Critical Praise:
“I was humming his groove in my head all day yesterday.” – Pitchfork
“We here at POW are absolute suckers for a good crew cut, and this one checks every box. Staying in the Bay, anchored by a Keak Da Sneak sample, the record assembles six rappers with shared geography but wildly different approaches, all tearing through a beat built on creeping bells and forward motion. The energy feels jet-fueled, verses piling up with barely a pause to breathe.” – Passion of the Weiss
“It’s clear they run the Bay and what it represents” – EARMILK
The Video:
Bringing the Bay Area together with their tight chemistry and home region pride, NorCal Avengers 1 Umbrella have much more music to share. The fearsome fivesome return this week with another banger, sharing “Yeah Yeah,” their new single. Blessed with a glistening instrumental co-produced by P-Lo and OMGKenny, “Yeah Yeah” layers chirruping vocal samples over thumping mob percussion, creating a propulsive base for the emcees to do their thing. Two of the group’s three San Francisco emcees, Lil Bean and Lil Yee, lead the track off with melodic verses, mixing high-rolling flexes with reflections on their station in life. The Oakland rappers, ALLBLACK and 22nd Jim, arrive with hard-hitting 16s, before SF’s ZayBang closes the song with his electric energy. The song welcomes a guest spot from Sacramento’s ShooterGang Kony, who fits in seamlessly with the group’s playalistic banter. In the video, the six Cali emcees take a trip to Vegas, where they roll high at the Wynn, party with the city’s finest baddies, and make an appearance at a high-class nightclub.
Following last week’s release of “DHS Inc.,” “Yeah Yeah” paves the way for the upcoming expansion of their debut album. The upcoming deluxe provides even more opportunities for Oakland’s ALLBLACK and 22nd Jim and SF’s Lil Bean, Lil Yee, and ZayBang to flash their electric chemistry over mobby instrumentals. Stay tuned for more announcements.
Earlier this year, five great Bay Area emcees combined to form 1 Umbrella, a new supergroup carrying the torch for the region’s bustling rap scene. Their debut album 1 Umbrella drew critical acclaim from EARMILK and Passion of the Weiss and earned notice from Pitchfork. The album peaked at #24 on Apple Music’s Hip-Hop Albums chart over its debut weekend.
All five 1 Umbrella rappers are among the most respected artists in the Bay, with long track records of success and a history of fiery collaborations. ALLBLACK and 22nd Jim hail from the same neighborhood in Oakland, while ZayBang, Lil Bean, and Lil Yee hail from across the bridge, in San Francisco, a city with a rich, if less-heralded, hip-hop history than its East Bay cousin. Spanning 15 tracks, the album gets its bounce from the five emcees’ electric chemistry, featuring all five rappers in various combinations, including true posse cuts like “CODE,” “The Blueprint” ft. DaBoii, and the Passion of the Weiss-praised “Baller Blockin.” Featuring additional appearances from Larry June (on the single “Off Top”), Rexx Life Raj, 1100 Himself, and more, 1 Umbrella is available on all platforms via EMPIRE.
1 Umbrella’s album arrived just in time for the worlds of music and sports to converge on California, with the Super Bowl in Santa Clara and the NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles. The 1 Umbrella rappers were outside during both weekends, sitting courtside at a Golden State Warriors game during Super Bowl weekend, then jetting to Los Angeles to film a music video for album highlight “Off Top” with Larry June. The group hosted a meet-and-greet at EMPIRE’s HQ in San Francisco, and launched a special pop-up on Montgomery Street during the album’s release weekend. The group recently discussed their mission on an episode of Million Dollaz Worth of Game, performed highlights from the new album with a live band on Yerr On The Street, and treated fans into an inside look at their high-rolling lifestyles with the “A Day in San Francisco with 1 Umbrella” vlog.
1 Umbrella has released their debut album, but they are far from finished. Keep an eye on the new group as they look to make the most of a big moment for Bay Area rap music.
Watch “Yeah Yeah” ft. ShooterGang Kony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvDdU0_Sy5Y
Watch “DHS Inc.”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtVe1qe4pLQ
Stream 1 Umbrella: https://music.empi.re/1umbrellaalbum
Watch “Off Top” ft. Larry June: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xP0JozRz0os
Please contact Michelle or Francesca for more info.
Links:
1 Umbrella: instagram | youtube | apple | spotify
Lil Bean: instagram | apple | spotify
ALLBLACK: instagram | apple | spotify
22nd Jim: instagram | apple | spotify
ZayBang: instagram | apple | spotify
Lil Yee: instagram | apple | spotify
“Yeah Yeah” ft. ShooterGang Kony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvDdU0_Sy5Y
“DHS Inc”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtVe1qe4pLQ
“Off Top” ft. Larry June: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xP0JozRz0os
“Pretty”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6_KRSlgGIA
1 Umbrella: https://music.empi.re/1umbrellaalbum
“The Blueprint” ft. DaBoii: https://music.empi.re/theblueprint
“Baller Blockin”: https://youtu.be/g1aAGVd-NqI