The Zzyzzx - Mellow Man Ace returns with his son Cazal - debut 12" single coming soon
The Zzyzzx is comprised of Mellow, his son Cazal, their camp and crew and some bugged out equations, metaphors, and references to random moments of history, present, and future.
Who does what?
Mellow Man Ace -The Guidance, The Immaculate MC.
Cazal - The Youth, The Schooled Beat-Maker / Producer & Adolescent MC
The Zzyzzx pronounced: (Ziz-ix), is on the verge of opening up the
culture of hip-hop to another generation of avid fans. The word Zzyzzx
can’t be found in the Webster’s dictionary, but it can be found on the
side of the road as you travel from LA to Las Vegas. It’s the name of a
town in Nevada. The word may not have a “official” definition, but to
the group it means everything good or bad, black or white, the up, the
down, the yin and yang, the him, the her, and basically everything under
the sun which has an opposite, hence the father, the son.The name
itself allows them to think out of the box at all times and without
limits.
The group consists of Ulpiano Reyes (Mellow Man Ace) and his
fifteen year old son / producer Ulpiano Cuba Reyes (Cazal Organism).
Mellow Man Ace is known around the world for being the first platinum
selling “Latino” rap artist with his #1 hit Mentirosa. Over the years
since his earlier success, he’s been able to transfer his knowledge and
wisdom of the industry to his son, Cazal. Cazal maybe only 15, but is
on his way to blazing his own path in the same way as his father. He’s
already produced songs for Masta Ace, Dres of “Black Sheep”, Mike G of
“The Jungle Brothers” and of course his legendary father.
His dad still
remembers one of his first studio sessions during the Cypress Hill
recording of their Spanish album Los Grandes Exitos de “Cypress Hill”
which he co-wrote, and Cazal had no idea at the time where he was but
one could clearly see he was having fun twisting knobs and pretending to
scratch on Mugg's turntable. One could almost say that Cazal's musical
upbringing happened accidentally, yet on purpose. Very soon the world
will be aware of the talents this young man has to offer.
Mellow
credits his son with being one of the reasons for their current
recording deal with Delicious Vinyl. After shopping his
own solo project with Mike Ross president of Delicious, Mellow was
informed that his material maybe a little too serious in nature for the
modern era, but before the end of the meeting, he decided to play a demo
of some music, produced by his son with the both of them rapping and
needless to say, Mike loved it. DV made the group an offer based on the
fresh clever recording and rhyming the group had. With the launch of
this new project, “The Zzyzzx” will surely open new lanes for Latino’s
in the Hip-Hop culture as Mellow Man Ace did two decades ago.
Los Angeles, CA - Hip-hop's newest club-conquering dynamic duo, Orio Crio Circus, are set to have their dedut single "Victoria" releaser by legendary label Delicious Vinyl. Comprised of legendary Detroit MC Frank Nitt (Frank N Dank) andSoCal surfer-turned-rapper Grim-Ace, Orio Circus embodies the new style of ebony and ivory working to gether in body-moving harmony.
Produced by up-and-comer Lazy Boy, "Victoria" is a sly nod to the famous lingerie one-stop that need not be fully named, with Frank rapping: "Hey ladies, just though you should know that/ O.C. keep it tight like a bra strap!" With its bait-and-switch guitar lick, horny horn line, and hip-shaking hi-hats, the song's pop appeal is as instant as its urgent refrain to "Show me your Victoria...!"
Frank Nitt, who grew up in Detroit watching black and white Tigers like Alan Trammell and Lou Whittaker working together on the baseball diamond, understands the potency of racial harmony: "Grim-Ace is a six foot tall white guy, the quintessential surfer-skater, and I'm the 5'5" inner city black guy, I talk my slang and my pants hang low. We're opposites, but we go well together, y'know, like that famous cookie!"
