Casual Smash Rockwell Sept 6

[Hero1]

You can download a 30 minute mix of the album here! http://www.fwmj.com/media/casual.mp3

check out "single mother"! an amazing track! :wickedwisdom: :wickedwisdom:

September 6!

Track Listing

1. Say That Then

2. Rap Game

3. Smash Don’t Hurt 'Em

4. OAKtown (feat. EMAc / Too $hort / G Stack / Richie Rich)

5. Styles

6. Bitin & Freakin (feat. Psalm One)

7. In The Whip

8. Nickel & Dime Gangsta (f. E40) (feat. E-40)

9. Critical

10. Hierollers (feat. Tajai / Opio)

11. Single Mother

12. All Around The World

13. Bay Vs. Bricks (feat. Young Zee)

14. I'll Hit That

15. Make It Hot

16. Wakemup

The name is Rockwell. Smash Rockwell. Meet Oakland emcee Casual's newest alter ego. †The man who made a name for himself as a grimy battle rapper now sits proudly behind a desk in the building he co-owns with his fellow Hieroglyphics brethren.

†But don't think the trappings of success have quelled the fire in his belly; Casual Presents Smash Rockwell is the most focused and well-rounded project he has released yet. †September 6th is the day when Casual’s distinctive deep voice, signature pitch-altering style, and menacingly cocky Oakland accent will satisfy old fans and win over a new generation of hip-hop heads. Musically, Casual Presents Smash Rockwell is more of a worldly affair than Casual's previous Oakland-centric endeavors, though that classic Oakland sound is represented here by production from both Casual and A-Plus (Souls Of Mischief). Dan the Automator, Jake One, and Domino bring the West Coast influence. J-Zone and Young Zee supply the East Coast vibe, Artistry from London brings a European touch, and the legendary Dante Ross rounds out the lineup.

Casual, who has spent over 10 years playing the rap game, picked the best parts from his different experiences and brought them all together in this one album. “Smash Rockwell is me at my finest,” explains Cas. "And the term ‘smash' in Oakland means to get aggressive and take control, which is what I've done with my life, my business, and this album." The lead single, "Say That Then" challenges the materialistic nature of the current state of hip-hop. Casual reminds folks that it's not about what you look like but what you spit. On "Styles" Casual displays his skills with wordplay, free association, and syllabic versatility: "You've never been hot/name a city your group rocks/you ain't been large since the video jukebox/ I keep it moving like Soul2Soul/ old school like pole to pole/ but keep improving, right?"

†Perhaps the song that best embodies Casual's position in hip-hop is the braggadocio's ode "Wakemup": "Rap ciphers, I break 'em up/ classics, I make 'em up/ sleep(ing) dudes, I wake 'em up." †Equipped with expert production, varying lyrical styles, and the classic Hiero aesthetic, this album is Mr. Rockwell's most sonically accessible album to date. Casual first made his mark at the 1992 Gavin Convention when he, Souls of Mischief, Pharaohe Monche, and Kurious broke into a spontaneous cipher that left heads speechless. †By the time Cas returned home, his answering machine was maxed-out with messages from different A&R’s. †He ultimately signed to Jive Records in 1994 and released his critically acclaimed debut LP Fear Itself. Despite being under-promoted, the album sold well and was awarded a rare 4 mics score from The Source Magazine.

†However, Casual's frustration at the lack of creative control and under-promotion led him to leave the label. †Together, with Del The Funky Homosapien, Souls of Mischief, Pep Love, and Domino, Casual established one of the first and most successful indie hip-hop companies of all time, Hiero Imperium, in 1997. Hieroglyphics released their first album, Third Eye Vision in 1998 as a collective unit and followed it up with releases by each of the individual artists. Next, Casual self-released the limited edition cassette-only recording entitled Meanwhile which sold over 5,000 units and is now a collector's item. The following single "VIP" further cemented Casual's reputation as a gifted lyricist. Casual’s second official Hiero-backed release was 2001's He Think He Raw.

Although the album showcased Casual’s signature style, his antagonistic tone belied the dark state of mind he was in at the time. “In looking back, I now realize how angry I was with my position in hip-hop. I was rapping about all the negative stuff which turned a lot of people off.” Despite Casual’s reservations, the album sold a respectable number of units. To tide fans over for the next full length album, Casual put out Truck Driver, a compilation of unreleased and vinyl-only tracks in 2003. In keeping with the tradition of releasing small runs of hard-to-obtain records, the album was sold exclusively at shows and on the Hieroglyphics website. † Armed with an undeniably fresh single and month-long national tour, Casual's fourth solo album, Smash Rockwell is set to put Casual back on the map as a hip-hop force to be reckoned with.

†Mr. Smash Rockwell is the embodiment of the new Casual; wise businessman and pragmatic artist. “I can’t expect everyone to know who I am; kids who are in high school now were only 5 years old when my first album came out. Now, if cats claim themselves to be true hip-hop fans then they should know about me, but I ain’t mad if they don’t. †Now they will." †Remember the name. Rockwell. Smash Rockwell.

[bigted]

Thanks for this Tim, damn Hieroglyphics are really hustling in the rap game, album after album nonstop, when I get a job I'm gonna order some of those CDs, did they just sign OC? I thought he was on Grit Records with KRS-ONE.

