For the kind review.... Here's the joint:
original link: http://www.soulcommune.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2000548%3ABlogPost%3A130068
If you could combine social awareness of Gil Scott Heron with lyrical delivery Mos Def you would most likely get W. Felton Ellington. He doesn’t carry the moniker of the “Hardest Working Man” in indie soul circuits for no reason, and if you’ve ever seen him perform live, you too, would have to agree that the title is well-earned! His resume of the people that he’s worked with alone reads like a “who’s who” of soul, and still this dude doesn’t rest on his laurels! He continues to layout the blue print for others to hopefully follow. The fact is, no one can carry a song both vocally, as a stylistic crooner, and lyrically, as an outright dope emcee, as does the infamous “Dub”.
He once again “puts it down” with his current offering, entitled, ‘Distraction City’. With some assistance from a few friends, such as Malcolm Jamal Warner, Purple St. James aka Yahzarah, and Bilal Salaam, Wes Felton keeps up his “grind” to deliver a hybrid offering that is equal parts jazz, funk, and conscious hip-hop. In an industry that seems to be utterly devoid of creativity and risk-taking, ‘Distraction City’ is a demonstration of how hip-hop should be done!
Wes Felton performs metaphorical acrobatics to deliver social commentary over edgy, yet smooth as velvet, beats that are soothing to the ear buds. He manages to bring politically aware lyrical content without being too heavy or preachy with songs like ‘Breathe a Bit’ and ‘You’ll Never Know’. There are many gems on this release, however the ones that standout most are the ode to funk throwback, ‘Get Down’, and the smoothed-out ‘Unforgotten’. Dub even breaks it down with the help of vocalist Purple St. James on the jazz-inspired ‘Take the Time’ (you funk-jazz lovers should check out the wicked bass solo on this one as well).
In my opinion, not since The Roots dropped ‘Do You Want More?’ has anyone been able to combine live instrumentation so creatively with hip-hop. Wes Felton provides a welcomed “distraction” from the tired formula-driven music that has unfortunately become the status quo of today’s hip-hop. If you haven’t heard, you’d better ask somebody!! In short Wes Felton Ellington’s ‘Distraction City’ is a highly recommended distraction from a field of utter wackness. Verdict: Get yourself distracted!!
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