NYC based duo Koncept & J57 have today unleashed their brand new EP titled The Fuel and it’s an impressive amalgamation of the two piece’s individual talents and experiences.
The Fuel is an EP that mixes gritty autobiographical lyrics of real life struggle and the hustle to rise above . Oozing with with larger than life stadium ready production, and ridiculously smooth flow, these hip hop veterans are ready to bring their music to the masses with this release.
Listening to The Fuel, the duo’s experience and knowledge is evident, having worked with Ty Dolla $ign, Pharoahe Monch, and Dead Prez just to name drop a little it’s quite clear Koncept has serious lyrical chops. Also an impressive talent in his own right, J57 has produced for Wu-Tang members Method Man, Raekwon
To celebrate the EP release the duo have given us a little run down of their favourite Aussie talent right now. Check out their new EP out today via iTunes.
M-PHAZES
Koncept: M-Phazes has been killing it for years. I was first put onto his music years ago by the owner of Diamond Media 360, Matt Diamond back when I was still in school and would help with some of their social media. Matt played me a bunch of beats that Phazes was shopping around.
I remember him playing me the beat for Pharoahe Monch’s “Get Down” years before it was out. That was crazy. From his hip-hop records to the pop hits that he’s done, everything I heard made me want to work with him. About a year or so later we were featured on his album, “Phazed Out” on “What It’s All About” with our group, Brown Bag AllStars, mixed by our homie, DJ Rhettmatic (of The Beat Junkies)
CHET FAKER
Koncept: The first time I listened to Chet Faker I was instantly a fan. I was actually in Adelaide driving to a winery the first time I heard him – I had asked a friend to play me some of his favourite Australian artist on the way, and I was blown away immediately. When I got back to the states I searched for more on YouTube and loved everything I heard. I saw him live last year in LA at The Echo for a Red Bull event and he absolutely killed it.
Over the summer I dropped a Remix I did for Flume & Chet Faker’s “Drop The Game”, which is one of my favourite songs I’ve released prior to this EP. There was already so much emotion behind the original song, so I feel that it was easy to release a lot of my own feelings at that moment over their production.
SIA
Koncept: Do I need to tell you why? (laughs) We need Sia on the album. It’s mostly done, but I think we can add a song for her.
TUKA / THUNDAMENTALS
J57: I personally love their vibe. I think a lot of their stuff is in the same vein as the Koncept & J57 sound. It was incredible working with them; from producing the title track of Tuka’s incredible LDTE album, to getting in the studio with DJ Morgs, Poncho and Jeswon in Sydney and making potential beats for their next LP as Jes wrote incredible choruses & verses to each beat.
A good friend of mine that happens to be a mutual friend of theirs introduced me to their music and to them – I immediately loved it.
FLUME
J57: Flume makes the type of stuff that I want to make. I was put on to his album with Chet Faker and was hooked. I would definitely love to make some stadium status hits with him. The first time I heard Flume was about a year and a half ago when someone sent me a Soundcloud link to his stuff.
I very rarely get blown away by a producer I haven’t heard of when someone sends me a link to their stuff but this was one of the very, very, very, very few times that I was blown away. I dig a lot of Aussie producers but Flume is the closest to my approach/style; real eclectic and purposely timeless.
LMXEC (Lee Monroe x Ello C)
J57: LMXEC are on the come-up and have some serious heat they’re about to drop. While in Sydney earlier this year, I was out to dinner with a big group of friends including Sydney-based clothing company that I’m US Brand Ambassador for; Geedup Co, when my boy Joey Bada$$ hit me up to say he was also in Sydney and that we should get up in the studio and work on some more stuff together.
We couldn’t find a studio that wasn’t being used anywhere. The Geedup boys contacted LMXEC and they graciously let us use their studio called Signacion Studio (shouts to Rakz and Jeff Gollin). They played me their stuff when we got to the studio – I was an instant fan. After my session with Joey and CJ Fly, I immediately went back to Signacion and worked on some tunes for the LMXEC LP.
The Fuel is out now via Kon57 Records.
