The Sound Providers
Encyclopedia
The Sound Providers are a Jazz rap
duo formed by producers Jason Skills and Soulo. Formed in 1998 in San Diego, California
, it originally included a third member, an MC
named Profile, who left the group shortly before they were signed by ABB Records. The Sound Providers have produced a number of singles before releasing their debut album An Evening with The Sound Providers, recorded and produced in San Diego and Los Angeles
, in 2004 on ABB Records. Without Profile The SP's filled the void by bringing in a number of guest artists; Asheru
, The Procussions
, Wee Bee Foolish
, Maspyke and Little Brother all made contributions to the album. Soulo, although fulfilling the role of DJ/producer, is known to occasionally spit on the mic. He only raps briefly on the debut, but rapped on a number of their earlier tracks.
In early 2006 they released another album entitled Looking Backwards: 2001 - 1998; which is a compilation of earlier songs made when Profile was still a member of the group. These songs were previously only available as 12" singles. The album also includes a number of radio promos and other beats and songs which had never seen the light of day before.
In 2006 The SP's remixed the Kero One
track Give Thanks featuring Niamaj. The remix was released as a B-side to Kero One
's In All The Wrong Places single.
Jason now lives in Florida
where he teaches advanced web development using Adobe Flash. In 2006 The Pros also completed a full length album with an emcee from Tampa, Florida named Surreal. The album is entitled True Indeed and the first single "Just gettin started" b/w "Place to be" was released in June of the same year. The full length album was released on 14 November 2006 on Quarternote/ABB Records.
The Sound Providers sound is predominately jazz
orientated hip hop
, though their work can consist of a much wider array of genres. Their style is a mix of socially conscious lyrics with new school rap beats, with samples taken from jazz, funk, and reggae. They have cited artists such as Gang Starr
and the Native Tongues Posse
as influences for their work.
Singles
Jazz rap
Jazz rap is a sub-genre of hip hop which incorporates jazz influences, developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The lyrics are often based on political consciousness, Afrocentricity, and general positivism...
duo formed by producers Jason Skills and Soulo. Formed in 1998 in San Diego, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, it originally included a third member, an MC
Master of Ceremonies
A Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....
named Profile, who left the group shortly before they were signed by ABB Records. The Sound Providers have produced a number of singles before releasing their debut album An Evening with The Sound Providers, recorded and produced in San Diego and Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, in 2004 on ABB Records. Without Profile The SP's filled the void by bringing in a number of guest artists; Asheru
Asheru
Asheru, born Gabriel Benn, is an African American hip hop artist, educator, and youth activist. He is widely known for performing the opening and closing themes for the popular TV series, The Boondocks, as well as his pioneering and innovative efforts to forward the Hip Hop Education...
, The Procussions
The Procussions
The Procussions was an American hip-hop act from Colorado Springs, Colorado, that consisted of three members: Mr. J. Medeiros, Rez, and Stro The 89th Key...
, Wee Bee Foolish
Wee Bee Foolish
Wee Bee Foolish are an alternative hip hop group, its members are Ken Boogaloo, Yesh , DJ Bless, & Xtraordinaire. All four members hail from Brighton Beach, Brooklyn in New York. All of their releases have been on the Head Bop music label...
, Maspyke and Little Brother all made contributions to the album. Soulo, although fulfilling the role of DJ/producer, is known to occasionally spit on the mic. He only raps briefly on the debut, but rapped on a number of their earlier tracks.
In early 2006 they released another album entitled Looking Backwards: 2001 - 1998; which is a compilation of earlier songs made when Profile was still a member of the group. These songs were previously only available as 12" singles. The album also includes a number of radio promos and other beats and songs which had never seen the light of day before.
In 2006 The SP's remixed the Kero One
Kero one
Kero One is a Korean-American hip hop MC and producer from San Francisco, California.-History:Kero One originally worked as a web designer, making 50 copies of his first single with home equipment and personal credit cards. One of the copies was purchased at a record shop in Tokyo by a Japanese DJ,...
track Give Thanks featuring Niamaj. The remix was released as a B-side to Kero One
Kero one
Kero One is a Korean-American hip hop MC and producer from San Francisco, California.-History:Kero One originally worked as a web designer, making 50 copies of his first single with home equipment and personal credit cards. One of the copies was purchased at a record shop in Tokyo by a Japanese DJ,...
's In All The Wrong Places single.
Jason now lives in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
where he teaches advanced web development using Adobe Flash. In 2006 The Pros also completed a full length album with an emcee from Tampa, Florida named Surreal. The album is entitled True Indeed and the first single "Just gettin started" b/w "Place to be" was released in June of the same year. The full length album was released on 14 November 2006 on Quarternote/ABB Records.
The Sound Providers sound is predominately jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
orientated hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
, though their work can consist of a much wider array of genres. Their style is a mix of socially conscious lyrics with new school rap beats, with samples taken from jazz, funk, and reggae. They have cited artists such as Gang Starr
Gang Starr
Gang Starr was an influential East Coast hip hop duo that consisted of the late MC Guru and DJ/producer DJ Premier. Their style combined elements of New York jazz and hip hop.-Background:...
and the Native Tongues Posse
Native Tongues Posse
The Native Tongues is a collective of late 1980s and early 1990s hip-hop artists known for their positive-minded, good-natured Afrocentric lyrics, and for pioneering the use of eclectic sampling and later jazz-influenced beats. Its principal members are the Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, and A Tribe...
as influences for their work.
Discography
Albums- True Indeed (With Surreal) (Quarternote/ABB Records, 2006)
- Looking Backwards: 2001 - 1998 (Quarternote/ABB Records, 2006)
- An Evening with The Sound Providers (Quarternote/ABB Records, 2004)
Singles
- Nuff said (2007)
- Just Gettin' Started (2006)
- Its Gonna Bee Part II (featuring Wee Bee FoolishWee Bee FoolishWee Bee Foolish are an alternative hip hop group, its members are Ken Boogaloo, Yesh , DJ Bless, & Xtraordinaire. All four members hail from Brighton Beach, Brooklyn in New York. All of their releases have been on the Head Bop music label...
) (2005) - The Blessin (featuring Blest) (2004)
- For Old Times Sake (featuring AsheruAsheruAsheru, born Gabriel Benn, is an African American hip hop artist, educator, and youth activist. He is widely known for performing the opening and closing themes for the popular TV series, The Boondocks, as well as his pioneering and innovative efforts to forward the Hip Hop Education...
of Unspoken HeardUnspoken HeardThe Unspoken Heard is the hip-hop collaborative of rapper Asheru and producer Blue Black. The group is often referred to as Asheru & Blue Black of the Unspoken Heard. They began getting significant recognition in underground hip-hop around the turn of the millennium...
) (2004) - Street Keys / Apples (2004) (Limited edition 7")
- The Throwback (featuring Maspyke) (2004)
- Who Am I (featuring Grap LuvaGrap LuvaGregory Phillips better known by his stage name Grap Luva is a hip-hop producer and rapper primarily active during the 1990s as a member of the group INI His first appearance was as a guest...
) (2001) - The Difference (2000)
- Get Down (1999)
- Dope Transmission (1998)
External links
- Pitchfork Review on An Evening with the Sound Providers
- The Find Magazine: Interview (2010) with Soulo of The Sound Providers
- MobileUnderground on An Evening with the Sound Providers
- Etudiant on An Evening with the Sound Providers (in FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
) - Official site