1440 is your ‘one stop shop’! There’s nothing that they can’t accommodate. I mean, I’ve done everything from record release parties to photo shoots there.

“Besides that,” he continues, “I’ve recorded music, completed post production for songs, and I’ve gotten 2 albums mixed and mastered by Nadir, who in my opinion is one of the illest engineers in the game. If you don’t know, then you better ask somebody…”

Thing is, between the versatility and lyricism, and the self proclaimed title of “Grammar God”, Maceo does come down to earth. And from time to time he feels the need to exorcise the demons of discourse and contempt, and explain his love/hate relationship with fans, the Detroit Hip-Hop scene, and the music industry. But regardless of what mood he’s in at any given moment, Maceo’s a cat who’s impossible to ignore.

September 19, 2009
Maceo Tha GrammarGod
Return of Tha GrammarGod Hip-Hop Showcase/Launch Party
The 1440 Collective
1440 Gratiot 1-B
Detroit, Michigan 48207
8pm to 12am
FREE!!

Packed with over 3000 brand new sounds, Beat Thang Virtual integrates fully functioning Digital FX, a 16-track MIDI sequencer, sampling and waveform editing with an intuitive, user-friendly interface.

Designed with the musician’s ear in mind, Virtual is loaded with live bass, strings, synthesizers, Latin and African percussion, electric guitar as well as popular chopped and screwed effects.

Beat Thang Virtual was developed to run as a companion software application for The Beat Thang, but over time it evolved and morphed into a standalone beat making monster.

Beat Thang Virtual is the REAL THANG.

Check out the features:

• Over 3000 sounds and hundreds of royalty free Beat Kangz Bangers
• One octave pad layout with 8 banks = 8 octaves so you can bang out beats or play the keys.
• 16 track midi sequencer. (8 internal/8 external)
• 16 layers of velocity sensitivity for emotive performance.
• High Quality Sampler & waveform editing. Sample your own sounds using your computer’s built in mic or line input.
• Process samples using features like normalize, reverse and resample.
• Easy to use Realtime Sequencer. Create patterns in real time using quantize, swing, individual bar lengths, tap tempo then string them together in SONG mode.
• 24bit reverb, delay, flange, phaser, pitch shift, old record and many more.
• Add BANG with onboard mastering.
• Export your songs as .wav files or save them to your Beat Kangz Playa Thang equipped iPhone or iPod Touch.
• Integrates seamless with Beat Thang Hardware. Anything you edit, record or produce on Virtual can be transferred to the Thang, and vice versa.

Beat Thang Virtual is on sale July 17 at BeatKangz.com

The damage? $149.00 (plus shipping)

The software ships in a handsome reusable Beat Kangz Electronics flash drive.

Order now and receive a coupon for $149.00 off when you purchase The Beat Thang.

Watch Beat Thang Virtual in action.

Nadir’s First Time: This video shows Kang Boom Bap walking BKE marketing director Nadir through Beat Thang Virtual for the very first time. So simple a funk musician can play it!

THE BEAT THANG & BEAT THANG VIRTUAL
ARE ON SALE NOW AT BEATKANGZ.COM

The Beat Thang is available for pre-order for $999.00

(Shipping in October 2009)

When you pre-order The Beat Thang, we’ll immediately send you a copy of Beat Thang Virtual and a Beat Thang t-shirt. You’ll receive one of the first Beat Thangz off the line before Halloween.

Includes all the features of Beat Thang Virtual +PLUS+

• 256 MB Ram
• Two High Speed SD card slots (up to 32 gigs)
• USB in and out
• Pitch & Modulation wheels
• All metal housing for added durability
• Lithium ion battery with hours of portable playing time
• 3.5 inch color video LCD screen
• Integrates seamlessly with Beat Thang Virtual. Anything you edit, record or produce on the Beat Thang can be transferred to Virtual and vice versa.

Bringin THANGZ to the BLOCK!

There couldn’t be a better way to celebrate this moment than to throw a BLOCK PARTY fit for a KANG.
If you are in NASHVILLE for the SUMMER NAMM 2009 you won’t miss this party!

From 12 noon to 12 midnight the corner of 5th and Commerce right across the street from the Nashville Convention Center will be ablaze with the spirit of HIP HOP.

We’ve got the whole BLOCK on LOCK!

Breakerz, Writerz, MCs, DJs, Loverz of music, and PLAYAZ of the GAME are guaranteed to make this Nashville’s party of the year.

Are YOU up on THANGZ?

Visit BeatKangz.com for fresh updates….

(pssst NEW WEBSITE)

Nadir is an award winning Funk and Soul musician with one heck of a live show.

He’s a champion for the entertainment industry, and the best part is, he calls Detroit home. Learn more in CW50Detroit.com’s Q&A with Nadir.

Click HERE to Read the Interview

“Evolution Is Revolution”, a dramatic track created by EAPro’s Nadir and Iayaalis, is featured in the new trailer for TheBlackPaper.com and The Black Mastery Success Program both by success coach Veronica Conway.

Veronica is a successful entrepreneur and founder of three coaching companies, including the Black Professional Coaches Alliance, the only coaching organization dedicated to the transformation of people of African descent. She is also the co-founder of Phenom Consulting International, a company that provides life and media strategy for the entertainment and athletic industries. She has coached everyone from truck drivers to CEO’s, athletes, artists and celebrities.

Black Mastery Is The Master Blend Of Success Strategies and It Is Your GIANT First Step Toward A Better Tomorrow.

• Do you want to live in joy and abundance?

• Do you want to face challenges with more confidence and poise?

• How wonderful would it be for you to experience life – without limits?

• Can you imagine beginning to heal, – and creating a new legacy?

The evolution will NOT be televised. The (r)evolution is internal.

Begin your (r)evolution at TheBlackPaper.com today.