Armani Abomb takes a trip down memory lane over NatKingFlo production with a visit to his childhood home as featured vocalist and visual artist BlackBuddhaBear demonstrates the lasting power of a timeless legacy with a charcoal portrait series. ‘Rap Write Repeat’ is the 3rd single release from jazz-rap collective LOOPRAT’s ‘Locked in the Lab’ mixtape, available now via LOOPRAT.com
Shot by Calvin Tigre
Purchase limited edited t-shirts from BlackBuddhaBear's accompanying portrait series from the LOOPRAT store!
The LOOPRAT Collective comes together yet again for another submission to NPR's Tiny Desk Contest. Check out the gospel inspired cut produced by Davie Napalm, featuring Greg Sallie on organ and Lisa Houdei and Ciara Marcano as the featured chorus. Hopefully this one will lift your spirits as we all find ways to come together while staying safely distanced for the time being. Make sure to share the video if you are vibing, and let @nprmusic know as much on social media!
Tucked into the description of the video on YouTube is an announcement of sorts. "Album OTW" , and indeed it is! Literally as we planned our final recording session earlier this month, St. Louis followed the rest of the globe in instituting quarantine measures to help fight the spread of Covid-19. With such uncertainty in the immediate future we can't set a date for release, but look forward to seeing everyone on the other side as soon as possible. Stay safe, stay home, play LOOPRAT at loud volumes from your balcony.
LOOPRAT is happy to introduce our newest member, an incredible soul singer who you will get to know very well soon enough. Micah 'Black Buddha Bear' Shelton started working with the crew at the start of the summer. While we have been putting finishing touches on many group tracks for an upcoming project we decided to collaborate and release a single with an STL based production duo 'The Belief Cycle'. Excited to share this one!
Stream 'Never Better' today on all major platforms!
Enjoy the first appearance of many by Black Buddha Bear.
"Silly Affairs" is Joey Ferber's debut single and considering his role as a guitarist for the St. Louis based jazz hip-hop collective, LOOPRAT, it makes sense that it is a collaborative effort. Ferber, a burgeoning singer-songwriter in his own right teamed up with fellow LOOPRAT NatKingFlo for this whimsical, guitar-laden bop, that's stylings resemble something like R&B with a dash of rap. While the song's playful aesthetic hints at love and heartbreak, its core gets at the deep, sometimes complicated emotions behind romance. The song recognizes the importance of choosing time wisely, spending it with people who have your best interest in mind and vice versa. But as the video details, these decisions aren't always so clear cut. Ego gets involved, and next thing you know, lessons get learned the hard way.
For the visuals, Ferber teamed up with fellow St. Louisan, Freddy D'angelo to create what ended up feeling more like a short film than a music video. As far as follow ups, expect more collaborative efforts and solo content to support his debut drop.
LOOPRAT MC ZenMugen debuts the lead single for his upcoming project “Wisdom Unlimited EP” via LOOPRAT Music. The self-reflective content pairs with a classic instrumental from keynote LOOPRAT artist Davie Napalm. The concise wordplay and distinctive delivery showcases the collectives Hip Hop stylings while the message resonates with the trials and ultimate redemption of one man's journey.
Single art was commissioned from Marco Faßbender depicting the unknown of the horizon as well as the transition from mundane to sacred associated with the gateways of Buddhist shrines. The sound is a triumphant return from Mugen’s brief hiatus after his debut “Full Circle” released in November 2017.
LOOPRAT MC ZenMugen has been working with the collective in the Saint Louis music scene since 2013. Through the years, he has contributed to all five of the group's releases to date, both directly with lyrics and indirectly as a creative support and springboard. His new Demo Tape titled 'Full Circle' sees to an exploration of trials, lessons, and growth ultimately centering on and circling back to the identity he has worked to achieve as an artist.
