FOREIGN
LEGION
National Release of new cd Playtight
March 9th, 2004
West Coast and East Coast Tour coming in
May 2004
For
booking information contact usa@bombhiphop.com
Foreign Legion are
much like fellow West Coast hip-hop outfits such as Jurassic 5 or Ugly Duckling,
the Bay Area trio known collectively as Foreign Legion base their style on a
back-to-basics, no-nonsense interpretation of old skool values and aesthetics.
Foreign Legion formed in 1998 and quickly gained a large underground street
following in Northern California. FLs considerable reach to points far
beyond the Bay began with the 2000 debut Kidnapper Van (Beats to Rock to
While Bike-Stealin) and a corresponding world tour. Kidnapper Van
reached 10,000 in worldwide sales and the albums first single, Full
Time B-Boy (ABB) continues to be universally recognized as an underground
hip hop anthem.
to listen to tracks from Kidnapper Van at -
http://www.sandboxautomatic.com/abstract/iur9001.html
A hybrid of Gang Starr's Moment of Truth and Pharcyde's Bizarre Ride,
FL's album Kidnapper Van (Beats to Rock While Bike-Stealing) was
an all-out manifesto. It transcended the stylistic doldrums that plagued the
greater portion of hip-hop creators. And even more importantly, it possessed
an ideological resolve that injected hope into a reeling genre. Kidnapper
Van's greatest quality, however, was its recognition of hip-hop's self-accountability.
In "Underground," an open letter to underground and retro rappers,
FL fondly recalls a moment in hip-hop history when MCs could "keep it real/[But
also] keep it skilled still." It contends that Old School cannot be reduced
to self-conscious pandering to anti-pop sentiments or rhymes about basketball
games and block parties. With the affirmation "we can get down but not
too underground," the gravly toned Marc Stretch and the more nasal
sounding Prozack are eager to put themselves forward as a pair of hiphop
zealots; more concerned with being dope than different. Still, obeying the axium
"let the hybrid of your heart and soul become deeds of greatness".
The group used their "Kidnapper Van" to seize a handful of rap cliches
to smack the crap out of them and then take them on a joy-ride.
________________________________________
Artist : Foreign Legion
Album : Playtight
Produced by : DJ Design
Label : Look Records
Catalog Number : LKR003
National
Release Date : 2/10/04
click
here to listen to
Happy Drunk
by Foreign Legion
Track Listing
01. HERE WE GO AGAIN
02. IT'S WORKING
03. FEEL THE MUSIC
04. NASTY LADY
05. HAPPY DRUNK
06. HOW DO IT FEEL?
07. Y'ALL AIN'T READY
08. CHAMPAGNE BEAMIN'
09. VOODOO STAR
10. PLAYTIGHT
11. BRING IT
12. PARTY CRASHERS
13. ROOMMATE JOINT
Bay Area's hippest hoppers, Foreign Legion, are back with their second
full-length album, Playtight. Foreign Legion is DJ Design on the
decks and production and Prozack ("the kid in the cowboy shirt and
nerd glasses") and Marc Stretch ("a real playa from the Himalayas")
on the mics, but they're much more than the sum of their parts. The MCs play
off of each other as if they've been friends since childhood; in the parlance
of the genre, "they got jokes." Luckily, Design matches each funny
punch line with a funky bass line. Design's tight, bouncy production helps the
group live up to its name on this record, lacing the listener with loops that
range from Latin to Jamaican to Brazilian and beyond. On "It's Working,"
he gets things moving with a tango piano line, shakers, and timbales, and on
"Party Crashers," the funky Cuban-esque beat is the foundation for
Stretch and Prozack's dissertation on how to get in where you don't fit in.
On "Here We Go Again," a lavish track with acoustic guitars, a warm
organ, and a softly sung chorus, Prozack sums up their mentality while separating
themselves from the backpacker masses: "Ain't nothin' too deep, rhymin'
over cool beats/It's just music, if it's hot, it's hot/This underground hip-hop
versus rap shit has gotta stop/A lot of pop rap radio sucks, but underground
rappers, we complain too much." The only complaints FL has are about running
out of booze or getting fronted on by females, and they're always delivered
cleverly. It all comes together on their single, "Happy
Drunk," an uptempo drinking anthem joint with a spelling bee chorus
and pounding bass line that has Tha Liks wishing they'd come up with it first.
Just when you think the jokes might begin to wear thin, they show signs of maturity
on "How Do It Feel," a lush-stringed production about their personal
shortcomings and crosses. A funnier variation on a similar theme is "Voodoo
Star," a Stevie Wonderful funky joint/tale of born losers. Not to be missed
is the closing song, "Roommate Joint," a perfectly-penned rant about
cohabitation over an old school bass line.
Foreign Legion is recognized as a genre-defining group that belong to the era
of hip hop which launched artists such as Dilated Peoples, Slum Village and
the Lootpack. With three 12 singles already released from Playtight the
stage is set for the national release of the album. FL will appeal to fans of
the Beastie Boys, Pharcyde (clever rhymes) and J5 (roots mentality).
The bottom is line is that Foreign Legion is here to give you party rhymes over
party beats made by and for party people. Don't get it twisted. Or do get it
twisted; the Legionnaires are having too much fun to care.
