“A-1′s style has a similar kind of funny, free-for-all feel as post-Mac Dre rappers like [Roach] Gigz, but has a sly rap style that is distinctly his own.” – The FADER
“Easily one of the illest emcees I’ve heard over the last few years.” – OkayPlayer
A-1 has teamed up with rising Philadelphia production duo Louis Futon for his new single, “Parasail.” Premiering at This Song Is Sick, the track is the first release since A-1’s feature on the Ryan Hemsworth remix of the Lana Del Ray single, “Summertime Sadness,” and his latest project, The Thurl Tape.
With production highlighted by clean drums and a boom-bap aesthetic reminiscent of producers like Madlib and Kaytranada, A-1 proves the perfect match juxtaposed to Louis Futon’s ambitious production. Bored with cliché hip-hop stereotypes, A-1 sets a mission statement with his new release. On referencing the tracks metaphorical content, A-1 states, “When you’re parasailing on a beach you’re floating above everyone else on the ground. If life is the beach, the parasailing would be living above the standard, living beyond what’s expected of you based on social norms. That’s essentially what the song is about. Eating kale and avocado instead of fast food, traveling the world, boycotting unethical industries and just doing things differently than your typical American citizen might do.”
With lines like, “life is just a beach, I’m parasailing on it Ima keep on flying up until I’m high enough to reach a f*cking cloud / f*ck that, life is just a street Ima keep on driving up until my tires come and screech and hear that sound,” A-1 illustrates his eccentric stylings over the echoing, drum rattling beat. “I’m just used to seeing a lot of popular hip-hop artists perpetuating the same themes in rap that have been done so many times before. Getting rich, objectifying women, material things, it’s all just over done and cliché, not to mention harmful for young people to be constantly bombarded with on TV and radio waves. I just want to talk about something different but on a hard ass beat,” says A-1.
Louis Futon has recently come off the success of a slew of remixes including the likes of Wiz Khalifa, Logic, Childish Gambino, and Mos Def. The duo has plans of releasing an upcoming EP slated for the end of this year and according to A-1 this will not be the last collaboration between the artists, citing that they will “definitely be doing more work in the future.”
Check out This Song Is Sick premiere here: http://thissongissick.com/blog/2014/louis-futon-a1-parasail-free-download/
Listen to “Parasail”: https://soundcloud.com/adamraps/a-1-parasail-prod-louis-futon
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/162882525″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with A-1.
Born Adam Traore, a first generation US citizen to West African and Italian parents, A-1‘s music is constructed around vivid stories of growing up in The City while searching for happiness and self awareness. After the release of After School Special, a mixtape based on 90s television shows, he gained a fan base through internet buzz while still living on his friend’s couch. Soon after, he released his follow-up The Book Of Adam which was received so well, he quit his day job the day after the listening party. With 2012’s The Thurl Tape, A-1 has been acknowledged by publications such as the FADER and Complex. Equipped with a heart filled with passion, an insatiable desire for creativity, discerning eyes and ears for quality, and a plan to spread his music to as many people as possible, A-1 is poised to be the first name in music lover’s iPods in the very near future.
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“Parasail”: https://soundcloud.com/adamraps/a-1-parasail-prod-louis-futon
“Summertime Sadness”:http://youtu.be/4hdqYMkpIj8
“Retinas”: http://youtu.be/V2s5jOsf5mw
“Summertime Sadness” Remix: https://soundcloud.com/adamraps/summertime-sadness-prod-ryan
“The Ritual”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI2UfwopCI0