Tag Archives: Jarobi

Members of A Tribe Called Quest and Black Sheep Unveil New Project evitaN

EVITAN DRES AND JAROBITeaming up with Dres, Jarobi has shocked the hip-hop world. And it was worth the wait. Speed of Life, the highly anticipated debut release by evitaN (Jarobi and Dres), gives a new spin on hip-hop’s golden era.

Recorded in 2011 and 2012 at the Sound Machine in New York City, evitaN, the hip-hop supergroup consisting of Jarobi (A Tribe Called Quest) and Dres (Black Sheep) recruited an all-star cast to create what many are already calling a classic. And we have none other than Q-Tip to thank.

Dres had been trying to convince Jarobi, the “mystic man” who did not rhyme on any of A Tribe Called Quest’s albums, to record an EP for his Pool of Genius label for many years. Eventually, Jarobi had a revelation: “I got to this period in my life where I decided to stop saying no to things. I told myself the next opportunity that comes through, I’m not going to say no. I promise you, within three hours of me saying that, the phone rang and it was Dres.”

Dres and Jarobi recorded the first song together, “Keep Keepin’ On.” Jarobi played it for Q-Tip, who replied “Yo! You guys should be a group!” They went back into the studio and recorded “P.T.I. (Occupy Wall St.)” with the production team of DJ Bazooka Joe and Marc Lawrence. This became their first single, released in late 2011, and evitaN (Native spelled backward) was born. Less than a year later, EVITAN SPEED OF LIFEthey had 26 songs recorded and 15 of those became the Speed of Life album.

On Speed of Life, evitaN welcome guest appearances by Bootsy Collins (on vocals and bass), Rah Digga, Havoc of Mobb Deep, Sadat X of Brand Nubian, Craig G, Homeboy Sandman and more.

EvitaN is a new hip-hop duo featuring Jarobi of A Tribe Called Quest and Dres of Black Sheep. Their debut album, Speed of Life, is available now on iTunes, Amazon.com, Spotify, Rhapsody and digital music stores worldwide, released by Pool of Genius.

Black Sheep was the first hip-hop act to appear on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno . Their debut album, A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing, was certified Gold by the RIAA within six months of its release, and it is widely regarded as one of the best hip-hop albums of all time. “The Choice Is Yours (Revisited)” is one of VH1’s top 100 hip-hop songs of all time.

A Tribe Called Quest is one of hip-hop’s most legendary, beloved and revered groups, consisting of Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Jarobi. In the 1990s, they jump-started and perfected the hip-hop alternative to hardcore and gangsta rap. Jarobi, the honorary member of ATCQ, was rarely heard. For more information, visit http://www.evitan.net.

Members Of A Tribe Called Quest And Black Sheep Form EVITAN

In 2010, Dres reemerged, releasing From The Black Pool Of Genius, and now the Black Sheep emcee is joining forces with Jarobi, one-fourth of the founding core behind fellow Native Tongues group A Tribe Called Quest. The duo will release a currently untitled album under the moniker EVITAN (NATIVE, spelled backwards) in early 2012, and the first single from that album is “P.T.I. (Occupy Wall Street),” a song that touches not only the specific happenings of the Occupy movement, but also on the broader feelings of anger, uncertainty, and a desire to mobilize felt by young and old people across the country.

“The 99% need to have not just a voice, but voices,” says Dres on what inspired he and Jarobi to write the song. “We need to have more voices that speak to our plight beyond what is given to us via the media.” And despite the logistical difficulties, Dres and Jarobi were adamant about shooting the video amongst the OWS protesters, noting that they “couldn’t be soldiers and not see the front line.”

Throughout the video are stark, and sometimes startling, images that show the passion behind the Occupy Wall Street movement and also how the NYPD is making sure their presence is felt at the protests. “Law enforcement is sadly overbearing and seemingly not understanding,” explains Dres. “Unfortunately, they’re desensitized to the plight of the people they’re supposed to protect. They can be so much more effective without billy clubs, pepper spray, and a militant attitude towards civilians that merely seek equality. There needs to be a deeper understanding of ‘us’.