“An unsigned Kanye West” – Kevin Nottingham
“[Archie Green] has got sing-song flows, a penchant for soul samples, and the ability to brag about ballin’ and rail against the system in the same breath” – VICE
Praised as the “unsigned Kanye West,” rapper/producer Archie Green has over ten years of songwriting under his belt. Green has been rapping since he was just a thirteen-year-old kid in a middle-class Cleveland suburb, drawing inspiration from his idols Lupe Fiasco and Jay Z. Formerly known as SoulKlap, Green has released three critically acclaimed solo projects and a number of collaborative projects, working with renowned mixtape DJs Mick Boogie and Terry Urban and being featured on Talib Kweli‘s Year of the Blacksmith Community Mixtape. He recently released the visual for the first single from his upcoming mixtape, The Greatest Pretender.
“40 Acres,” Green’s first-ever music video, premiered over the weekend on HipHopDX. The clip was directed by Green’s friend Cameron Busby and features scenes shot in his Brooklyn apartment and his parent’s house in Cleveland. Green says the decision to film in the house he grew up in was to show the world his upbringing. “It’s the truest depiction of who I am, and where I came from. I’m out to tell the truth about how I grew up blessed, and I’m not ashamed to tell the world.” His parents themselves also make an appearance in the video. “I’m so grateful to both of them for all of the support that they have given me over the years, so this is almost a way of saying ‘thank you.'”
The track gives shout outs to rappers like Childish Gambino, Kanye West, and Odd Future, who, like Archie, are known to be from more comfortable backgrounds than most rappers. “This song deals with a growing demographic of minorities that grew up ‘well-off.’ We all listen to the Jay Z’s and Eminem’s but for the most part we can’t really relate to everything these guys talk about on record. I just wanted to tell our story on wax, to bring that to light.” “40 Acres” can be found on the upcoming mixtape The Greatest Pretender, out later this month.
Check out the HipHopDX premiere: http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/videos/id.14886/title.archie-green-40-acres-
Watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHcv3jutEN0
Please contact Michelle or Dan if interested in talking with Archie Green.
Archie Green is CLASS. The Cleveland-born and bred producer/MC developed an affinity for music at an early age. Archie started rhyming when he was thirteen, finding inspiration from the likes of Jay-Z, Kanye West and Lupe Fiasco and rapping about what he heard some of his idols talking about: guns, girls and money. “I was basically doing whatever was hot at the time. I look back now and laugh about it.” Archie was raised in the upper middle class suburbs of Cleveland, a typically uncommon upbringing for a “respected” hip-hop artist. As far as his brand and lifestyle, Archie has adopted the motto, “CLASS Is The Life.” CLASS is an acronym that stands for “Creatively Learning to Achieve Sustainable Success.” Archie has been writing and producing music independently for over a decade. As a producer (formerly known as SoulKlap), he has worked with famed mixtape DJs Mick Boogie and Terry Urban on a number of releases, and placed ad work with Converse. Archie currently serves as a music producer for the VICE Magazine sponsored web show, “NOISEY RAPS!” which features interviews with some of today’s hottest up and coming rappers. As an artist, Archie has released three critically praised solo projects. In 2010, his song “iOweYou,” was selected and featured on Grammy-nominated rapper Talib Kweli‘s, Year of the Blacksmith Community Mixtape. In November of 2013, Archie will release his latest project, The Greatest Pretender.
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“40 Acres” Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_K5_QeOTZU
“40 Acres”: https://soundcloud.com/archie-l-green/acres-prod-by-randall-thomas