"I'd run into Grim Ace in L.A.," explains Frank, "and he asked me to come by and hear some of what he was working on. I liked what he was doing, so we started working on some songs together — rugged hip-hop joints. Then Lazy Boy sent us an uptempo track that inspired us to take Orio Circus to the next level, and we turned it into 'Victoria'."
Combining Frank's hip-hop roots with the pop appeal of artists like Far East Movement, Orio Circus is the sound of here and now, fit for a society where racial harmony is an ever more important and potent notion. As Frank Nitt succinctly puts it: "Everyone likes to party, and our music doesn't discriminate."
Delicious Vinyl has long embraced the potency of diverse talents making music together. Founded by pale-faced producers Matt Dike and Michael "Mike Floss" Ross, the label brought the world legendary artists like Tone-Loc, Young MC, Brand New Heavies, and The Pharcyde. Having released Frank Nitt's glittering solo collection Jewels In My Backpack earlier in 2010, Delicious Vinyl is now proud to present Orio Circus. And with "Victoria", Orio Circus invites all people to step right up!
The life of J Dilla (Jay Dee, James Yancey) was tragically short, but his legacy will live forever. Arguably, J Dilla’s work is even more important now than it was in the late 90s, when he was creating beats and producing tracks for a variety of chart-topping artists like The Pharcyde, Brand New Heavies, Busta Rhymes, Janet Jackson, and A Tribe Called Quest.
In addition to purchasing career retrospectives and posthumous album releases, fans can now show their love for J Dilla by sporting tees, caps and other official J Dilla merchandise. Delicious Vinyl is one of several record companies to create special commemorative shirts honoring J Dilla’s memory. The Delicious Vinyl shirt celebrates the three years they spent working together, creating tracks for The Pharcyde and Brand New Heavies.
The J Dilla commemorative shirt boasts a “Dee-lightful” twist on Delicious Vinyl’s iconic logo by spelling his name “Jay Dee-licious.” The shirt is printed on black cotton with white and red ink, and is available in five sizes. Delicious Vinyl shirt sales recently skyrocketed when actress Kristen Stewart and Lamar Odom of the LA Lakers were spotted wearing them.
Even years after his death, J Dilla’s family still struggles to pay the remaining medical bills from his illness. Delicious Vinyl and other labels associated with J Dilla’s career have pitched in by donating money raised from J Dilla releases to his suriving family. In addition to Delicious Vinyl’s commemorative tee, proceeds from Jay Deelicious: The Delicious Vinyl Years album were also donated to J Dilla’s surviving family and the foundation named in his honor.
When J Dilla (Jay Dee, John Yancey) passed away at the age of 32, he left more than catalog of unforgettable hits: he left a legacy that continues to influence music even after his death. As artists like Mos Def, Talib Kwali and Drake use J Dilla’s posthumously released beats to create new music, younger Hip Hop fans learn to appreciate J Dilla’s unique genius.
His influence even extends beyond the world of Hip Hop. Many punk and rock bands from the U.K. cite J Dilla as an inspiration. Jack Barnett, frontman for These New Puritans, occasionally sports a “J Dilla Changed My Life” T-shirt. As his reputation continues to grow, J Dilla T-shirts are becoming more and more popular with music enthusiasts around the world.
When J Dilla passed away, his family was left with a crippling amount of medical bills. Delicious Vinyl, along with other music labels, created J Dilla tribute T-shirts and albums as a way to raise money for his surviving family. Delicious Vinyl recently released an exclusive J Dilla T-shirt commemorating their three-year partnership, which produced several chart-topping hits. The slogan “Jay Deelicious,” a reference to his first stage name, is printed in white and red ink on a black shirt. The design mirrors the album art of Jay Deelicious: The Delicious Vinyl Years, an 11-track compilation of outtakes, rarities and previously unreleased material from Jay Dee’s work with The Pharcyde and Brand New Heavies in the 90s. In 2008, Delicious Vinyl also released Yancey Boys, a posthumous album featuring beats by J Dilla and rapping by his younger brother, John.
