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Doomtree – “Dots & Dashes” featuring Dessa, P.O.S., & MK Larada

Doomtree is tearing up the charts:

#1 CMJ hip hop

Top 100 CMJ all genres

#7 Billboard Heatseekers Regional

#23 iTunes hip hop

Top 100 AAA Media Guide

Top 100 YouTube music

The Song:

“Dots & Dashes,” the next single from Doomtree’s self-titled collective release, walks you down a dark city street where it’s easy to get lost in an impersonal world that’s constantly in motion. The lyrics, rapped by Dessa and P.O.S., attempt to decipher the code of city life, delving deeper into the rhythm of a metropolis beyond the footsteps of crowds and passing cars. Over a complex beat produced by MK Larada, Dessa interprets people’s actions as subtle messages: “Distress message comin’ from the city kids / I read it in the smoke signals comin’ from their filtered cigarettes / It’s all boredom and bitterness at the Ritalin pill that does a legitimate business makin’ kids keep still.” Doomtree’s lyrical talent is apparent throughout the song, especially with the closing lines: “Panic in a phone booth / Love in a parked car / Broken bottles like the corpses of the fallen stars / and the valets are the only ones that in modern America / Remember how to run.”

The Background:

The five rappers and four producers that make up the Doomtree crew have been powering through the underground community since their inception, with critically acclaimed releases from their home-grown label, including their own False Hopes series of EPs, and the release of P.O.S.’s Ipecac Neat (named “Best Album of the Year” by The Star Tribune). Since meeting in junior high, they’ve all lived and worked together, helping to create the dynamic and tireless work ethic they have developed as a group. Over the past five years, Doomtree has gained momentum as one of the best hip-hop collectives in the Midwest.

The self-titled album, DOOMTREE, is a landmark for the group and a self-proclaimed beast. With 21 tracks, not only does the record build the momentum of the crew, but it also highlights their talents as solo artists. With an already outstanding catalog including fans of punk and indie rock, and rap purists, this release is sure to rally an even bigger audience with the call for independent thought. As Doomtree says, “The anthems are victorious, the storysongs are full of dream and intrigue, and the bangers reset pacemakers.”

Illa J – “We Here” Produced by J Dilla

The Song:

Delicious Vinyl is proud to release the debut single by Illa J: “We Here” b/w “R U Listenin” featuring Guilty Simpson. Both tracks are produced by the legendary late producer Jay Dee (aka J Dilla), Illa J’s older brother.

“We Here” is all sizzle and gleam as Illa J ad-libs his mission statement: “Yancey Boys from Detroit, Michigan…comin’ for that number one spot…’bout to rock the world!” Over the previously unheard Dilla track (from a cache of Jay Dee beats held in safety for a decade by Delicious Vinyl founder Michael Ross) Illa J’s soulful tenor delivers the hook: “We poppin’ bottles like it’s first day of the year.” Illa J confirms the feeling: “Somebody could be in a hoopty but the Jay Dee beat sound so good it make them feel like they riding in a Phantom.”

Illa J: “‘We Here’ is a celebration of waking up every day. Why not live out your dreams, why not try?” Of the lyric “Let’s go crazy/ You saw Purple Rain” Illa J explains: “It’s like Prince asking ‘Are we gonna let the elevator break us down?’ Naw, let’s go all out! One of the things I learned from my brother is that you don’t get that much time, so make the most of it. That’s why I’ve decided to dedicate my life to doing what I love: music.”

“R U Listenin” is a thumpadelic tribute to Detroit featuring Stones Throw recording artist Guilty Simpson, Illa and Guilty trading hot verses “sending love to the 313.” Of the collaboration, Guilty Simpson exclaims: “Illa J is a young talent in his own right with many dimensions – a real force who’s obviously the product of great stock!”

Delicious Vinyl’s Michael Ross: “Anyone who loves Jay Dee is going to flip out when they hear how young Illa J represents for the Yancey family. For over a decade these beats have been waiting in the vault for this moment. It’s like Jay Dee made these tracks with an extrasensory purpose, so that Illa J could rap and sing over them when the time was right. Well, it’s that time. It’s the Yancey Boys baby!”