Search - Maylay Sparks :: Graymatter

Philadelphia, arguably the world?s hotbed for soul-inflected hip-hop has been churning out innumerable talent for decades. From Philly?s soul legends to it?s young shining stars, the city has birthed a community of musicians and artists schooled in funk, jazz, soul, rock and of course hip hop. Until recently, it has been this tight community that has been privy to the musical output of Rasheed aka Maylay Sparks. Having captivated underground heads for years with he and Baby Blak?s crew Ill Advised, Maylay has been making noise more recently with a string of well-received import releases. Couple these accomplishments with Maylay and The High & Mighty?s establishment of the Eastern Conference label in 1995 and you have the makings of a very impressive hip hop resume. In the midst of all this activity, Maylay has relocated to Copenhagen and recorded Graymatter, his first album under his own name. With tracks that tower above the usual mundane backpacker tracks, Graymatter is sure to perk the ears of hip hop heads around the world. Maylay produced some of the tracks in the US with the help of Malik B (The Roots) and Louis Logic. The rest of Graymatter?s songs came about in the UK with DJ Noize and Beastie Boys remixers The Prunes. Despite the wealth of co-producers, Maylay Sparks never lost sight of his goal of making an accomplished, multi-faceted hip hop masterpiece.