Ever heard of the ‘Funkjazzhop’ music style? If not, chances are you’ve never heard Dallas-based jazz/funk/hip hop, artist, producer and eclectic adlibber, MrWho??? And that’s not a question, it’s a damn statement! Coincidence would have it that MrWho??? and the granddaddy of funk, George Clinton, share the same birthday. And that’s not all they have in common. Influenced by the likes of Cameo, James Brown Barkays, George Duke, Lakeside, Maze, and Earth, Wind & Fire, MrWho??? set out to make an impact amongst colleagues and peers.
Fate would have it that during 2019, the Dallas creative was approached by Maurice Jones (Kilo M.O.E.) of O.M.G. Entertainment with a producer deal. The label served as a springboard for his first single with Kilo M.O.E., and now MrWho??? releases his whopping debut album “Paint The Sky Funk”.
The overflowing release contains 21 tracks that touch all the funktastic, bizarre and at times brilliant brain waves emanating from MrWho???’s warped mindset. Chant, rants and proclamations, are dished out over driving grooves and jamming rhythms, taking on some modern twists to freshen up the classic funk formula.
MrWho??? pops up in most songs for crazy rhyme interludes and bombastic braggadocios. These tracks manage to combine the artist’s oddball spirit, patented groove, dynamite synths, crashing cymbals, and gorgeous basslines. The album repeats some experimental themes and motifs, sultry riffs and other tripped out vamps.
You’ll find some crazy sorties (“Yo Azz Is In Some Good Trouble”, “Open Up Ya Mind By Mr.Who”, “The Drunk Conversation with Mr. Empty Pockets”) some nasty bumpers (“Pressure”, “Watch The Snakes In The Grass”) and twisted R&B fueled floaters (“Complicated Levels 2 This Shit”, Late Night Long Days”, “All Night”).
There are a few modern day creeds (“Zoom 2 The Moon”, “Its Nice Night 2 Get Funked”, “Mesmerized By The Funk”), some dance-fueled freak jams (“Funkton”, “Blue Grass Funk In The Hood”) and some ambient jazzhop (“Funkjazzhop on Some Moshyt”, “Paint The Sky Funk”), all sprinkled around to kick up some dust from your audio player.
A mega release that fans will devour, “Paint The Sky Funk” is an unwieldy beast of an album, which will overwhelm the casual listener. MrWho??? is a man making music on his own terms – under the groove, from the past, present, future and beyond. Music is moving fast, with Hip-hop and EDM trouncing funk, R&B and just about anything else as the kids’ choice.
Hence it’s great to see someone channel their resources and skills onto some fresh funk fusion. Thanks to MrWho???, funk has now been updated and integrated into the new modern sub-genres and styles. “Paint The Sky Funk” is brilliant at its best, and inventive at its worst.
MrWho??? knew he had to come to the table with something strong, creative, and off the beaten track to make any impact. And he certainly didn’t let the funk down with this ever-mutating monster of an album.
Shifting between styles and hybrid blends with ease, it’s not just a matter of showing them off, it’s how MrWho??? grasps the essential philosophy of each, and manipulates them into something new. He shows on this album, to have a huge and varied musical vision!
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