''Sunset Blvd.'' is the debut LP by Detroit-based hip hop duo Yancey Boys (

Illa J John Derek Yancey (born October 13, 1986), better known by his stage name Illa J, is an American rapper, singer, producer and songwriter. from Detroit, Michigan who has released two albums on Delicious Vinyl Records. He is the younger brother ...

and

Frank Nitt Frank n Dank (real names Frank Bush and Derrick Harvey) are an American hip hop group from Detroit, Michigan. They also go by the names Frank Nitt (previously known as Frank Nitty, which is a reference to the 1930s crime boss Frank Nitti) and D ...

), released on October 29, 2013 by Yancey Media Group in conjunction with Delicious Vinyl and distributed through Traffic Entertainment Group. The record is built around a recently unearthed batch of music created by Illa J's late elder brother, James "J Dilla" Yancey. The album features the latter's past collaborators like

De La Soul De La Soul () is an American hip hop trio formed in 1988 in the Amityville area of Long Island, New York. They are best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative ...

Posdnuos Kelvin Mercer (born August 17, 1969), also known by his stage name Posdnuos and occasionally Pos, is an American rapper and producer from East Massapequa, New York best known for his work as one-third of the hip hop trio De La Soul. Through ...

, Slum Village's T3,

Common Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally com ...

, The Pharcyde's

Slimkid3 Trevant Hardson (born October 5, 1970), best known by his stage name Slimkid3 (Slim Kid Tre; sometimes stylized as SlimKid3), is an American rapper from Los Angeles. He is a founding member of The Pharcyde. Career Tre Hardson began his career ...

and Talib Kweli. Additional guests on ''Sunset Blvd.'' include DJs Rhettmatic, C-Minus, and

J. Rocc The Beat Junkies is an American hip hop crew of DJs specializing in turntablism. Established in 1992 in Orange County, California by J. Rocc. As of 2014, The Beat Junkie Crew also host their own record pool, clothing line and radio station. ...

as well as rapper Guilty Simpson and R&B singer Eric Roberson.

Background

John "

" Yancey is J Dilla's younger brother.

, who grew up with Dilla in Detroit, is the Chief Curator of the late producer's music catalog and oversees the official approval of material released by the Yancey Media Group. In the spirit of further paying tribute to the legacy of J Dilla, in 2012, Illa J and Frank Nitt have teamed up to form a new hip hop duo named after Illa J's original Dilla-produced album ''

Yancey Boys ''Yancey Boys'' is the debut studio album by Detroit-based rapper/singer Illa J, featuring instrumental production from his late brother Jay Dee, also known as J Dilla. The album was released on November 4, 2008 under Delicious Vinyl. The beats we ...

'' (2008). Illa J began making music under the Yancey Boys banner with the guidance of Frank in 2008. "Putting together the first Yancey Boys album was a chance to put Illa J on the map and keep it in the family," says Delicious Vinyl co-founder & CEO Michael Ross. "On ''Sunset Blvd'', Illa and Frank

itt ITT may refer to: Communication * Infantry-Tank Telephone, a device allowing infantrymen to speak to the occupants of armoured vehicles. Mathematics *Intuitionistic type theory, other name of Martin-Löf Type Theory *Intensional type theory B ...

dove deep into these stunning unreleased Dilla beats to make an honest album with all the right collaborations." As Frank Nitt states: "We've created an album that would make Dilla proud. But this isn't a nostalgia trip. Dilla's beats were so future-forward that they're right on time in 2013, and we've assembled the best artists possible to represent that."

Critical reception

Upon its release, ''Sunset Blvd.'' opened up to generally favorable reviews from music critics. Pitchfork Media's Jonah Bromwich gave the album a 7.3 out of ten, saying: "''Sunset Blvd.'' refuses to let itself be colored by regret. This is the most joyous record that we've seen from Dilla's disciples since the producer's death in 2006. By avoiding the tendency to wallow in the past or to define itself in opposition to contemporary rap, it joins the ranks of albums from Camp Lo and

Black Milk Curtis Eugene Cross (born August 14, 1983), better known by his stage name Black Milk, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Career In addition to Slum Village, Black Milk has worked with J Dilla, Elzhi, Phat Kat, Frank-N-Dan ...

, two other former backpack acts who updated their formula successfully this year, breaking free of the cliches that had held them back and making genuinely engaging hip-hop music." ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

'' reviewer Kevin Jones gave the album a seven out of ten, saying: "Though some of the beats are thought to date back to the producer's Pharcyde period, ''Sunset Blvd.'' maintains a general freshness and lingering sense of soothing familiarity, while the energetic vocal contributions make for a complete album that does the Yancey name justice for both Illa J and his legendary older brother." David Jeffries of AllMusic gave the album four out of five stars, saying: "Fans thinking these rare beats should be handled with more respect are missing the point -- and can seek out the instrumentals, which are available as a bonus or separately -- but those who approach this as fond memories on Friday night will find themselves smiling until the sun comes up on Monday. Good times, great rhymes, and excellent beats."

Singles

On August 27, 2013, the lead single, "Quicksand," featuring longtime J Dilla collaborator

, and Dezi Paige, was released as an EP along with "Fisherman" on the B-side, featuring guest performances from J Rocc of Beat Junkies, Vice and Detroit Serious.

Track listing

''All tracks include beats produced by J Dilla.'' ;Notes *”The Throwaway” originally appeared on the J Dilla EP ‘The Lost Scrolls Vol. 1’Kenner, Rob. “J Dilla...The Afterlife”. Complex. 7 February 2016. http://www.complex.com/music/2016/02/j-dilla-essentials-guide-the-afterlife/ ;Sample Credits *”Jeep Volume” interpolates the J Dilla song “Reckless Driving”, from his EP ‘ Ruff Draft’ *”The Throwaway” contains lyrics from “ The Choice is Yours” performed by

Black Sheep In the English language, black sheep is an idiom that describes a member of a group who is different from the rest, especially a family member who does not fit in. The term stems from sheep whose fleece is colored black rather than the more comm ...

Personnel

Credits for ''Sunset Blvd.'' adapted from AllMusic and from the album liner notes. * Yancey Boys – Primary Artist * Botni Applebum – Featured Artist * C-Minus – Featured Artist *

– Featured Artist * Cook and Cover (Straight Up) – Art Design * Dave Cooley – Mastering * J Dilla – Producer * Daddy Kev – Mastering *

Dank Dank or DANK may refer to: * Dank (horse), a British-trained thoroughbred racehorse * Dank (surname), a surname * Dank, Romania, a village in the commune of Aghireșu, Romania * DANK Haus German American Cultural Center, a cultural organization ...

– Featured Artist * Detroit Serious – Featured Artist * Early Mac – Featured Artist * Todd Fairall – Mixing Engineer * Niko Gray – Featured Artist * Asato Iida – Photography * Talib Kweli – Featured Artist *

– Executive Producer, Design Concept * Dezi Paige – Featured Artist * J. Pinder – Featured Artist *

– Featured Artist * Rhettmatic – Featured Artist * Eric Roberson – Featured Artist *

– Featured Artist * Michael Ross – Executive Producer * Geoff Schroer – Mixing Engineer *

– Featured Artist * Guilty Simpson – Featured Artist * T3 – Featured Artist * Vice Verse – Featured Artist

References

External links

Yancey Boys
Official Website {{Authority control 2013 debut albums Hip hop albums by American artists Midwest hip hop albums Underground hip hop albums Delicious Vinyl albums Albums produced by J Dilla Illa J albums