xoJohn

I’ve been hearing the name 88-Keys buzzing around for a few months. I had never heard a song and missed many opportunities to see him perform. One day, while watching MTVU, 88-Keys’ video The Friends Zone

came on. I wasn’t immediately impressed by the video but gave it another review on YouTube. Like Kid Cudi‘s Day ‘N Night, The Friend Zone grew on me. Who is 88-Keys?

I finally got a chance to discover who 88-Keys is, when I attended Red Bull’s Music Academy. I walked into The Red Bull Space in Lower Manhattan and felt like I was at home. A pure intimate setting with plush white couches surrounding an elevated stage. No seat was a bad seat in the house. With my Red Bull and appetizer in hand, I soaked up the blend of Techno beats and Hip Hop classics being spun by the DJ. Expecting a performance by the artists of the night, I was proven wrong. It was an evening of shared information. It was an “Inside the Actor’s Studio” master class but for Musicians. DJs interviewed sound system developers, producers interviewed producers, music connoisseurs interviewed music legends. It was a night for me to discover who is behind the music. Singer/songwriter/producer Colin Munroe (I Want Those Flashing Lights) interviewed producer/rapper/singer 88-Keys.

As I sat there listening to him talk, what I thought of him before was replaced by a fresh perspective. I began to connect with him around his passion for Hip Hop Music. More importantly, he had me at A Tribe Called Quest! “I fell in love with Hip Hop music with A Tribe Called Quest when People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm came out. I listened to Hip Hop before that, but when that came out, that changed my life.” 88-Keys sold me with that statement. Not to mention his extensive production resume working with some of my favorite artists like Mos Def (Love, Speed Law) and Talib Kweli (Thieves in the Night) as well as Macy Gray (Why Didn’t You Call Me, remix) and Musiq Soulchild (Babygirl, Dontstop, Her).

Hearing 88-Keys speak, reminded me that there are still innovative producers contributing to Hip Hop’s livelihood. Hip Hop isn’t dead, it’s being reborn through individuals like 88-Keys.

88-Keys interviewed by Colin Monroe