“For more than a decade, The Mekanix, consisting of producers Kenny Tweed “Tha Great” and 4 rAx, have been making iconic tracks that have redefined the Bay Area’s sound.” – SF Weekly
“The Mekanix are pillars of the Bay Area sound and they’re under-acknowledged” – Sway
“To me, The Mekanix are like the Organized Noize of Atlanta and they haven’t had the big record or recognition to get that love but if you look at every artist that has come out of the bay like J. Stalin, Philthy Rich to Mozzy to Keak the Sneak, they have all been through The Mekanix lab.” – Mistah F.A.B.
Bay Area production duo The Mekanix are the Bay Area’s go-to beatsmiths, equally adept at making acid-bass heavy mob tracks as creating lush backdrops for heartfelt struggle rhymes. “Crusin’ and Mobbin‘,” premiered today by SF Weekly, is one of those bass-heavy anthems, featuring three of the Bay Area’s most unique emcees: slick-talking Husalah of Mob Figgaz, Keak Da Sneak and his iconic rasp, and the animated, high-pitched Turf Talk. In “Crusin’ and Mobbin’,” the three emcees tour the streets of East Oakland, riding in a white Audi to an undisclosed location for an illicit transaction. Featuring a stylish, minimalistic color scheme (only one color is featured per frame), “Crusin’ and Mobbin'” is the duo’s first video since last week’s release of Under The Hood, their third album, via EMPIRE.
Kenny Tweed of The Mekanix explains the origin of the song and video to SF Weekly: “This is mob shit at high tempo; high performance production for a high performance song. We had to make sure that we used a couple mob elements, such as that acidy bass line and those quacky 808’s. Husalah came and laid a verse and a hook for Under The Hood. Based on the hook, we knew had to put some high speed specialists on the song with him, and nobody talks that talk better than Keak Da Sneak and Turf Talk. We filmed the video in the streets of East Oakland. Instead of the cliché hand-to-hand drug transaction, we choose to depict a driver to a driver transaction, with Husalah driving the package to its destination.”
The Mekanix (Kenny Tweed and 4rAx) are two of the Bay Area’s foremost sound architects, having produced thousands of tracks since the early ’90s for nearly every Bay rapper you can name. In a recent interview onShade45‘s Sway in the Morning, Bay Area emcee Mistah F.A.B. praised The Mekanix, saying: “To me, The Mekanix are like Organized Noize,” explains Mistah F.A.B. “They haven’t had the big record or recognition to get that love but if you look at every artist that has come out of the bay like J. Stalin, Philthy Rich to Mozzy to Keak the Sneak, they have all been through The Mekanix lab. We all have been in there, dwelling. Even the younger guys and the more established guys, have been in with The Mekanix and those dudes are the signature sound for Oakland.”
Under The Hood presents a wide range of tracks from strip club bangers to introspective cuts. With guest appearances from E-40, Too $hort, Richie Rich, The Jacka, C-Bo, J-Stalin, Mistah FAB, Clyde Carson, The Hoodstarz, Beeda Weeda, Trae the Truth, Rass Kass, Nio the Gift, Erk the Jerk, Kool John, Lil Debbie, Lil Blood, The Delinquents, Iamsu, Mozzy, Keak the Sneak, The The Luniz, Shady Nate, Dru Down, B-Legit, Turf Talk, and San Quinn, Under The Hood cements The Mekanix, comprised of 4 rAx and Kenny Tweed, as a major force in their scene. Under The Hood is now available for streaming and for sale on iTunes.
Watch “Crusin’ and Mobbin'”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMQn3rTV1Pk
Listen to Under The Hood: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdhmHjC2ijwifd3PEHzx0NA
Buy Under The Hood on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/under-the-hood/id1104044886&app=itunes
Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with The Mekanix.
For more than 15 years, duo The Mekanix have served as the Bay Area’s one-stop for production, replays with live instrumentation, mixing, and mastering. 4rAx and Kenny Tweed’s The Garage Studios has become a meeting place for West Coast veterans and new sensations alike, and their vaults are a marketplace for a culture driven by collaboration and cosigns. The Mekanix have more than 1,000 placements ranging from E-40 and Mac Dre to J.Stalin and Tha Jacka. Arriving in June, their Under The Hood album presents this pair’s sonic craftsmanship, and their keystone regional role. From Dru Down to Lil Debbie, Iamsu to C-Bo, The Mekanix bridge the cities, the generations, and the styles of Northern California, one creation at a time.
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“Crusin’ and Mobbin'”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMQn3rTV1Pk
Under The Hood: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/under-the-hood/id1104044886&app=itunes
“Abandonment” ft. Mozzy & Philthy Rich: https://soundcloud.com/themekanix/abandonment-feat-mozzy-philthy-rich/
“I’m Still Here” ft. The Jacka & C-Bo: https://soundcloud.com/themekanix/im-still-here-feat-the-jacka-c-bo/
“On My Hustle” ft. Iamsu!, Keak Da Sneak & J. Stalin: https://youtu.be/BEPYM2DkSX0