ROPEADOPE’S ACCLAIMED ‘THE HARLEM EXPERIMENT’ DIGS DEEP INTO HARLEM ROOTS
‘The Harlem Experiment,’ the third installment in Ropeadope’s critically acclaimed “city experiment” series, is full of special guests, culture and Harlem history. Critics have referred to the album as “tasty” (USAToday.com) and “filled with cool tunes” (Billboard.com). Rolling Stone has given the album a 3.5 star review.
One of the many guest artists is Olu Dara, a cornetist, guitarist and vocalist who started his career in New York’s avant-garde jazz scene. He’s featured on “Walking In Harlem,” the final track on ‘The Harlem Experiment.’ An intimate, blues-y song, “Walking Through Harlem” is a love letter to the neighborhood, paying homage to the African-American heritage and music that have helped shape New York City. “Around the corner I see Duke. I see Count Basie too. I see people standing around the corner, I see the Godfather. As y’all know, he’s playing at The Apollo,” he sings. Dara is referring to the late James Brown’s legendary appearances, from his 1956 debut to the 2006 celebration of his life, at the Apollo Theater on 125th Street, the heart of Harlem and arguably the most iconic music venue in America.
Olu Dara is also the father of hip-hop artist Nas and has lent his vocal and cornet talents to his son’s songs “Bridging The Gap.” as well as “Life’s A Bitch” from ‘Illmatic,’ widely considered to be one of the best hip-hop albums of all time, represents another facet of Harlem, showcased on ‘The Harlem Experiment’ by, among other tracks, DJ Arkive’s “It’s Just Begun.”
For more Harlem inspiration, give ‘The Harlem Experiment’ a listen. You can stream the album for free at http://harlem.ropeadope.com
Check out the animated video for “Reefer Man,” now at over 45,000 views on YouTube as a featured music video:
