Music
Press
Their handle is taken from swing-era slang meaning "so cool," and true to form, Somobe is something of a throwback: a sample-free, jazz-inflected hip-hop duo whose airy synth and snaking bass lines set the stage for introspective narratives on alcoholic moms and the struggles of a hand-to-mouth existence.
"I got a little Kweli in me, Jay-Z, too," MC Jon B announces at one point, and though Somobe is rooted in the underground, they don't hate on the mainstream like so many of their peers. "Who am I to be judging?" Jon B asks on the album-closing "You Can't Risk That." "You're just trying to sell what they buy. ... I ain't trying to stay overworked and underpaid."
Having dropped one of the best local releases of the year, he shouldn't have to worry about that too much longer. - The Review Journal
Somobe
Pronounced “So-Moby,” the Las Vegas-based Jon D and Bob J make a strong entrée to the rap game
with their Native Tongues-esque debut album, The Great Communication. Even though the group’s smooth grooves may sound familiar, they eschew samples in favor of their own creations. It’s an
interesting concept: providing a comforting sound that’s entirely new.
The soundbeds feature warbling
keyboard patterns, smooth jazzy grooves and drums that aren’t always the focal point, as is the case in many rap songs. The bizarre sound collage on “Where I’m Supposed To Be,” for instance,
creates an atmospheric backing for Somobe’s rhymes detailing their street level journey, which it
accents with plenty of technological name-dropping. Urgent keyboards heighten the confrontational
“Something’s Gonna Happen,” an exercise in justified paranoia. Lyrically, Jon D’s straight-forward raps could use a little more animation, but it’s a minor setback to an otherwise strong opening salvo. - The Source Magazine
What a breath of fresh air. The production team of Jonathan "Jon D" Owens (also an emcee) and Roland "Bob-J" Llapitan isn't just a distinct voice within -- one could argue outside -- the Las Vegas hip-hop scene, but perhaps among the bigger American underground community. The Great Communication is exactly that: A lucid, sophisticated expression of rhythm and melody that draws upon the last 80 years of black music (jazz, R&B, soul, funk, rap) while firmly planted in the present. The vibe is almost wholly relaxed from start to finish, but it stimulates its listener with its humble narratives and subtly massaging musicality. This is the work of a class act. - Mike Prevatt - CityLife Magazine
"In the tradition of groundbreaking producer/MC duos like Gang Starr and Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, Las Vegas' Somobe deliver purist hip-hop with a futuristic twist. Musician Bob J forgoes samples for long synth chords layered over pulsating melodies and backbreaking kick-snare patterns. Vocalist Jon D blends Common's optimistic narratives with the confident twang of a young Jay-Z. The resulting debut, The Great Communication, is familiar yet refreshingly unique. Hopefully this secret won't stay in Vegas.
Score (B+)" - Entertainment Weekly
"Vegas has undergone a major makeover, transforming from a mob-run playground for thrill seeking singles to a corporate-franchised family vacation destination. Hip-hop seems to share a similar arc, but in the midst of the madness of neon signs and bling jewelry, Sin City-based Somobe manages to keep a deaf ear to the hype and release a genuine offering into the hip-hop ether.
Coined from the swing era, the word “Somobe” translates to “so cool,” which aptly describes the feel and mood of the producer/emcee tandem’s debut album The Great Communication. Jonathan “Jon D” Owens single-handedly heads up the entire album without the aid of cameo appearances from established entities the likes of an Akon or a Snoop Dogg. Playing the part of yin to Jon D’s yang, producer Roland “Bob-J” Llapitan mans the boards for every song on the album.
Overall, The Great Communication is a thoughtful body of work. “Clap On” delves into the confusion of figuring out the truth for yourself and not believing everything from filtered news broadcasts. Along the same train of thought, “Something’s Gonna Happen” smacks the back of numbskull listeners to straighten up and fly right with hood parables.
Regardless of the acclaim their first single (“Building”) garnered with its “Hip-hop Song of the Year” nomination from the Independent Music Awards, “Long Days” is Somobe’s defining moment. Featuring the vocals of Shadow Pilot draped over a cinematic score, Jon D’s ability to paint a picture with words while narrating intimate experiences is on full display.
Production may come off as a touch too monotonous, rarely straying from the laidback pacing of the entire project, but The Great Communication is still head and shoulders above the competition. Somobe has opened the doors for Vegas emcees. Viva Las Vegas. (Get’Em Productions)" - Westcoast Performer Magazine
"Las Vegas is about as known for hip-hop as Aspen, but Somobe wants to change that with The Great Communication. Yet for a duo surrounded by sin and bright lights, their debut is surprisingly subdued. The Vegas addict in me begs for an over-the-top hookers and no-limit experience, which could make these guys high rollers. Rooted in jazz, Bob J and Jon D demonstrate a knack for production by sticking to loungelike loops (hear “Building”) instead of overused samples. It's not a typical “strip” experience, which means you'll save some of that hard earned cash. — Jason Jurgens" - Remix Magazine
It would be an over simplification to say Somobe is next to carry the title of great Producer/MC tandem. Refusing to use samples, Roland Llapitan loops are as smooth as they are original. Setting the mood for reflection, Jonathan Owens lyrics are haunting and real. Sometimes packing the swagger of Jay-Z or the verbal manipulation of Kweli, Owens flow is pure gold. Try to think of a time when an MC spoke about the challenges of growing up in a house falling apart without playing the role of vengeful martyr or the consequences of drinking too much that don t end up in sleeping with someone that you regret. If we consider truly great communication to be that which doesn t obstruct reality, Somobe s debut isn t just a success; it is an instant classic. Not forcing positive vibes but providing honest and real observations that include suggestions for change. Long Days and We Need a Love Song show just how comprehensive, daring, and focused this impressive tandem is. JIVE Magazine Rating: 5 out of 5 - Jive Magazine
Vegas has long been a hot spot for the hip hop world. Whether MC’s are performing at the House of Blues or sitting VIP at Tao, Jet or Pure, you can count on every major hip hop act to come through at least twice a year. But as far as local talent making noise? Well, whatever has happened in Vegas to this point, has obviously stayed in Vegas.
