Bio

“So what we have planned here tonight was something a little bit out of the norm.”
- Aceyalone, “Live at the Firehouse Intro,” Aceyalone & The Lonely Ones

For legendary emcee Aceyalone, being out of the norm has paradoxically always been the norm. The Los Angeles rapper and founding member of Freestyle Fellowship, Haiku D’Etat and Project Blowed returns with Aceyalone & The Lonely Ones, an album that draws on Phil Spector, 60s girl groups, the J.B.s and a slew of raw, dirty funk for sonic inspiration.

After indulging his love of Jamaican music for 2007’s Lightning Strikes, the musically diverse emcee brings his admiration for doo-wop, blues and funk to the forefront. On the title track, finger snaps, falsetto choruses and Rickenbacker guitar dominate the production, a sound closer to Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound than today’s by-the-numbers beats. “What it Wuz” recalls the same era, but looks more towards Motown and Holland/Dozier/Holland production to emulate and update classic soul groups (think Martha & the Vandellas, Four Tops). “To the Top [Remix],” with its classic Bo Diddley beat, conjures up images of an early-20th century juke joint on Saturday night, while “Can’t Hold Back” is pure grimy funk, showcasing Aceyalone’s faux-bandleader personage as much as his emcee side. In true James Brown form, the emcee genially barks instructions to his band and engages the crowd in a rowdy call-and-response.