Apollo Brown has low key become one of Detroit's most consistent hip-hop artists currently making waves in the underground. Whether it's solo projects, collaborative albums with various emcees, or group projects, Apollo Brown's vast discography has gave him the luxury to work with some of his favorite emcees of past and present, and allowed him to travel overseas to showcase his signature soulful boom bap beats.
Apollo Brown recently released his newest project Blasphemy, a collaborative effort with legendary Los Angeles emcee Ras Kass, known for his 1996 critically acclaimed debut album Soul On Ice and as a main fixture of L.A.'s hip hop scene. Along with Ras Kass, Apollo Brown enlisted an all-star cast of Detroit's underground for the newest edition in his video cipher series, which includes Red Pill, Noveliss, MarvWon, and Miz Korona.
Apollo Brown explained via email the idea behind the latest cypher:
I started my cypher series with my previous album .38 and used emcees from all different cities to hold that first one down (Quelle Chris, Ras Kass, Cav, Has-Lo, and yU). I want to try and do an installment from now on every time I release a new album. This second time around with the release of Blasphemy, I wanted to use some of the dope emcees out of the city I represent. I always tell people, that as a producer, I never work with anyone that I'm not a fan of. Each of the 5 emcees I enlisted help from in this Detroit Cypher I'm a big fan of. Marvwon is self-explanatory. He's a Detroit legend in his own right, and he has one of the nastiest commanding flows in the industry. Noveliss is part of the group Clear Soul Forces, who are making waves around the world. He's a standout emcee that I'm sure you'll hear much more from in the future. Miz Korona is another Detroit legend that can rip apart anybody in the room. Sheeeiiiit, she was an easy choice. Red Pill, aside from being a part of my group Ugly Heroes, is also an amazing solo emcee that tends command attention wherever and whenever he spits. And last, but certainly not least, Ras Kass, my counterpart holding down the lyrical end on Blasphemy. One of the greatest to ever grab a mic, period. It's as simple as that. I enjoyed putting this together, and I thank every one of these emcees involved.
Apollo Brown & Ras Kass' album Blasphemy is now available via Mello Music Group. For more information on Apollo Brown and all of his projects, visit mellomusicgroup.com.
(Photo Credit: Jeremy Deputat)