Def Jux presents AESOP ROCK & C RAYZ WALZ at Ri Ra Thurs 19th Feb

Deaglan

Wide O presents a DEF JUX RECORDS night - the New York label that you RJd2 El-P Cannibal Ox Mr Lif and more; this show featues live shows by...

AESOP ROCK

"AESOP ROCK introduced a raw, urgent, intelligent new sound designed to break the monotony of mainstream rap." ­Entertainment Weekly

C RAYZ WALZ

"Anyone familiar with New York's underground scene will tell you that when it comes to putting on a show, no MC can wreck a stage like the eccentric C-RAYZ WALZ" The Source, Jan 2004

DJ WIZ

+ special guest THE GUDMEN

Ri Ra, Dame Court, Dublin 2. Ph: 677 4835

Thurs 19th Feb. Doors 11:30pm

Tickets just €12 from ROAD, Urban, Sound Cellar, Comet, Freebird, City Discs, All City or at Ri Ra on the night. Admisision just €10 for students/unwaged

The hottest underground label in the US hiphop scene today, DEF JUX recordings(www.definitivejux.net) brings a package tour to Ri Ra this month featuring Irish debuts for two of the best acts on its roster - the mindblowingly talented rhymesayer AESOP ROCK and everyone's hot tip for 2004 - C-RAYZ WALZ.

Having already introduced acts such as RJD2, Cannibal Ox, El-P and Mr Lif to the world; 2004 sees Def Jux maintain its position as the movement that is breaking new ground in electroina and hiphop - both in terms of lyrics and especially of production sound. Notable accolades from the likes of Elvis Costello ('That's the kind of sonic genius I want to work with' he said of Def Jux boss El-P) right through to the widespread fawning press reviews indicate exactly why acts such as Aesop Rock are reaching a broader and slightly more mature crowd than the vast majority of acts in the hiphop genre.

Def Jux's DJ Wiz mans the decks for both acts while Irish midlands duo THE GUDMEN (rapper Ay Cee and DJ Lee) support. Tickets for this show are just €12, with students and unwaged getting in for just €10.


"The envy of virtual MCs worldwide, Aesop has gone from being the object of chat-room gossip to being the hottest thing on wax since the 808." ­URB


AESOP ROCK - BAZOOKA TOOTH PRESS RELEASE

Label: DEFINITIVE JUX
Release date: 22nd September 2003

"If you wake up to the sound of helicopters bumping Wagner / Its body-cast to Pilates class / Rumble in a Bronx back alley batting cage with bottles smashed / Drag them prophecies, be them Celestine or Mothman/ to the bumper-boat monster mash"- Intro

It¹s Aesop Rock time, again. The eclectic rhyme-sayer who burst onto the radar with his universally acclaimed Definitive Jux debut album Labor Days and then followed it up with the anthemic EP Daylight, returns to reclaim the truth and hand out lyrical beat downs to those who stole the up-rock and buffed the trains.

Over four albums of futurized funk, Aesop Rock has been blowing minds with detail-driven narratives and dexterity defying word play. From the early records Music For Earth Worms, Appleseed and Float to the masterful Labor Days, his singular voice has filtered tales of Lower East Side city life through a highly personal lens. And that voice has reached out and touched an enormous amount of people. Surprisingly, while his last two efforts were legitimate underground hits (moving more units than most indie artists, hip hop or otherwise, do in their entire careers).

"Isn¹t it strange how it¹s a fad to bite your idols when the whole reason you liked them is because their **** wasn¹t recycled?" - Frijoles

Now, with his highly anticipated new LP Bazooka Tooth, Aesop Rock brings it back to the golden age of hip-hop originality - but this certainly ain¹t retro. Like the early concept-driven, progressive and personal hip-hop of De La Soul, Ultramagnetic MC¹s, Boogie Down Productions and, today, MF Doom and Ghostface Killah, Aesop Rock has the classic ability to craft records with eternal shelf life, each listen revealing a new dimension. On any Aesop Rock record there are genius one-liners that remain stuck in the brain and become living mantras for his legions of fans. With his new opus, he has once again broken the creative barrier. Having produced nearly the entire album himself, Bazooka Tooth is an amazing expression of one man¹s artistic vision and raises the bar for everyone else in the rap game.