If
you're looking for good, (mostly) clean fun, then look no further because 'Playtight'
packs 13 party starters that are set to blow speakers from coast to coast like
the second Liks LP." Matt Jost, RapReviews.com
"Not only do FL have some ill rhymes, but their beats have advanced to
the next level as well. DJ Designs funk-infused bumps cover not only familiar
breakbeat territory, but also veer off into previously unexplored directions.
- Murder Dog
"Bay Area B-Boys extraordinaire Foreign Legion come strong on their aptly
titled sophomore LP. High-octane party jams dominate, with block-rocking beats
and braggadocio-filled rhymes galore. Never taking themselves too seriously,
the NoCal trio let loose with 13 quality joints dedicated to mike-rocking, liquor-sipping
and running game on the honeys. Check out the swinging retro-funk of 'Party
Crashers or the neck-breaking 'How Do It Feel?' for prime examples of
the FLs sonic superiority." - Brolin Winning, XLR8R
Whereas stark strings and sliced horn samples dominated Kidnapper
Van, Playtight's production is funkier, fuller, and cleaner.
This time out, producer DJ Design keeps the scratching to a minimum, while applying
popping bass lines over elastic drum tracks and eclectic samples."Sam
Chennault, SF Weekly
The strongest evidence that the Legion is - gasp! - growing up might be
the serious tone of 'How Do It Feel?', which finds Marc Stretch relating his
struggle as a working class man with an upper class mind / and lower class
income / trying to get mine. Thats real talk. FL's production has
taken a giant step forward this time around, resulting in a more varied musical
palette. Along with their trademark big beats, the album abounds with string
melodies, reggae basslines and lively organ fragments. - URB
Prozacks recent
EP Restaurant Quality Lemonade (Dreamworks) charted all over college
and mixshow radio. Prozacks solo debut Death Taxes and Prozack
includes tracks from an array of hip-hop heavy weights, including Pete Rock,
Organized Noize, J Dilla, Alchemist, Paul Nice and Super Dave West (release
date to be announced). DJ Design has recorded for Stonesthrow w/Peanut
Butter Wolf, Wildchild and Madlib/Quasimoto and has remixed songs for such varied
artists as the Beastie Boys, Rae & Christian and Bob James. Marc Stretch
has recently signed a solo deal with Look Records.
FOREIGN
LEGION DISCOGRAPHY
Overnight Success Maxi-Single
(ABB 1999)
Featuring the
international hit Full Time B-Boy, recognized worldwide as an all-out
b-boy manifesto. Backed with Overnight Success and "Underground
feat. Natural Fact.
Nowhere to Hide 12 (Insiduous Urban 2000)
This farcical
take on conspiracy theories is as funny as it is funky. Spaced out B-side Static
Remix from producer Madlib.
Let Me Tell You Something 12 (Insiduous Urban 2000)
FL tells everyone
something with this 2nd single off the Kidnapper Van album. Bangin B-Side
Remix by the one and only Paul Nice.
Kidnapper Van Beats to Rock to While Bike Stealin LP (Insidious
Urban 2000)
Debut album -
over 10,000 copies sold worldwide! Extremely rare, currently out of print.
Happy Drunk 12 (Look Records 2002)
First release
on DJ Designs new imprint Look Records. Showcases the groups new direction
in sound.
Voodoo Star 12 (Look Records 2002)
Prozack and March
Stretch spit hilarious lyrics about 'bad luck' over DJ Designs' punchy beats
and funky keyboards.
Playtight 2xLP/CD (Look Records - February 10th, 2003 National Release)
Long-awaited sophomore
album. Produced by DJ Design. Artwork designed by Jeff Jank of Stones Throw
fame. Features the hits Happy Drunk, Voodoo Star, It's Working, Nasty Lady and
Roommate Joint.
Prozack
Marc Stretch
DJ Design
"San Franciscan hip hop that comes packing furiously intelligent heat..."
- NME
"Either you slip on your slickest Armani bathrobe and luxuriate in the
odius and boorish rhymes of Jay-Z and company or you smoke yourself into a blunted
frenzy while being entertained (?) by the minimalist dictates of the leftfield.
Right? Wrong... Foreign Legion highlight the paucity of ideas apparent in both
well entrenched camps [and] demonstrate the swift moves towards hip hop's third
way." - Jockey Slut
"Foreign Legion represents anew, post-indie revolution era in Bay Area
hip hop, one that's realized mix tapes and MP3's don't pay the bills."
- Bay Guardian
"FL's Production has taken a giant step forward this time around, resulting
in a more varied musical palette. Along with their trademark big beats, the
album abounds with string melodies, reggae basslines and lively organ fragments.
On Playtight, the group are just as delinquent in their habits as ever,
if noticeably more self assured. Unlike far too many underground groups who
seem more concerned with abstract metaphors then getting bodies on the floor,
Foreign Legion crafted several of Playtight's tunes into what could easily be
deemed club bangers... Though they've risen to the top of the Bay Area Indie
Hip-Hop heap, FL is a long way from blingin'" - XLR8R
for more info on FL visit
lookrecords.com