Thanks to my community of friends and fans in The Berkshires and beyond who came together to make this happen. Having the opportunity to collaborate with KRS-One is a dream-come-true.
I had an innate feeling that KRS-One was supposed to be on the remix for "From the Woods". Even though the production is a backwoods, barn-type, blues-hop crossover, I was imagining his voice on it. As a hip-hop artist from a rural area, it's important to me to acknowledge where Hip Hop comes from and the legends who created the culture. I first listened to KRS when I was a little kid starting to rap and make beats back in the day. He changed my life by displaying that Hip Hop is something you live. I was as flabbergasted when I heard his verse on the track. The song aims to build a bridge between rural and urban at a point in time when unity is much needed.
lyrics
Worldwide what's good
We're bumping hip-hop
From the the city to the woods
From the street corner
To your rural neighborhood
It's a way of life man this is understood
But we know where it started at
I'm the living almanac
The teacher they call me that
Breaking mcee-ing graffiti and DJ-ing
Beatboxing fashion and language
And knowledge and trading I'm all of that
Whackest of rappers are falling back
So I called up Whalan he called me back
He asked me to come up with all the facts
So I'ma get down where the water at?
Up in the woods puffing the good
Spitting and living the way that I should
Eating the minerals spitting the spiritual
Big up to Zin Uru all in the hood
Culture let me indulge ya
No kidding I'm here to adult ya
Spitting the facts mcee-ing on rap
I'm bringing it back the way I'm supposed to
Trees talking the breeze walking
Mcees are often hip-hop
1520 Sedgwick the boom bap started on this block
So what's a color what's a race?
What's the other what's a face?
When it's time to spit the raw
For sure you better rep your space
Hip-hop demands no less
Wherever you are be the best
Suburban swerving rural urban
Grab the mic and beat your chest
No need to stress east to west
Hip-hop it turns the lights on
Yo Jackson Whalan turn your mic on
Worldwide what's good
We're bumping hip-hop
To the city from the woods
From the top of the mountain
To your local neighborhood
It's a way of life man this is understood
But we know where at started at
From pit bulls to poodles from urban to rural
I battle and duel I'm blowing their bugle
Cuz some are not used to the way I refuse to
Sell out to the coo-coo the way they abuse you
This is the teacher man open your pupils
Steaming hot baking your noodle
If you don't know you can check me on Google
Yo Whalan do you
Yo I'm from where the forests at
Collab-Ing with the God of rap
With farmers and the tourists
In the barn where I'm performing at
Forget the second home owning corporate cats
Hip-hop I'm out here forging that
Coming from the 413
Then into the city and forth and back
Backwoods material
Link with the legend we're making a miracle
Out of the box and we're making it spherical
Teachers curriculum this is the peer review
I'm Gandalf in the shire headed to Mordor
Then it's back to nature
Contemplating all of the greats who came before
It's that hip-hop folklore
While whack mcees are waging a war
Cuz being fake could pay you some more
But that's not what we're doing this for
Forget what's trending never pretending
I'm here to be a leader
With blast master KRS-One up in your speaker
From the clubs to big arenas
For teachers and truth seekers
From the dopest fans who feeding us
Right down to non-believers
For the activists fighting these warlords
Who trying to cheat us
Freeing your mind and leading the blind
With words that leave you speechless
Worldwide what's good
We're bumping hip-hop
To the city from the woods
From the top of the mountain
To your local neighborhood
It's a way of life man this is understood
But we know where at started at
What's good
We're bumping hip-hop
From the the city to the woods
From the street corner
To your rural neighborhood
It's a way of life man this is understood
But we know where it started at
credits
released April 23, 2021
Produced by Jackson Whalan
Co-produced with Ian Evans
Vocals: Jackson Whalan & KRS-One
Beat maker: Jackson Whalan
Keyboard: Ian Evans
Slide Guitar: Ian Evans
Electric guitar: Robby Baier
String Arrangement & Cello: Dave Eggar
Violin: Kalia Yeagle
Mandolin: Blake Collins
Recording Engineer: Jackson Whalan
Additional Recording Engineer: Mike Stephenson
Additional recording engineer: Evan Melville
Mixing Engineer: Ian Stewart
Second Mixing Engineer: John Davis
Mastering Engineer: Robert Macchiochi
Recorded at Jackson Whalan Music production studio in Housatonic, MA
Additional recording at Patch Werk Recording Studios in Atlanta, GA
Additional recording at Classic Recording Studio in Bristol, TN
Mixed at Flotown Mastering in North Adams, MA
Additional mixing at The Bunker Studio in Brooklyn, NY
Mastered at Subvert Central Mastering (United Kingdom)
Supporters:
John Whalan, James Massey, Eliot DeLeo, Kara Gilligan, Janel Munoa, Rosemary Rahn, Eo Constantatos, Jem Taylor, Ed Husar, Nick Keene, Steven Amash, James J Gallagher, Christine M Berkowitz, Billie Reagan, Dan Bailey, Sean McCabe, Sahar Zellou, Greg & Jenn Costantino, Shelby Gasek, Sheldon Gaynor, Mary Deren, Margot Kimmel, Alexander Kasper, B S, Nancy Fitzpatrick, MATI KIIN, Sam McGarrity, Jonathan Vella, Gennari Electric, Mikey Cataldo, Ross Hammond, Amanda Kane, Kolbe R Pollock, Sean Pontier,Aaron Luttenberger, Joseph Scully,Crockett McGarrity, Seth Bartosik, Simon Ban,Thomas Goewey, Robert Robles, Amy Inglis, Camille B, Gregory Visci, Alex Goldman,, Rachel Mercado, David Inglis, Tessa Martina, Jeffrey Neumann, Li-Dor David, Jesse Johnson, LANA HEARST, Catherine Hancock, John Fülöp, Morgan Bubriski, Jackson Whelan, Tyler Gasek, Lionel Semedo, Steven Picheny, Jason Metcalf, Morgan Bronstein, Karen Climo, Elena Anastas-Evans, Ned Torrico, Andrew Dorian, Gabe Rossman, Jesse Watkins, Joseph Chang, Lisa Landry, Judy Knight, Daniel Karz-Wagman, Christi Nordoff, Justin Torrico, David Carriere, Benjamin Goldsher, Josh Gibbs, Mickey Friedman, Sophia St. Helen, Evan Snyder, Jesse Ciarmataro, Richard Sands, Gabriel Patel, Robert Baier, Cody Morrison, Lori Levinson, Joey Stokes, Ellen Lahr, Jules Tiven, Daniel Bialowas, Deb Curran, Mary Alouette, Adam Sacchetti, Peter Greer, Ezra Marcus, Neil Grant-Richardson, Rob Swift, Sim Bittman, Jason Morse, Molly Schwarz, UPFULLife, Kai Reed, Job Yacubian, Amelia Hammond, Alex Vazquez, David Weber, Andy Gennari, Richard Guerra, Andrew Anderson, Justin Badger, Dan Searl, Cameron Black, Samson Hertz, Elena Rodgers, Alexandra Rush, JOHN HENSLER, Sarah Sperber, DArtagnan Magana, Leonard Johnson, Mia Shepherd, Jonathan Martinez, Eugene Warshavsky, David Schnirman, Rob Sanzone, Eric Giambrone, Daniel Birghenthal, Brandon Boule, Reuben Smith, Sam Barron, Ian Stewart
Cincinnati rapper Brandon Isaac ups the ante on his excellent new record, combining bars that dig deep with beats that hit hard. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 20, 2023