Among hip hop’s inner circle, J Dilla (Jay Dee, James Yancey) was a legend in his time. The gifted composer and occasional M.C. created beats and sounds that defined the Hip Hop sound of the late 90s.
Following his untimely death in 2006 from complications associated with Lupus and TTP (a rare blood disease), J Dilla’s legend keeps growing. Countless artists continue to find inspiration in J Dilla’s work:
Hip Hop luminaries like Common, Busta Rhymes, De La Soul, Erykah Badu, The Roots and Q-Tip have all paid tribute to Dilla in their songs and records.
Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Ghostface Killah, Drake, and others have snatched up J Dilla’s unfinished beats and musical ideas for use in their own work
The J Dilla produced song “Runnin” by The Pharcyde is frequently sampled by other artists and used in both TV and film productions
Actor Dave Chapelle even dedicated an entire film to J Dilla’s memory.
In addition to tributes, J Dilla’s long-term relationship with BBE, Stones Throw and Delicious Vinyl produced several posthumous releases. Karriem Riggins completed Dilla’s The Shining (it was 75% complete at the time of Dilla’s death), and BBE released the album August 2006. Stones Throw reissued Ruff Draft in March 2007 and Champion Sound in June 2007.
In 2007, Delicious Vinyl released a compilation of J Dilla’s early works, entitled Jay Deelicious: The Delicious Vinyl Years. The label donated all proceeds from the album’s sale in 2007 to the surviving members of J Dilla’s family, who continue to struggle with the medical bills associated with his illness. In 2008, Delicious Vinyl released a collaboration between the late J Dilla and his younger brother, John: the Yancey Boys album features fourteen tracks that were completed by J Dilla before his death, while John (under the name Illa J) provided all the lyrics and vocals. Stones Throw released a digital instrumental version of the album in 2009.
J Dilla (Jay Dee, James Yancey) defined the sound of Hip Hop as much as any of the famous names he worked with. When artists like Janet Jackson, Erykah Badu, A Tribe Called Quest, or Busta Rhymes needed beats, production or creative inspiration, they turned to J Dilla. Since his untimely death in 2006, his legacy carries on.
Born to an opera singer and a jazz bassist, music was in J Dilla’s blood. “Jazz was the music he grew up with and was raised on,” recalls his mother. “Since he was a couple of months old, he wouldn’t go to sleep unless he heard jazz, so my husband had to sing and play for him to go to sleep.”
Amp Fidler, family friend and keyboardist who toured with George Clinton, introduced J Dilla to the world of Hip Hop. Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest immediately recognized Dilla’s talent and the two began to collaborate. Along with Tribe DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad, they formed a creative collective that produced songs and beats for many chart-topping artists throughout the 90s. Jay Dee’s most notable Delicious Vinyl productions from this time include The Pharcyde’s Labcabincalifornia album (1996) and Brand New Heavies’ Trunk Funk Classics album (2000).
While other artists craved the limelight, J Dilla preferred to work humbly and privately. Even at the height of his fame as a producer, he continued to release albums with his first group, Slum Village. He eventually stepped into the role of M.C., but continued releasing instrumental records as well.
J Dilla passed away in 2006, only three days after Stones Throw released his acclaimed instrumental album Donuts. Always a prolific composer, Dilla leaves behind volumes of work for fans and collaborators to enjoy for years to come. In fact, Delicious Vinyl recently released a collection of Dilla’s early work entitled Jay Deelicious: The Delicious Vinyl Years, as well the Yancey Boys album, which features Illa J’s vocals over several of his brother’s unreleased tracks.
“What separated Jay was that he was uninhibited in his knowledge of music, and he was uninhibited when it came to making his music,” recalls DJ Jazzy Jeff. “When radio was a freer space and played music that people liked instead of what people paid for, the music that we heard was created by somebody in their basement being a mad scientist. Jay is a throwback to that time. He’s the guy in the basement.”
