Awol One

In today’s hip-hop world, cluttered with the same gat toting, money throwing, pseudo tough guy personas, it’s never easy to stand out from the pack. Enter AWOL One, best known for his work with seminal Los Angeles underground group The Shape Shifters. Known for his trademark, raspy, off cadence flow, AWOL has always been one of those MCs who can take a rhyme anywhere, over any beat. In the process, he’s established himself as a well respected subterranean rapper who can rock mics and shows with the best of them; he’s performed alongside the likes of Common, De La Soul, Cypress Hill, Afrika Bambata, Jurassic 5 and countless others.

AWOL’s new solo album, featuring KRS-One and production from the likes of Grouch, DJ Rhettmatic and Pigeon John, and slated for release on Cornerstone R.A.S., is a perfect example of the creative genius that has earned him his rep. Replete with soulful, synthesized, neck snapping beats and AWOL’s vivid parables, clever rhyme schemes and sometimes sing-song delivery, this is, in his own words “the best work I’ve ever done.” Of course, AWOL has been putting it down in such fashion since his days coming up in Los Angeles’s San Gabriel Valley during the late eighties, the formative years for West Coast hip-hop.

Indeed, AWOL grew up going to the legendary Good Life’s Project Blowed open mic sessions in Los Angeles and started hanging out with the likes of Mass Men, Aceyalone, Rob 1 and storied Cali graf crews CBS and LSD. With such companions, it was no surprise the aspiring hip-hop junkie fell into b-boying-tagging, djing and eventually writing rhymes.

During his early 20’s, AWOL did all sorts of odd jobs to keep his passion for hip-hop alive and raise his baby daughter in the process. Soon, through his deft turntable skills, AWOL was afforded djing gigs for various low ride tours and found himself heading toward where he wanted to be. It was rapping and performing behind the mic that ultimately interested him most.

His first solo record was called Earthlings and featured production from a “cat I used to hang out with” named JD. “You’re just out there trying to do any show you can,” AWOL remembers. “You end up putting stuff out yourself.” Nonetheless, AWOL’s obvious talents began attracting attention. Later, he dropped Root of All on Creativity Records, and returned later at the beginning of the new millennium with what would come to help define an entire scene, “Soul Doubt” produced by L.A. beat-building wunderkind Daddy Kev. Ask a hip-hop head with some knowledge of the underground for a top 5 list and you’ll rarely see this one left off. Soon AWOL linked with LA underground hip-hop legends Mike Nardone and Kut Master Kurt. “Kurt ended up producing my next record, the critically acclaimed Speakerface,” he says. “It helped me get better shows and a lot wider recognition than what was happening before.” Of course, AWOL’s reputation as an MC who spared no punch line, cut no corners and never compromised artistic integrity, helped quite a bit. As did his work with The Shape Shifters collective, whom he joined and began performing with during the nineties. Along the way, he’s found himself collaborating with countless artists for comps and others’ own records, inevitably leading many unsuspecting would-be fans right back to his discography.

His cross-over appeal reaching far beyond the typical L.A. underground purist, AWOL was invited to perform a cover of fellow SoCal heroes, Sublime, for “Look at All the Love We Found: a Tribute To Sublime”, which has reached over 200,000 listeners worldwide. Along with Abstract Rude, Bargain Music’s Josh Fischel and the Transducer on production, he turned in a striking take on the Long Beach classic “Waiting for My Ruca”, a frequent favorite among tracks from the likes of Jack Johnson, No Doubt, Los Lobos, and a slew of others.

Now, with his latest album, Awolrus (as he’s affectionately known to his devoted following) hopes to further cement a burgeoning career. “I feel real strong about this album,” he says. “I recorded it during a time and place in my life where things feel mentally more stable. There’s more content and better timing.” The song, “Seeds Grow,” bounce heavy and funk drenched and produced by Grouch, is a straight up, rock the mic track, the kind AWOL has been tearing up his entire career. “It’s just about rocking shit,” he says. “One of those tracks where it’s a pretty simple formula.” “Casting Call,” backed by melodic synths and a hammering bass line, inspired by AWOL’s time in Los Angeles is about the perils and phony nature of the Hollywood scene. “You just see a lot of shit living out here,” he says. “I personally think it’s kinda funny. I’m just not the sort of person whose gonna hang out in that sort of scene.”

“Underground Killz,” an old fashioned, head bobbing track featuring KRS-One is one of AWOL’s favorite’s, primarily because the blastmaster himself came through to AWOL’s home studio to bless the mic. “It was like some fucking childhood dream,” he says. “I’d met him before, but to have him actually come through to the studio and gimme a verse… It was sick.”

“Everythings’s Perfect”, with Daddy Kev and Eyedea of the Rhymesayers, showcase’s AWOL’s critical side where he takes aim at rappers who take themselves too seriously. Such songs emblemize an album that is more than solid from start to finish. To be sure, The War of Art is clearly AWOL’s strongest, most creative work to date. More importantly, it represents the next step in a career that in many ways is just taking off.“On this album, more than anything, I just wanted to make music that my daughter could put in her CD player and enjoy,” Awol says.

Listen, learn and hear for yourself.
http://www.cornerstoneras.com/awolsite