Earlier this year, composer and producer Adrian Younge curated Amazon Music’s Produced By series of Amazon Original singles to celebrate the spectrum of Black music during Black History Month and today, Younge’s Linear Labs released an exclusive clip from the set featuring Younge’s ten-piece band with Ali Shaheed Muhammad, The Midnight Hour, and special guest rapper Black Thought. You may recognize The Midnight Hour as the crew that soundtracked Netflix’s now-canceled Luke Cage series, drawing on throwback funk and soul to evoke the Blaxploitation films that originally inspired the Marvel Comics character.
As it turns out, their soulful renditions are the perfect backdrop for some forceful, poetic hip-hop as well. Not only did numerous rap legends like Method Man and Rakim contribute to the groovy soundtrack of the show, but Black Thought’s live performance with the band transforms him from one of rap’s most respected lyricists to a a downright folk griot as he skillfully maneuvers across the lush soundscape provided by the band.
The Midnight Hour is gearing up to release their second album after their well-received, self-titled 2018 debut and have also announced the upcoming dates of their nationwide tour featuring Loren Oden, Angela Muñoz, and Jack Waterson. The tour starts September 11 in St. Petersburg, Florida and concludes in Los Angeles, California November 21. You can find more info here.
