Leeds Hip Hop Scene

RELEASE DATE: 5th MARCH 2008

The brainchild of production duo Mark Rae and Rhys Adams Yes King fuse a melée of styles from hip hop, dancehall, ragga and ska into their own unique brand…
Mark Rae has long been a figurehead of the UK music scene following the success of his first production outfit Rae & Christian, the establishment of the former Grand Central Records and Manchester’s Fat City record shop.  Rhys Adams remixed Mark Rae’s ‘Candystripe’ under the name of Frankie Valley subsequently lent his production and writing skills to Mark’s follow-up LP ‘Into The Depths’ and a natural collaborative partnership was cemented.
Rhys and Mark later joined forces while producing the album ‘Two Culture Clash’ for Wall of Sound in 2004 and the pair went to Jamaica to record in situ with local vocalists - the level of activity that followed resulted in a hard-drive full of half-finished rhythms which inspired them to create an album project. 
The name Yes King originates from a Jamaican greeting which was bestowed by the Jamaican artists they worked with over the course of making the album - the term was used so often that it captured the essence of the project. The title of the album came from reggae legend Dawn Penn’s track ‘Rock This World’ which sets the tone for the album.
Although conceived in Jamaica Yes King has a strong London feel. There is a rich history of Jamaican music in Ladbroke Grove, the bulk of the album was recorded close by, many London based artists make guest appearances on the album and collaborators Mystro and Sweetie Irie were raised in the area. Ladbroke Grove’s Trellick Tower was chosen for the artwork as it captures the spirit of Yes King and is the most prominent landmark in the area.
The album production consists of a blend of the old and new, bringing the best of both worlds together through live instrumentation with the crunchy beats associated with hip hop and R&B, and also by authenticity to its reggae roots through the instrumentation and melody epitomised by the brass. Such diversity has created a truly unique album offering something to young hip hop fans right through to old school reggae lovers.
The album features guest vocalists as eclectic as the production styles and includes performances from Ayak - a 22 year old female singer/rapper who won 2004’s Prince’s Trust Urban Music Awards; Dawn Penn - immortalised by her dancehall classic ‘No, No, No’; Veba - one of the UK’s finest female vocalists who appeared on both Rae & Christian albums; Tor - an East London based female rapper described by Ras Kwame as “One of the sickest lyricists the UK has to offer”; Mystro - arguably the UK’s finest lyricist with a critically acclaimed debut album under his belt; Kenny Knots - a UK based dancehall artist with a string of top ten hits to his name; Sweetie Irie - who has been at the forefront of the UK Ragga scene since the eighties collaborating with artists such as Ian Brown and Gorillaz; Baby Chann - the only female member of legendary UK bashment crew Suncycle; Prezident Brown - original Jamaican reggae deejay of Hi Power Soundsystem and Pete Simpson - a vocalist from Sheffield who has worked with artists such as Joey Negro and Jon Cutler.
The album kicks off with ‘Champion Sound’, an afro-disco-bashment stomper guaranteed to move any dance floor and is followed by the hard hitting ‘Style come Different’ a psychedelic disco groove with gritty dancehall vocals from Sweetie Irie - who has been at the forefront of the UK Ragga scene since the eighties collaborating with artists such as Ian Brown and Gorillaz.
Next up is a track which is sure to win R&B and reggae fans over to the Yes King sound, ‘Circles’, featuring the vocal talents of Ayak- a 22 year old female singer/rapper who won the 2004 Prince’s Trust Urban Music Award. 
Elsewhere ‘One Of Those Days’ is a swinging hip-hop head nodder where Mystro - arguably the UK’s finest lyricist with a critically acclaimed debut album under his belt - takes the listener on a lyrical journey through a medley of strings and stabs. This is followed by the infectious horns and hard hitting beats of ‘Crunch’ which features four of the UK’s most respected MC’s; Tor, Ayak, Mystro and the only female member of legendary UK bashment crew Suncycle, Baby Chann.
‘War’ is a Mexican ska / rock sound with roots vocal from a UK based dancehall artist with a string of top ten hits to his name - Kenny Knotts. Title track ‘Rock This World’  features an unmissable collaboration of Dawn Penn -immortalised by her dancehall classic ‘No, No, No’ alongside Mystro and Kenny Knotts. 
‘40 Long Days’ brings gospel, soul and pop into the mix and then Ayak smashes it with ‘Love Revolution’, demonstrating the full range of her lyrical and vocal skills. Original Jamaican reggae deejay of Hi Power Soundsystem Prezident Brown brings us back down to earth with his conscious and optimistic song ‘Tomorrow Is Another Day’ which guarantees to bring out the sunshine wherever you are listening from. 
‘Claude’s Theme’ is the only instrumental on the album and is a beautifully arranged piece of music crossing new boundaries in instrumental Hip Hop. Last up is ‘Elevate’ a classic sounding soul track with a performance from Ayak that displays maturity beyond her years.

To top it off three excellent bonus tracks are included, just to make sure you know that there’s much more to follow from Yes King….
Watch this space to catch the Yes King sound live - soon to announce further live dates they have already blown away Cargo, Jazz Café and The Big Chill with performances which feature multiple vocalists and a brass section. 
www.yeskingrecords.com
www.myspace.com/yeskingrhysadams
www.myspace.com/markraeraeandchristianarp