The Tones – Dreamtalk (Plug Label)

Released: 24/02/2009

Being on MySpace is all about getting in touch with artists you love and connect with exiting new talent that escapes your radar. Some days ago, The Tones got in touch. The California Bay Area duo provides that soulful, organic and honest vibe that I love in hiphop.

Being compared to the likes of Blackstar, Tribe Called Quest, Slum Village and De La Soul isn’t too far off (I would add Kanye to that as well), but these guys are very much able to claim their own fame. The Tones are rapper and producer Retro, and rapper/singer Suhn. Since the group first formed in 2001, The Tones have toured with the likes of Common, Slum Village, Little Brother, Roots’ drummer QuestLove, and Dr. Cornell West to name a few. 

The five tracks on their MySpace site give you a good feel of the sound on “Dreamtalk”. Quality vocals and good production skills. I could have picked out specific tracks, but this is a really solid album – so I’ll let you choose your own favorites. The album is out on Kero One’s label – Plug – and if you haven’t checked it out yet, you are in for a treat.

MySpace | Amazon | Plug Label |