Posted by Jamo Gang — the trio of Ras Kass, J57 and El Gant — are releasing their debut album Walking With Lions on Friday (May 8). But before the LP officially drops, the group gives HipHopDX readers a chance to stream the entire project a day early.
“Every song on this album is us giving 110 percent,” Ras tells DX. “We made high concept, almost cinematic music. J57 almost exclusively provided the canvas, and El Gant and I usually painted the pictures. But we got top tier assists from DJ Premier, Slug, Sid Wilson, Slaine and Sick Jacken. There’s nothing generic here. Nothing contrived. Walking With Lions is avant-garde Hip Hop and I hope people take the time to give it a listen.”
Gant adds, “I am really excited to release this album. Being in this group with two other guys who are not only my friends but people I respect more than anything makes this whole journey that much better. The title explains exactly how I feel about this group.”
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For J57, who produced all of the album except for the DJ Premier-helmed “The 1st Time,” releasing the project through Fat Beat Records makes it a special moment in his career.
“To say I’m grateful to be in a group with two of the most powerful emcees on the planet is an understatement,” he says. “We’ve been carefully crafting this album for almost four years, so to see it finally come out is nothing short of a dream come true. I worked at Fat Beats (NYC) from September ’04 till the day it closed in September 2010 and now Fat Beats is about to release Walking With Lions; full circle all around.”
Check out Jamo Gang’s Walking With Lions stream, cover art and tracklist below. Purchase the LP here.
1. Belushi & Aykroyd
2. Francis Scott Key
3. Walking with Lions
4. Lil Snitch [skit]
5. The 1st Time f. DJ Premier & Slug of Atmosphere
6. Stephen
7. Drive On
8. Runyon Canyon f. Sid Wilson of Slipknot
9. HitItAndQuitIt
10. 38 Minutes f. Sick Jacken & Slaine
11. Highway f. DJ Premier
12. Lighters Up f. Tiffany Topol