Prior to coming to Garibaldi, I spent the better part of ten years working in the local New York City music scene. By day, I worked for CEG Presents, an independent concert promoter, and by night, I was holed up behind my laptop, in the studio, or at the clubs working with artists that I had a personal relationship with and belief in. For those artists, I served as a marketing manager, project manager, executive producer, concert promoter, or musical collaborator. Wherever I could be of help, I was down to do it.
Eventually, I teamed up with my partner Casey McGuire, and we made a business out of our efforts which was originally known as Tru Statement Entertainment and eventually transitioned into our second business together, 929Media, which Casey still runs today. It was 929Media that was eventually hired by Garibaldi to help pitch the firm as the exclusive office leasing broker for Bell Works, which would eventually lead to me becoming part of the Garibaldi team full time.
Why all the background? Because, this year happened to be one where my Spotify account has been dominated by artists that I have worked with in the past who have put out new, incredible projects within the last 12-18 months.
Therefore, as we come to the end of the year and celebrate a full year of bringing you Garibaldi Playlists, I thought I would share some artists that I have been proud to call collaborators and many as friends. In doing that, I also figured I could share a little bit about myself.
Here’s my “hip hop disclaimer”: I would estimate that of all the artists I worked with, probably 65% of them toiled in hip hop. Though you could argue (and I would agree) that every genre of music has its own ingrained culture, no other genre has made its actual culture more of a cornerstone to the music itself than hip hop has. That is what always drew me to it. The music was just one aspect of a much richer experience. So, if you’re not a fan of hip hop then this playlist may not be your favorite of our collection, but I promise there is something in here for everyone.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the artists featured and the projects that they have recently released:
ScienZe – ScienZe Was Here
ScienZe is a Brooklyn based hip hop artist, most known for a track he did with the West Coast emcee Blu back in 2013 called “Charlie Brown”. ScienZe does a nice balancing act between new age, progressive hip hop with some of the jazz-based boom-bap styles of the 1990s. He’s smart but playful and does a good job mixing the lighthearted with the serious.
Kemba – Gilda
Formerly known as YC The Cynic, Kemba was recently signed to Republic Records after a lot of speculation that he would join Kendrick Lamar at Top Dawg Entertainment. This is his major-label debut, and it is named after his late mother who passed away the same night Kendrick Lamar brought Kemba on stage for a cameo in New York City.
Homeboy Sandman – Dusty
Sandman first made a name for himself in the New York hip hop scene in 2007, and this is his latest and first release on Mello Music Group, after previously releasing 7 projects on Stones Throw Records. He has a unique backstory. He established himself early on for his creative DIY marketing techniques, and he is one of the smartest and most consistent emcees of this generation’s underground hip hop scene. This most recent release is quickly climbing the ladder of my favorite of his albums. I have worked with him in different capacities in the past and consider him a friend and inspiration.
Pat Van Dyke – New Memories / Alright By Me
Pat Van Dyke is a New Jersey-based multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer and band leader. In October he released this gem New Memories as a single, but last year he released Hello, Summer which Pitchfork called an “album that comes to feel something like Count Basie directing a big band dedicated to lost Roy Ayers compositions; it is highly, almost restrictively controlled, but nonetheless dedicated to the funk.” Pat is a friend and collaborator of mine who might have been seen performing at our grand opening of The Station.
Night Of The Living Funk – CryptoFunk: The Blockchain
A Brooklyn based funk band with a heck of a lot of horns – it’s the brainchild of John and Chris Lijoi, two close friends of mine and people with whom I have collaborated for over ten years. They are a great live show. You can find them often at Rockwood Music Hall or Arlene’s Grocery.
Lars Viola & Tansu – The Wash Up
Producer/emcee Lars Viola is another long-time collaborator of mine and close friend. This is an album he released last year with an insanely talented singer named Tansu. Her voice has a Billy Holiday or Nina Simone type of uniqueness. The album is excellent. Very mellow and jazzy. Also, check out Lars’ former group known as M.A.E. They released two full-length projects and a few EPs that are among my most listened to music.
The New Mastersounds – Shake It Up
The New Mastersounds are an amazing UK based jazz-funk four-piece. This is their eighth studio album, and each album is consistently great to listen to. They are also an excellent band to see live, and they tend to be in the New York City at least twice a year.
Zach Deputy – Red Moon
Zach Deputy has been making the rounds on the live music circuit for years now, and can often be found at a lot of the big summer festivals. He is a multi-instrumentalist and the majority of his shows are done as a solo performance with Zach using a looping machine to layer the sound.