Cosby Formally Unveils Hip-Hop Project
April 14, 2008
- RB Hip-Hop
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| BILL COSBY |
By Gail Mitchell, L.A.
Formal details about Bill Cosby’s upcoming hip-hop album are finally emerging. Billboard.biz has learned exclusively that the comedian/actor/author will serve as executive producer and co-writer on “Cosby Narratives Vol. 1: State of Emergency.” The album is expected to drop within the next several weeks.
Collaborating with Cosby is his longtime musical colleague Bill “Spaceman” Patterson and Patterson’s partner Ced-Gee. Patterson, whose musician/production credits include Miles Davis and Mariah Carey, has worked with Cosby on a variety of film and television projects including “The Cosby Show.” Ced-Gee is a co-founder of the pioneering hip-hop group Ultramagnetic MCs.
Designed as a companion to Cosby’s “Come on People: On the Path From Victims to Victors” -- the debate-provoking 2007 book co-authored with Dr. Alvin Poussaint -- “State of Emergency” weaves hip-hop, jazz, pop, funk and other genres around frank, positive messages drawn from Cosby’s lyrics, stories and musical ideas.
Guests include such newcomer MCs as SupaNova Slom, Jace the Great and Brother Hahz. Selections include the New Orleans-jazzed “Where’s the Parade” (a celebration of womanhood), the funky-soul “Dads Behind the Glass” and R&B-vibed “Get on Your Job.” Despite previous reports, Cosby does not rap or sing on the album.
In a statement released by longtime Cosby representative David Brokaw, “State of Emergency” is described as an “unflinching look at life in the 21st century but without the profanity, misogyny, violence and braggadocio” that Cosby has vehemently criticized in hip-hop music.
A distributor will be announced at a later date, but look for “State of Emergency” to be released within the next several weeks.
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