Josiah Soren - Samurai (Deluxe Edition) (Album)

‘Samurai (Deluxe Edition)’ sees Atlanta based bassist, beatmaker and author Josiah Soren refining one of his most ambitious projects to date. Recorded at Atlanta’s Grammy Award winning Maze Studios and released on a strictly limited 1/200 gold vinyl, the deluxe edition revisits Samurai with fresh perspective, deeper context and stripped-back rehearsal takes that spotlight the musicianship at its core.

Originally released in 2023, Samurai lives at the fluid intersection of jazz and hip hop, blurring genre lines while centring Black voices and lived experience. The album was fully written and arranged before a single note was played, allowing vocalists to define the emotional intent of each track while the band followed their lead. In January 2023, all 16 musicians, artists and engineers came together to record the entire project live.

The focus track, “AEIOUY” feat. Shalom Little & DK, captures the full power of that approach. Recorded in a single take with the full band, it builds around playful vowel based wordplay as the swirling instrumental grows heavier and more expansive—an immediate snapshot of the project’s collective musical understanding.

The deluxe edition also includes rehearsal takes featuring Atlanta jazz standouts Marquinn Mason, Jacob Hurlock and Dallas Dawson, reflecting the city’s “Reverence” ethos: respect, freedom and trust between musicians. As Jazz FM’s Tony Minvielle notes, the result is a record where “the boundaries between jazz and hip hop are completely and sublimely blurred.”

At its emotional centre is the title track “Samurai,” written by Abib Jahleel in memory of his mother. The song and album title sets the tone for a record that moves through love, loss, grief and resilience with unflinching honesty.

Samurai (Deluxe Edition) isn’t just a reissue; it’s a reaffirmation of Soren’s vision, music built communally, played live, and grounded in truth.