The gross sales of the music industry have been on the decline for a decade now. Not saying that technology has not hurt and/or affected those sales, but maybe we should stop blaming it for a minute and take a look at ourselves. Maybe the problem also lies with the people. For example if there were more picky people the music industry (and probably the world) would be an even better place. Surely, coming from this angle, music enthusiasts from all over the world would be left to ponder : Would the past ten years in the music industry have been better, IF: A&R were more picky about the records they release; if MC’s were more picky about the lyrics they spit; if DJ’s were more picky about the quality of music they play… and if we, as fans and listeners, were more picky about the music which we listen to, instead of just getting caught-up in the billion-dollar marketing/advertising hype. And sure, maybe the music made by THESE commercial artists/groups is better than that of THOSE others. But is it REALLY better? Just good?–or ABOVE average?
ENTER Picki People: A crew of beatmakers/producers, DJs, musicians, music editors, photographers, engineers, music business legal AND music marketing experts, graphic artists, and graffiti artists. A group of indie artists from all over the world, joined together by their determination to keep REAL music alive. Except for a lucky few, these artists can’t depend on income from the music industry to pay their rent. That’s why they can afford to be picky about both the music they create and release. Most members of Picki People “do music” as a side-job, and many, like T-Love (a.k.a. “Taura Love”), as just a hobby. And this is because most of them have “day-jobs” and/or other stable “non-music business” vocations which pay their bills. The beautiful dynamic created by this is a huge, international independent financially self-sufficient crew, concentrating on making the music THEY WANT to make, instead of worrying about keeping up with commercial music’s ever-changing trends and formulas.
Hailing from South Central-Los Angeles, California, T-Love has ‘recruited’, for this compilation, talents from her own neighborhood, (fellow Good Lifers Myka Nyne & Riddlore) and from Venice Beach (Grammy Award-winning artist/composer Nelson Marquez). She has also recruited a talent originally from Ghana (M.anifest), from North Carolina (Mercury Waters), South Carolina (Preach Jacobs), Minnesota (Kai Swivel & Katrah-Quey), Meaux-Town, France (Dusty+DJ Damage/Jazz Liberatorz & Breiss), Atlanta, Georgia (Audessey of Soundsci), London, England (Jonny Cuba & Ollie Teeba of Soundsci), Tunisia, Africa (The Last Genius), Louviers, France (Xcuz & Cyrille Barbé) and Brooklyn (Yesh from Siah/YeshuaDaPoEd & Niamaj). Quite recently, Dexter Thibou (Brooklyn, NY+Atlanta, GA/USA) was added as Picki People’s in-house mixing engineer. His first contribution is his stellar mix of the compilation’s single, “Summertime People”. But at the same time, Dexter has probably mixed most of your favorite tracks by Gang Starr, MOP, DJ Premier, Dilated People, Black Moon, Pharcyde, Ras Kass, OC, Bahamadia, D&D Studios/Records, etc.
So Taura Love’s Picki People Compilation Volume ONE is as much about the music as it is about a movement. A movement inspired by the love of music and hip-hop culture. Picki People are indie and handle their business, but in the words of DJ Dusk [RIP], “It’s a family affair.” Keep an ear out for the compilation’s single: T-Love’s “Summertime People” b/w Preach Jacobs’ “I Just Wanna MC”
Picki People’s upcoming projects: T-Love, Katrah-Quey, A Cat Called Fritz and SoundSci albums.
[1] Xcuz : 3 Steps To Emotion (Produced and mixed by DJ Xcuz)
[2] M.anifest : Back II My Routes (Produced and mixed by Katrah-Quey)
[3] T-Love : Summertime People (Produced by Breiss and mixed by Dexter Thibou)
[4] Preach Jacobs : Lemon To A Lime (Produced and mixed by Katrah-Quey)
[5] Dusty : Dusty Grooves (Produced and mixed by Dusty)
[6] Myka Nyne & T-Love : Piece Of Mind (Produced by Myka Nyne and mixed by Le Roumain)
[7] Kai Swivel : Comin Up (Produced and mixed by Katrah-Quey)
[8] Katrah-Quey : A New Soul (Produced and mixed by Katrah-Quey)
[9] A Cat Called Fritz : This Is The Jazz (Produced and mixed by DJ Lyrik)
[10] Preach Jacobs : I Just Wanna MC (Produced and mixed by Katrah-Quey)
[11] Mercury Waters : Fly Away With Me (Produced and mixed by Katrah-Quey)
[12] Soundsci : Keep On (Produced by Jonny Cuba and Audessey)
[13] T-Love & Chali 2na : Think They Make Geez (Produced by Dusty and mixed by SLurg)
[14] Breiss : Martinique (Produced by Breiss and mixed by SLurg)
[15] Soundsci : The Illness (Produced by Jonny Cuba and Audessey)
[16] Niamaj : Don’t Stop (Produced and mixed by Katrah-Quey)
[17] T-Love : What Goes Up (Produced and mixed by Katrah-Quey)
[18] The Last Genius : Beat 348 (Produced and mixed by The Last Genius)
[19] T-Love & Yeshua : SummerRhyme Sequel (Produced by Breiss and mixed by Dexter Thibou)
[20] Riddlore : Over Now (Produced and mixed by Riddlore)
[21] Nelson Marquez : So Fly (Produced and mixed by Nelson Marquez)
[22] Vidableu : Over My Head (Produced and mixed by Greg Couppey and T-Love)