The Red & Black - Producer showcases Atlanta music scene

Big ups to John Barrett, The Red & Black, UGA and the Rest of the World.

FROM THE ARTICLE
....Music producer and University alumnus Blake "808 Blake" German has a love for underground hip-hop, and he is dissatisfied with occupying the homogenous and well-trodden ground of present-day mainstream rap culture.

German graduated from the University as recently as 2007, but his production team, SMKA Productions, is quickly garnering a reputation within the Atlanta music community.

Alongside co-producer and engineer Kyle "7King" King and business manager Mike Walbert, German uses the project to shed light on some of the city's less recognized talent.

"These days, everyone is releasing music products like mixtapes all the time, so we wanted to showcase the underground scene in Atlanta," Walbert said.

"With his style, Blake bridges the gap between the hipster movement in Atlanta and a strong southern feel."

Elaborating on this unusual crossover appeal, German commented: "I was born and raised on UGK and OutKast, as well as the hard-driving southern bass that has been synonymous with the South and hip-hop. Then the next step is to mix those roots with different samples and influences - whatever sounds good to me."

But German acknowledged that King played an equally important role in the team's process.

"Mixing the soulful samples, taking a ragtime piano sample and being able to make something new from it ... It's the diversity of the music that we hear and the music that we put out," he said.

So far, the production trio's efforts to deliver a unique approach to the hip-hop scene have been met with a substantial amount of success.

This triumphs are embodied in the team's new compilation album, "The 808 Experiment," featuring collaborations from Atlanta hip-hop artists such as Supreeme, Gripplyaz and Jay West...

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