alfred azieru
I've been a fan of Choosey's since he released Left Field and he is in top form with Exile in this album. They compliment each other so well and this was a joy to listen to. It's definitely gonna be in my rotation for the year.
Favorite track: Show You.
Between gospel music in church and his grandfather’s role in the Latin Jazz scene of Los Angeles, music has always been a factor in Choosey’s lineage. With four years passing since his debut Left Field, Choosey makes his long awaited return with Black Beans, an album conveying the less represented perspective of growing up Afro-Chicano.
Hailing from LA by way of San Diego, Choosey uses Black Beans to make important statements in favor of black and brown unity at a time when his voice is most needed. Autobiographical moments like “I Did” follow in the footsteps of Exile produced masterpieces including Blu’s Below The Heavens and Fashawn’s Boy Meets World, as his soulful beats have always brought honesty and introspection out of the Dirty Science crew. Choosey says “My biggest influences have been people who spoke from the heart, and what’s most honest about me is my heritage. There’s a stigma that Black and Mexican cultures don’t get along, but I wanted to show the beauty in being a product of both.”
Slated for a Spring release, Black Beans captures the feeling of the beautiful struggle while navigating life’s potholes throughout sunny Southern California. Taking the good with the bad, Choosey honors family and his significant other while attacking society’s ills including police brutality and gentrification. Though Black Beans is consistent with Exile’s sound, with this effort, he sampled from a number of sources and an era that best reflects Choosey’s story personally. “Oldies are a big part of Chicano culture on the west coast from the ‘50s to now. Choosey is born out of that. So with this album, we wanted to unify that sound with Hip-Hop” says Exile.
Initially using music as his refuge from hard times, Black Beans proves why Choosey’s command of the mic and passion for self-expression make him one of the most exciting acts emerging from the underground. Combining street smarts and book smarts, the album is sure to impact listeners as he’s a testament to following his dreams while surviving everything from the daily rat race to coming up in territories surrounded by gang activity. As his career continues to flourish, Choosey looks to the future with a bright vision saying “I want to be amongst the greats and connect directly with people as a voice who spoke from the heart.”
credits
released March 29, 2019
A very special thanks to the Vasquez family, The Manfredi family, Damien and Fabian Granados, Mylow, Chikle, Dominic Cooley, Azzdine Camara, C Sik, Pinche Kid, The DS Crew, Blu, Aloe Blacc, Fashawn, Johaz, Cashus King, Blame One, MED, Dag Savage, Pistol McFly, Sirplus, Piff, Tinman, Sean "Squid" Oniel, Darren Oniel, The Robinson family, Slum The Resident, Gavin Massey, Omar Loya, Ernesto Yerena, Oute 5, Andrew Lojero, KOG, LTS, KGB, House Shoes, SCM, Egon, Balian, Funk Freaks, Maria De La Vega, PWC, Jose Jurado, Justin Abbink, Josh One, Jon Jon, Uncle Bry, Joe Dent, Jaime Vazquez, Bert Haine and the entire Fat Beats staff, Chulita Vinyl Club, Cookie Crew, Por Vida Barrio Logan, Air Nandez, Retna, The Record Box, Arts & Rec, Chata, Ishe Holland, Aisha Holland, Beat Box Records, Spnoza, Bam & Mo, Zack Mack, Carlos Alfonso, Nico Hernandez, The Olivera family, Listed, Jorge Luna, Viviana Ramirez, Bobby Lefebre, Hood Profet, MSK, and last but not least, our beautiful fans.
This is my favourite album of the 2020’s. A classic in the first order. Every song is truly great. Nothing sounds repetitive and it continues to be fresh and new to this day. William "Tycoon" Russ
Just a beautiful jazzy rap album with buttery smooth flows versed with huge talent. It's not only lovely to the ears, but the lyrics are profound and empowering about the struggles that she faces. zhangtastic
Ten years after Blu and Exile released “Below the Heavens,” the duo is back with 14 tracks from its original sessions. Bandcamp New & Notable Sep 19, 2017