The SoCal reggae scene is bursting at the seams with old, new and just emerging artists. With this kind of saturation it can be hard to get heard above all the noise, but one so called “Super-Group” is putting a new twist on some old school sounds, mixing roots reggae with hip hop and other influences. Skanks Roots Project is a California-based group that consists of: Dj Skanks, Eddie Blunt (High Tide), J. Rips (KeepItLit), Dave Torr (Mad Traffic), Danny Dread (Roots Covenant), E.N Young (Tribal Seeds), and Animo.
The group blends their exceptional musical and vocal talents to create an album filled with deep dub grooves, soaring harmonies and surprises in every song, including guest spots from Clear Conscience, Lexy Love, Eric Singer, Jah Wave, Mis Lee Ding , Sana and more. The album starts off with hypnotic a melodica line and soon you are lost in the swaying reggae beats. One of my favorite tracks from the album, “State of Trees” has a really old school dub feel with some great singing from Danny Dread. SRP changes things up half-way through the tune with a rap verse from Eddie Blunt, perfectly blending the dub vibe with Blunt’s spoken lyrics. The album picks up speed after that with it’s first single, “Wild Flower”, a high energy reggae tune again featuring Eddie Blunt, vocals from EN Young, and Animo. The track kicks thing off with a rockin’ guitar lick, then an inviting piano line transitions the listener to the strong vocal harmonies singing “She was from Cali…”
Other notable tracks off the album are Life Undefined (Featuring Aaron Borowitz of Thrive) and Hit It, a breezy feeling acoustic guitar driven track featuring Danny Dread, Mis Lee Ding and J. Rips. As the title states “Just the Tip” is just the beginning of what Skanks Roots has to offer to the musical world. The group is already back in the studio working on the next EP, expect big things from this Cali-based collective of superb artists.
1.) Love (feat. Eddie Blunt, E.N Young)
2.) Misled Souls (feat. Eddie Blunt)
3.) State of Trees (feat. Danny Dread, Eddie Blunt, Animo)
4.) Wild Flower (feat. E.N Young, Eddie Blunt, Animo)
5.) Decisions (feat. Lexy Love, Danny Dread, Eddie Blunt)
6.) Ballad of Skanks (feat. Eric Singer, Jah Wave, Clear Conscience)
7.) Who Is Real (feat. Eddie Blunt, Lexy Love, J. Rips, Sana)
8.) Life Undefined (feat. Aaron Borrowitz, J. Rips, Clear Conscience, E.N Young)
9.) Hit It (feat. Danny Dread, J. Rips, Eddie Blunt, Mis Lee Ding)
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