The Collective of ALLBLACK, 22nd Jim, Lil Bean, Lil Yee, and ZayBang Continues Their Run Atop the Cali Rap Scene, Bringing a Series of Breezy Bay Anthems, Including Recent Singles “DHS Inc” and “Yeah Yeah” ft. ShooterGang Kony
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 Announcement:
When SF rappers Lil Bean, ZayBang, and Lil Yee and Oakland spitters ALLBLACK and 22nd Jim formed to create 1 Umbrella, they promised their fans they were a true partnership, not a one-off affair. The Bay Area quintet adds another chapter to their illustrious story, sharing 1 Umbrella: The Family Edition, the new expansion of their debut album. The Family Edition adds ten new songs, providing the five emcees even more opportunities to flash their camaraderie and ping-ponging chemistry. Featuring additional guest appearances from fellow Bay Area natives G-Eazy, Karri, ShooterGang Kony & more, plus producers including P-Lo, OMGKenny, Reece Beats, and Brutal Money, 1 Umbrella: Family Edition is available on all platforms via EMPIRE.
Along with the album, the crew shares “Tell Me Lies, ” a video for a romantic highlight from The Family Edition. A true posse cut featuring all five members of the group, “Tell Me Lies” is a sumptuous and sexual song, driven by sinewy guitars and bed-thumping 808s. Each rapper takes the opportunity to let loose their most playalistic bars, describing a chemistry so good that it supercedes everything, including the truth itself. In the video, 1 Umbrella steps out in the Bay Area, heading to the region’s That’s A Awful Lot of Cough Syrup store to shop, sip, smoke, and shoot some hoops.
Arriving just in time to celebrate The Bay’s 415 Day, the new songs 1 Umbrella: The Family Edition shimmer with a summer-ready vibe, bringing a breezy BBQ feeling ideally suited to the warming NorCal weather. Songs like “Under The Umbrella,” and “How U Like It?” show a romantic side that the five rappers didn’t flash as much in the original version, using sparkling keys and cherubic vocal samples to help them spit their game. Other songs, like recent singles “DHS Inc” and “Yeah Yeah” ft. ShooterGang Kony are veritable flex fests, as all five emcees deal out their best boasts over propulsive, mob-flavored instrumentals.
1 Umbrella formed earlier this year, five Bay Area rappers coming together to create a movement in their 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. 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.” The album features additional appearances from Larry June (on the single “Off Top”), Rexx Life Raj, 1100 Himself, and more.
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 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.
With their Family Edition expansion arriving just ahead of 415 Day in the Bay Area, 1 Umbrella is 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.
Stream 1 Umbrella: Family Edition: https://music.empi.re/1umbrellafamily
Watch “Tell Me Lies”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuA3QGskgsQ
Watch “Yeah Yeah” ft. ShooterGang Kony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvDdU0_Sy5Y
Watch “DHS Inc.”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtVe1qe4pLQ
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
1 Umbrella: Family Edition: https://music.empi.re/1umbrellafamily
“Tell Me Lies”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuA3QGskgsQ
“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