Rad Brown x Guilty Simpson - Higher Level (EP)
Guilty Simpson - Picture Credit: James Cochrane
Following last year's Beaming EP with Vancouver wordsmith Moka Only, producer Rad Brown has set his sights on the legendary Detroit flows of Guilty Simpson with the 5-track project, Higher Level.
Known for his impactful working relationship with the late J Dilla, Guilty is world-famous for his ghetto-repping tuffness. Rad Brown has swooped in with a fresh soundscape recipe, all emotive minor chords and atmospheric, layered joints.
That emotional connection in the production isn’t random, reflects Rad.
“I started building these beats around samples that have left their imprint on my life in one way or another. The most prominent sample in War Outside is from the 1982 Rankin & Bass animated film, The Last Unicorn.
“When first watching this film as a child, the music contributed to the suggestion that there were some melancholic, emotive themes to the film, even if I didn't know how to articulate it. It just gave me the feels.
“The track, Higher Level, includes samples of scores from films that I love (Bloodsport and the underrated Samuel L. Jackson film, 187) and an old song sung in my church from when I was a kid that I loved called Humble Thyself in the Sight of the Lord.
“After identifying a sample I know I want to use, I'll tailor the musical instruments and other sampling sources that pop in my head around it.
“Guilty had some beat options, but he picked a set that tied his lyrical themes together - for example, titling the song and album Higher Level to a track where the sample's lyrics include the phrase "higher and higher, and he shall lift you up."
“As a producer, I'm not interested in mimicking other producers or staying in a particular sonic lane. The need to pay homage to these audible memories drives everything. I've been a big Guilty fan for a long time so it's been great to work with an emcee who possesses a unique vocal timbre that commands the listener's attention. I feel like his ability to engage and lyrically drive the story would be a natural fit over production geared to be on the cinematic side.”
Words: Jamie Groovement
