Video: CD Baby Artist Session with Black Milk & His Band, Nat Turner

Filmed in One-Take, Black Milk & His Live Band Perform from Decorated Discography for In-Studio Showcase

07.13.2015

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

“His samples are elegant, his rhythms challenging and his drum kits tight.” – NPR

“Cross has no need for these extras; in his world of soul-tugging productions and machinegun-as-velvet delivery they are merely distractions. On this realization, and in the moment, it was hard not be floored by the obvious: this is what talent with genuine poise really looks and sounds like.” – Dallas Observer

“Striking an impressive balance between being rehearsed and spontaneous, he proved his chops as a multitalented artist once again.” – Okayplayer

“It feels like Christmas every time Black Milk blesses us with a new record.” – FreeOnSmash

The Video:

With just a few dates remaining on the European leg of his Play Like Hell Tour, Black Milk and his band Nat Turner share a special in-studio performance of three songs, courtesy of CD Baby’s artist session series. With performances of his Dwele-featured single “Long Story Short,” from his 2008 solo effort Tronic, plus “Everything Was” and “What It’s Worth” from his 2014 release, If There’s A Hell Below, Black Milk showcases his growth while passionately delivering songs from his decorated catalogue. “No matter who the Detroit producer and rapper works with, he shines bright,” wrote Red Bull, who additionally deemed the showcase a “fearless performance.”

“Working with Black Milk to get his music out to the world is one of our favorite parts of our jobs here at CD Baby,” head of Digital Promotions and Label Relations Ben Hubbird explains, “but when I saw him and his band Nat Turner play our showcase at SXSW this year in a fantastic small club in Austin, I understood the music in new ways. I felt like we owed it to the world try to capture the dynamic energy and virtuosity of their show. They did this in one full take, which boggles the mind. It’s incredible to watch them seamlessly transition between three songs from different albums; the talent on display is unreal.”

“Any time I and the band get the opportunity to give folks a glimpse of what we bring to the stage is a good time for us,” says Black. “CD Baby has been a great partner for me and my label, Computer Ugly, over the past few years. I’m happy to continue growing with them.”

With 40+ shows behind them so far this year on Black Milk’s headlining Play Like Hell Tour, he and his band Nat Turner (keyboardist/vocalist Aaron “Ab” Abernathy, bassist Malik Hunter and drummer Z Horton) are still on the road in Europe. Since the tour began, they have hit several cities across North America including Black Milk’s hometown of Detroit as well as detouring twice in Europe for dates in Switzerland, France, Germany, Holland, UK, Austria, Poland, Belgium and Sweden. The Detroit rapper celebrated the beginning of his tour by releasing the first single since his If There’s A Hell Below album dropped last October with “I Guess,” a lyrical onslaught with multi-layered samples and oscillating percussion. He additionally released the If There’s A Hell Below Instrumentals on vinyl in April for Record Store Day. Black Milk’s Play Like Hell Tour will conclude in the US this fall.

Watch Black Milk’s CD Baby Artist Session: https://youtu.be/tPtsy2WqZrs

Read what Red Bull had to say about it here: http://www.redbull.com/us/en/music/stories/1331734243654/watch-black-milk-spit-fire-in-new-live-video

Stream and purchase digital and physical versions of If There’s A Hell Below: https://blackmilk.bandcamp.com/album/if-theres-a-hell-below

Purchase the album on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/if-theres-a-hell-below/id917026740

Black Milk “Play Like Hell Tour” with live band Nat Turner

Tickets: blackmilk.biz/tours

July 15 – Berlin, Germany at Cassiopeia
July 15 – Dour, Belgium at Dour Festival 2015
July 17 – Jena, Germany at Kulturarena
July 18 – Dour, Belgium at Plaine De La Machine à Feu

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Black Milk.

Black Milk Background:

As one of the most celebrated producers and rappers of his generation of hip-hop artists, Black Milk has conditioned fans and critics to expect the unexpected with each release. 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. His new full-length album, If There’s A Hell Below, continues Black’s trend of releasing material that maintains his signature sound while pushing it into new territory.

With more than a decade of industry experience and a rich catalog of recordings, Black Milk has transitioned from one of hip-hop’s young rising stars to a veteran with a uniquely well-rounded pedigree. After scoring his first production credit for Slum Village as a teenager in 2002, he eventually worked closely with the group and co-produced much of their two following albums. His self-released, full-length project Sound of the City (2005) led to his first record deal, and he began to gain international attention for the soul-sample driven style on his proper solo debut Popular Demand (2007). With five solo rap albums (Popular Demand, Tronic, Album of the Year, No Poison No Paradise and Glitches In The Break), an instrumental album (Synth or Soul), numerous collaboration albums (Caltroit with Bishop Lamont, The Set Up with Fat Ray, Black and Brown with Danny Brown, Random Axe with Sean Price and Guilty Simpson and Burning Stones with Mel), and 2 singles with Jack White behind him, Black Milk remains one of hip-hop’s most consistent artists.