[Hero1]

Thanks for this Tim, damn Hieroglyphics are really hustling in the rap game, album after album nonstop, when I get a job I'm gonna order some of those CDs, did they just sign OC?  I thought he was on Grit Records with KRS-ONE.

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Yeah they just signed OC to Hiero Imperium and hes on tour with hiero now.. Everyone download that casual mix of this album.. i'm lovin it! best cas ever... :rockon:

[Hero1]

check out this dope interview

A hip-hop collective lets members fly solo

The rapper known as Casual has been experimenting with an alter ego, Smash Rockwell. He and other members of the hip-hop collective called the Hieroglyphics will be at Cat's Cradle tonight.

By MARTIN L. JOHNSON, Correspondent

The members of the Oakland-based rap collective called the Hieroglyphics have had so many side projects, it's hard to remember that their real commitment is to preserving the hip-hop sound fans now call "old school."

At the collective's stop tonight in Carrboro, it will be Casual's turn to show off new material from his upcoming album, "Casual Presents Smash Rockwell," his first in four years, to be released Sept. 6 on the collective's own label, Hiero Imperium.

Casual -- aka John Owens -- says the name of the album comes from the name of his latest alter-ego.

"That's just a nickname I developed over the years," he said in a recent phone interview. "Where I'm from, when you smash on something, it means that you're being overaggressive and taking control of a situation."

Info

WHAT: Casual, Souls of Mischief and Pep Love from the hip-hop collective The Hieroglyphics, also with Non Phixion, OC and the Boom Bap Project.

When: 9:30 p.m. today.

Where: Cat's Cradle, 300 E. Main St., Carrboro.

Admission: $15.

Details: 967-9053, www.catscradle.com.

The name applied to Owens, and it eventually replaced the name that the 30-year-old performer released his first album under in 1993.

"A lot of my friends switched from calling me Cas to calling me Smash," he said. "I just added the Rockwell."

As is the case for a lot of rappers who came of age in the early 1990s, Owens said he misses the old days of hip-hop, and his new album reflects his discontent with the flashier aspects of hip-hop today. He said he wanted to do something different with the album.

"I bring real classic old-school beat-boy hip-hop instead of this materialistic hip-hop," he said.

The materialism evident in hip-hop now happened because some rappers made a lot of money, Owens said, and wanted to display it rather than keeping true to the music.

"That stuff is impressive," he said. "When you put that on TV and little kids are looking, it creates that effect, but that wasn't really what [hip-hop] was about originally."

The lead-off single from the album, "Say That Then," is a scathing attack on materialism ("I'm handing out Gucci body bags and Coogi caskets") on which Owens boasts of his own skills while saying "I'm not your average, every day, you know the way that end / Still bring that real hip-hop from way back when."

Owens recognized that much of mainstream hip-hop is high-quality. Although the Hieroglyphics have long been pegged as "underground," Owens said he didn't think much of that label.

"A lot of people take garbage music and try to call it underground," he said.

For the new album, Owens said he used the Internet to find producers for his tracks, which meant he could work with people from across town as easily as he could work with people in London. His last album, 2001's "He Think He Raw," was poorly received by fans for its emphasis on sexual themes. He said he took a more serious approach this time out.

"My focus was a little bit different in this record, and I hope it comes out in the music," he said. "I work at a company and sit at a desk. I realize what people want from Casual."

But despite the developments in his solo career, Casual continues to work with the Hieroglyphics. He said working with a collective gave him feedback for his work, but it also constrained him.

"You've got to release a little bit of creative control when you're making a song with a crew," he said. "When you're a solo artist, you don't have to explain the vision you see."

[WesSyde]

that's cool, it kinda got me hyped up for the album! however i've never been a huge fan of his voice... it seems kinda annoying.

[bigted]

Thanks for the interview Tim, there's gonna be some Hiero songs in the NBA2K6 game that comes out in October too! :rockon:

[fresh_from_sofia]

that's cool, it kinda got me hyped up for the album! however i've never been a huge fan of his voice... it seems kinda annoying.

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yeah same with me but some parts of the mix got goood :speaker1: sound :speaker1:

thanks Tim

[Hero1]

dont know what yall talkin about casuals voice is dope he has one of the sickest flows in hip hop :eusa_snooty:

[Vipa]

Ahha..Nice. Guest spots lookin Dope...I'll keep a look out for it.

[Hero1]

Ahha..Nice. Guest spots lookin Dope...I'll keep a look out for it.

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u download the mix vipa?

[Vipa]

Just started it, so it's downloading now.

[bigted]

I'm gonna download this by the weekend, I think Casual got a great hip-hop flow, if you wanna talk about annoying voices look no further than mostly every commercial rapper out now that you'll hear when you turn your radio on. :ShockRifle:

[Vipa]

I just heard some of it..sounds pretty dope...

[bigted]

I was curious to know who produces most of the Hiero tracks? Whoever has done that is a legendary producer/producers, their beats are what all hip-hop tracks should sound like! :rockon:

[Hero1]

Will needed beats like that for Lost and Found!

for this album production was done by j-zone, the automator, domino, a-plus, sd-50s