NAPPY ROOTS BIO

On the eve of the release of their fifth studio album and more than ten years since releasing their debut, Nappy Roots stands at a unique crossroads. With a history that is virtually unmatched, and backed by one of the South’s original music powerhouses, Skinny DeVille, Fishscales, Big V, Ron Clutch and B. Stille are on the verge of releasing an album that is almost guaranteed to be deemed a Hip-Hop classic.

By far one of the most underrated Hip-Hop acts to have emerged over the past few years, their accomplishments and the milestones they’ve reached are the stuff of often-referenced Hip-Hop legacies. But theirs remains a legacy that isn’t celebrated nearly as much as it should be… at least not by the “industry.”

The fans, on the other hand, recognize just what sets Nappy Roots apart. Since abandoning their major label deal for the sake of their creative integrity, the group has easily been one of the most consistent acts in Hip-Hop as well. In addition to their two independent releases – The Humdinger and Pursuit Of Nappyness, released in 2008 and 2010 respectively– Nappy Roots has provided their fans with new music every year since 2004, amassing a total of no less than 10 full-length albums and mixtapes.

To support these releases, the group has also maintained one of the most active touring schedules in Hip-Hop, performing a total of 200 dates in 2010 alone. The heavy touring has not only helped to keep Nappy Roots ever present in the minds of their continually expanding fan base, it has provided them a wider perspective on life, which in turn allows them to create music for a wider audience than most Hip-Hop act have access to.

Which brings Nappy Roots back to its crossroads. After six years as independent artists and label owners, the group’s latest project, Nappy Dot Org, a collaboration with the legendary Organized Noise collective, has allowed them to once again approach an album strictly as artists. Early on in the process of conceptualizing and working on this album, the group knew that they were not looking forward to the A&R duties they had been forced to undertake on their previous two independent albums. The tedious task of finding producers, sifting through their music to find something every member of the group could agree on, then making sure the business end of the transaction was properly taken care of was taking too much time away from the creative. So their manager’s suggestion to work exclusively with Organized Noise on the new album was immediately accepted.

Coming from a place of mutual respect, it didn’t take long for the two crews to develop an easy working relationship. Organized Noise further simplified the process by crafting music specifically for this project, thereby eliminating the need for Nappy Roots to do anything but be lyricists.

“When we left Atlantic Records, we knew that we could handle the day-to-day business of running a record label or production company, because we had done it since college,” says Skinny DeVille. “But working with Organized Noise took some of the dirty work out of the equation and let us be creatives without the pressure.” It also helped that Nappy Roots new that the quality of the production was going to surpass their expectations, which gave them the motivation to perform at the highest level lyrically.

The final product is an album that is equally representative of Nappy Roots and Organized Noise’s respective creative identity while creating something that stands out from everything they’ve created in the past. It is natural and organic, a melding of free thoughts over cutting edge musical concepts. Nappy Dot Org is a collection of familiar music presented in a fresh and unique way that still fits perfectly in today’s musical climate. From the light-hearted “Y’all Party” to the sonically rich first single “Congratulations,” the album captures an effortless maturity that isn’t so far removed as to be unrelatable to younger listeners, but just enough as to bring something better to the game. Fans will also find a stylistic cohesiveness to the project, created by the fact that each of the group’s five member

“We did exactly what people would have expect,” says B. Stille. “We knew that once our fans heard Nappy Roots was working on an album with Organized Noise, the expectations would be crazy. And we made sure to deliver on that anticipation.”
Of course, throughout their work, Nappy Roots has never abandoned its dedication to service and education. Since it was first proclaimed a statewide holiday in Kentucky, the group has celebrated “Nappy Roots Day,” September 16, as an opportunity to share impart the importance of education to younger fans. Of course, this band of brothers, whose friendship was forged on the campus of West Kentucky University, don’t limit their dedication to promoting higher learning to that one day of the year. In addition to their constant speaking engagements, they are currently finalizing plans to launch a 7-week camp that will take a small group of middle school and high school students on a tour of Kentucky colleges and universities.

Until the September 27 release of Nappy Dot Org you can keep up with Nappy Roots via Twitter: @NappyRoots @fishscales @ronclutch @KYBuffalo @BigVitoBanga @SkinnyDeville
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