"They¹re like OEWhat¹s up with the name¹ / I tell OEem OEY¹all made Bazooka Tooth, I was about to ask the same¹ / But before you curfew the city and shut down every block / I¹d like to say OEI¹m still Aesop the **** out of the Rock¹ likeŠ" -- Freeze

"Freeze", the first shot from Bazooka Tooth, is vintage Ace Rock - blazing production and lyrics with unequaled descriptive and personal flair - and will immediately silence any doubters. Then there¹s the rest of the album, which also features cameos by El-P, Mr. Lif, Cannibal Ox and Camp Lo. It¹s easy to see and hear why this MC/producer has achieved icon status in the world of indie hip-hop and fortunately, he¹s stayed clear of the politics that success often brings and now he¹s ready to break it wide open.

With one of the most rabid and devoted fan bases in indie hip hop, Aesop returns the love with 70 minutes of lyrically explosive brain funk. Having set fire to the underground with his albums, classic guest appearances, unforgettable freestyles and live shows worldwide, Aesop Rock is ready to take his place as the newest and brightest star in the Definitive Jux constellation.

With a monster record, videos for "Freeze" and "No Jumper Cables" (an homage to the legendary graffiti film Style Wars featuring original footage from the movie) and a major tour in the offing ­ its clear that its Aesop¹s time to shine.

Aesop Rock will be touring worldwide this Autumn and winter.

"I¹m a thread the needle / Just for my peopleŠ/ Breaker 1-9 / 9-11-01 witness / Make noise If You get thisŠ " ­ N.Y. Electric

"Aesop Rock introduced a raw, urgent, intelligent new sound designed to break the monotony of mainstream rap." ­ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY



"The envy of virtual MCs worldwide, Aesop has gone from being the object of chat-room gossip to being the hottest thing on wax since the 808." ­URB



"Aesop Rock, a Manhattan underground giant who¹s got the entire urban backpacker community in awe of his bionic vocabularyŠ this Lower East Side mogul continues to amaze with a blizzard of deep, intricate lyricism that takes the art of hip-hop prose to the levels of Tolstoy." ­ PAPER MAGAZINE



"If the hip hop world had to write a graduate-level thesis paper it would probably be handled by New York lyricist Aesop Rock. A power-packed orator with a vocabulary level above the 99the percentile, his compositions are laid so thick and introspective that they can take days to properly digest." -VICE



"Aesop¹s voice is a rich, flat bass cut with a thin growl; through its resonance, he¹s able to explore the variations within a timbre that gives access to a vast emotional range."- SPIN



"Labor Days" was voted #3 Hip Hop album of the year by THE WIRE in 2001.

Jockey Slut called the album "Hugely Impressive",



"An esoteric and gripping ride." UNCUT

"Rich sonorous and never less than fabulously fluent" HHC,

"This is conclusive proof that Aesop does, indeed, rock." Blues & Soul.



***************



C-Rayz Walz


Every once in a while an MC emerges whom profoundly alters the landscape of hip hop. Big Daddy Kane. Rakim. Chuck D. Ice Cube. Jeru. Biggie Smalls. ODB. Eminem. It’s time to make room for another name on that list. Straight out of that boogie-down borough where it all started, C-Rayz Walz comes heavily armed with his self-created style - The Art of Energy. Spellbinding, cinematic, jaw-dropping, mind-blowing, completely original. The words will be put in your mouth. All it takes is one listen to start understanding why the game is about to completely change. Having achieved a mythic rep in the underground as a soloist as well as a member of the mighty crew known collectively as STRONGHOLD, this urban legend has been applying a vice grip on the independent scene for quite some time now. C-Rayz is totally for and from the streets, managing to soar above and beyond that realm while staying connected to hardcore and mainstream listeners. C-Rayz proves that he is “Hip-Hop manifesting himself through Rap” on every track he blesses. The past, present and future are all represented to the fullest dimension on his projects and no one can walk away from the listening experience without feeling they just heard something incredible. After seeing his performances, hearing his solo projects and listening to him shine on various collaborations, hardcore fans have become Conspiracy Theorists, demanding to know why this artist is not in every record store and touring all over the world, being seen and heard by the people he represents so effectively. But, thankfully, that’s all about to change. Having already served up countless MC's on vinyl platters, C-Rayz has decided to take it to the next level by combining forces with Definitive Jux. You can almost hear history being made already. With a destined-to-be-a-classic album, Ravipops, on its way, and his debut 12-inch “The Essence,” the first shot across the bow, C-Rayz Walz is here to stay and his universal sound will stand the test of time. Get ready and definitely, definitely don’t sleep. The Sun-cycle MC rises. ‘Nuf said.