Production covers a range of influences on the Midwestern sage, both classic and contemporaries. LOOPRAT producer Davie Napalm contributes 3 original beats including the single 'In the Thick of the Madness.' The cover art, white charcoal on black paper, is an accurate depiction of a collapsing black hole created by a physics student with a knack for expressive mediums. Logo and text work done by freeztheartist. Digital edit done by NatKingFlo. Mixed and mastered by Matt Sawicki at Suburban Pro Studios.
LOOPRAT MC ZenMugen has been meditating on the art of Hip Hop for years. His emergence as a solo artist has been an impending moment. Next Tuesday, his debut project, a demo tape titled ‘Full Circle’ releases in tandem with his first show at the Firebird. The the project will be available here on the music tab of the LOOPRAT website as well as on SoundCloud and Bandcamp. Stay tuned for further updates.
With a over a year passing since the release of a new project from the LOOPRAT collective, the time has come. The long awaited, heavily anticipated EP 'In < No Time' is sonically balanced between the classic and current, while showcasing expressive and cerebral content from LOOPRAT's MCs. Thought provoking lyrics are paired over instrumentals from ProEra's Chuck Strangers and Bruce Leekix as well as Chicago's OnGaud production team. Art by freeztheartist & ritehandrobot. Scratches by DJ vThom.
Today marked the release of the second video for LOOPRAT's forthcoming EP 'In (<) No Time'. Check out the video below which features production from Pro Era's Chuck Strangers and footage from the band's time at Loufest 2017. Hit the the music tab here on the website to download the free album now.
Check out the lead single and title track for LOOPRAT's forthcoming EP: In (<) No Time. The project will feature 7 free tracks with some of the industry's premier Hip-Hop producers including Pro Era's Chuck Strangers & Bruce Leekix as well as Chicago's OnGaud production team.
“How Live?” is the newest release from St. Louis jazzrap collective LOOPRAT. The project features eleven tracks from over a dozen artists rooted in the styles of jazz, hip-hop, funk, soul and spoken word. As a collective, LOOPRAT and their featured artists span the geography of St. Louis, making music that bridges divides of genre and culture. “How Live?” takes listeners through the lows and highs of life in St. Louis, from the harsh racial realities to cathartic celebrations of blues and hip-hop music. “How Live?” orchestrates a broad emotional spectrum from jazz-soul tracks like ‘Through the Gradient’ and ‘The Deck’ about deep-seeded forces of self-affirmation and trust to inspirational social anthems like ‘We’ and their edition of the St. Louis blues, ‘All The Way Live’. This project is an amalgamation of difference, a trait that the group strives to achieve in a country operating on fear and hatred.
A productive 2016 has seen the completion of many works of art by the LOOPRAT collective, and thus the release campaigns have begun. For their latest project, an EP titled ’How We Live’, the group has ventured through the cultural origins of the music. By representing the elements of Hip-Hop fluidly with production, lyrics and visuals, they successfully achieve a gritty aesthetic while maintaining an uplifting and authentic message.
"No False Witness" is a follow up single for LOOPRAT's forthcoming "How We Live EP". Following the 4th of July celebration of American independence, MCs Mugen and David Bohlen provide a timely critique of the American Dream. Hip-Hop was once a mechanism to challenge the status quo. The underground culture gave national recognition to unheard voices of the struggle. LOOPRAT returns to the origins of beats, raps and breaks, waging war with contemporary politics and the bastardized rap culture in the name of ousting the corruption within.
Take a listen to the newest release from LOOPRAT's forthcoming "How We Live EP". "These Days and Times" features MCs Will-Be and David Bohlen, of LOOPRAT, giving you a look at the world from their perspective. The beat features an alarm like bell sample, dug from the LOOPRAT crates. A touch of additional instrumentation and the signature Napalm drums are guaranteed to wake the listener up.
"Run To" is the new hard hitting Single release from Issue No.1. A collaborative project between David Bohlen (aka Davie Napalm) and Armani (aka Abomb) which is to be released later this year. This track brings you that true Hip-Hop you've been waiting for lyrically and instrumentally. The beat, produced by Davie Napalm, features original percussion sampling and vocal elements to inspire a clear message.
