News/Video: Black Milk Scores Short Film “H8DES,” Directed By Don Cheadle
Detroit Rapper/Producer Lends His Creative Musical Talents To Installment In Vanity Fair’s The Decades Series
09.05.2013
Critical Praise for Black Milk:
“Black Milk’s solo career represents a constant cycle of adopting and mastering new production styles and then abandoning them before they become crutches.” – Pitchfork
“As many of his peers were flooding the market with instantly forgettable throwaways, Black Milk was toiling on his masterpiece.” – Washington Post
“His samples are elegant, his rhythms challenging and his drum kits tight.” – NPR
The Video:
Rapper and producer Black Milk, known for his adept sampling and lush, intricate sonic landscapes, has added film scoring to his repertoire on the Don Cheadle directed short film “H8DES,” part of Vanity Fair’s The Decade Series, which tasks an eclectic group of filmmakers with creating 10 short films each representing a decade of the last hundred years. Cheadle’s film represents the 1980s, exploring themes such as Reaganomics, the burgeoning technological explosion, and the AIDS and crack epidemics.
“Don was familiar with my work and reached out to me,” says Black Milk. “He told me he was putting together a short for Vanity Fair and that he needed music for it, so I sent him a few tracks to listen to.” With a varied mix of material to pull from, the duo were actually able to find something already in his catalogue that worked for the film. “[Don] wanted the instrumental to have a dark vibe,” Black Milk continues. “He sent a rough cut of what he filmed and I tweaked the instrumental to fit. We went back and forth for a few weeks to make it happen.” In the end they settled on a brooding, ominous soundtrack that includes a Kurtis Blow sample provided by Black Milk, as well as dozens of soundbites from 1980s television Cheadle’s team had chopped and spliced, many of which pulled from Ronald Reagan’s various television broadcasts.
Black Milk is currently on tour promoting new material from his upcoming album No Poison No Paradise, due out October 15th. As for any plans to do more film scoring down the road, he says, “If the opportunity presents itself, I’ll be ready. Don actually wants me to be involved with a future project.”
Check out the short film “H8DES” here: http://video.vanityfair.com/watch/the-decades-series-the-1980s-by-don-cheadle
Tour Dates:
To purchase tickets: http://blackmilk.biz/shows/
Sep. 20 – Dallas, TX @ Dada
Sep. 21 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sister Bar
Sep. 22 – Las Vegas, NV @ Beauty Bar
Sep. 25 – Fresno, CA @ Fulton 55
Sep. 27 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echoplex
Sep. 28 – San Francisco, CA @ Brick & Mortar
Sep. 29 – San Jose, CA @ Pagoda
Oct. 1 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Velvet Jones
Oct. 2 – Phoenix, AZ @ Red Owl
Oct. 5 – Austin, TX @ Red 7
Oct. 7 – New Orleans, LA @ Hi Ho Lounge
Oct. 9 – New York, NY @ Santos Party House
Oct. 10 – Providence, RI @ Fete
Oct. 11 – Boston, MA @ Middle East
Oct. 12 – Burlington, VT @ Signal Lounge
Oct. 13 – Montreal, CANDA @ Cabaret Underworld
Oct. 14 – Ottawa, CANADA TX @ Ritual
Oct. 15 – Toronto, CANADA @ Mod Club
Oct. 16 – Detroit, MI @ St. Andrew’s
Oct. 17 – Toledo, OH @ Frankies
Oct. 18 – St. Louis, MO @ Blank Space
Oct. 19 – Chicago, IL @ Subterranean
Oct. 20 – Iowa City, IA @ Gabe’s
Oct. 21 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
Oct. 22 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
Oct. 23 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Smiling Moose
Oct. 24 – Washington, DC @ Liv
Please contact Michelle or Dan if interested in talking with Black Milk.
Black Milk Background:
Black Milk is a producer and rapper born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. As one of the most-celebrated auteurs of his generation of hip hop artists, he has conditioned fans and critics to always expect the unexpected each time he releases new music. Few producers have earned the notoriety and respect he has as a musician, and when that is coupled with commanding talent as an emcee, it’s no surprise that his solo releases are met with exalted anticipation. He has been making music professionally since 2004 and has collaborated with many noted artists including Slum Village, J Dilla, Elzhi, Phat Kat, Frank-N-Dank, Lloyd Banks, Canibus and Pharoahe Monch and Jack White of The White Stripes. In 2010 he released Album of the Year, which perfectly captured his soulful, jazzy style. He is currently putting the finishing touches on his new album, No Poison No Paradise, which is due out October 15th of this year.
Links:
official site | twitter | facebook | youtube | soundcloud
“Perfected On Puritan Ave.”: https://soundcloud.com/computerugly/perfected-on-puritan-ave
Bio, pictures and streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/black-milk/