Collaboration has always been a major part of music. For an independent artist, that used to be limited to just who you could find in the neighborhood music scene. The power of the internet has opened up the whole world as your neighborhood. Even an artist that is truly unique can find like-minded souls crawling around the web. Perfect proof of this open collaboration is our recent find Black Astronaut.
The Hip Hop collective is based out of Atlanta, Georgia but artists come from all over including Chicago, Kentucky, Bristol, London, Germany, and Philadelphia. It all started with Lead Songwriter Charles Luck looking for rappers and singers to share his intricate lyrics with the world. The search had some great results. The Black Astronaut project includes Rapper/Singer Tino Red, Rappers Gyro, InZane, Sticky Bud, Vedo, B Daz, and Flipleaf. The group also uses 4 talented singers: Muze, Jonathan BT, Zack David, and Addie.
Together the new superhero team created a new brand of Hip Hop that borrows from a wide variety of genres including EDM and Classic Rock. It is truly original and different from anything you are hearing in the mainstream today. Black Astronaut hopes to reintroduce lyric-focused rap music to the new generation for the good of the spirit of hip hop.
The most recent mixtape from Black Astronaut is called Life On Mars. The 11 track record is a full experience from front to back. The journey begins with an opening spoken word piece “The Race” to set the tone. We then dive into a take on the David Bowie classic “Life On Mars”. The pretty melodies are paired with a strong vocal performance that adds to the beauty of the song. We are in for something rare and fresh here. The sweet melodies continue on “Land Of The Lost”. On this one, we are introduced to the rap stylings of Tino Red. The flow winds its way into your brain and then the chorus takes over to burrow deep in there. The spacey and psychedelic “Lunar Lunatics” uses a Pink Floyd sample to numb the body as the focus is on the high paced vocals preaching the story of hard work and doing what you love. Straight fire!
The lead single “Is The Galaxy Just Pimping Me” asks the questions that a group of rising stars often need to know. The jangly piano line adds an element of joyful youth. The female hook is jarring with its interesting tone and cuteness.
Just when you think you have a handle on the Black Astronaut style, out comes “When You’re Down”. The sample has a feel of bluegrass that pulls the listener out of the dark corners of their own mind. The rap/singing here is open and emotional as we hear lyrics from the heart. The closer “Live Within” wraps it all together with a sense of hope and positivity. It lets you down from the trip but leaves you with much to think about in your own life. This is what an album is supposed to be.
Set aside some time and dive in for yourself. www.LuckOnMars.com streams the whole album with video to match.
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