Until now, maybe. Somobe - one of the 702’s biggest up-and-coming acts - brings a fresh, jazz-influenced sound to the table. Made up of the performing/songwriting/producing duo of Jonathan “Jon D” Owens and Roland “Bob J” Llapitan, Somobe releases their first major record The Great Communication this week.
“It's been in the works for about two years,” says Jon D of the new album. “We really just let this thing develop naturally. We didn't set out to write a certain songs to serve specific purposes. These songs are about our lives. This is real stuff.”
Like the Roots, Somobe prides themselves on creating beats with instruments. This is especially apparent in the first single “We Need a Love Song”, where piano keys and saxophone rifts flow over Jon D’s raps. While “Long Days” and “Stateline” show off Jon D’s depth and versatility in his lyrics.
“A lot of people ask where we got this sample or that sample, and they almost don't believe us when we tell them that all of the sounds are original,” says Jon D, who plays the sax, while Bob J plays the trumpet and bass guitar. “The fact that we're also musicians puts us in another category than most in hip hop. I'm not just a rapper!”
With their ability to produce and create different sounds, along with their appearance (Jon D is African American, Bob J is Filipino) one can’t help but draw comparisons to a certain creative tandem in Virginia. Like Pharrell and Chad - Bob J and Jon D even met each other in band class. But unlike the Neptunes, Somobe reps Vegas. But not the Sin City that everyone knows.
“Most locals avoid the Strip like the plague, myself included,” says Job D, who was born and raised in LV. “Life out here, believe it or not, is fairly mellow.”
Kind of like Somobe.
Somobe’s album The Great Communication can be purchased on iTunes and Amazon. Go to http://www.myspace.com/Somobe - The Source
When it comes to beats and rhymes, Las Vegas production/rap duo Somobe get busy. Rather than rely on samples, Jon-D and Bob-J create a jazzy score that house reflective narratives based around an everyday existance. Rarely are producers as capable on the mic as they are on the MPC, but with their debut, Somobe cement their place in hip-hop. - Scratch Magazine
Somobe, a hip-hop duo from Las Vegas, is a group to keep an eye on, for their debut record The Great Communication from Get 'Em Productions features a very balanced array of sounds and styles. The album has the ability to seamlessly shift between Bob J's harder and more jazz-influenced beats (mostly void of samples) while Jon D (the group's lyricist) provides smooth verses that will remind some of Talib Kwali. Even though the album begins to get softer as it progresses and I felt the opening selections were the group's strongest tracks, this disc is definitely worth purchasing. - SouthCoast247.com
Discography
Selected for Urb Magazine's Spring 2008 Edition of 100 Artists who will be talked about in 2008 and beyond.
Released self produced Full Length Album- The Great Communication Sept 2007
Single- "Where I'm Supposed To Be" charting on several college/satellite radio stations.
Album in Top 10 on DMX Radio
People's Choice Award-2006 Independant Music Awards.
Selected as one of Rawkus Records- Rawkus 50 in 2007
Photos
Bio
Multi-talented multi-instrumentalists:
Meet Somobe (pronounced “So-Moby.”) With a name lifted from a swing era phrase signifying “So Cool,” the Las Vegas-based performing, producing and songwriting team -- Jonathan “Jon D” Owens and Roland "Bob-J" Llapitan -- are introducing an uplifting, vibrant brand of hip-hop that bonds beats to vocabulary; imagination to intellect.
With their forthcoming CD,
The Great Communication, the duo is poised to deliver their first full-length release under the auspices of their company, Get'em Productions. With one new song already nominated for Hip-Hop Song of the Year by the Independent Music Awards, placement in The ASCAP “I Create Music Expo” promo reel and a subsequent invitation for Somobe to attend the society’s exclusive Rhythm & Soul Awards in Beverly Hills -- plus the track’s inclusion in an upcoming indie film -- there is a formidable buzz about the duo in their early twenties who have been rocking houses for almost eight years. “Most hip-hop guys just jump into it,” says Bob-J, “but it’s a huge part of our lives.”
Jonathan Owens delivers agile word play; lyrics enriched by a captivating narrative, a pronounced point of view and a sly sense of humor. His messages may be positive but they are not sanitized. There is street smart cool, but without misogyny, violence or negativity. These words float over a compelling musical tapestry of hip-hop emboldened by a solid jolt of jazz. Owens, who also plays sax, says, “A lot of underground hip-hop samples bebop, Charlie Parker. Our stuff doesn’t sound like that; it’s influenced by smooth jazz.” The duo doesn’t use samples, preferring instead to create loops and grooves with the illusion of history.
Originally Somobe was a larger aggregation, a group who opened shows for P. Diddy, JaRule, Master P, plus old school R&B stars like War and Cameo. All of these experiences were valuable lessons in the fine art of big time show business. “The hip-hop guys were onstage, off stage and gone,” says Owens. “ But the old school acts would see these young guys playing music and they’d acknowledge us.” Over time, Owens and Bob-J concentrated their energies as a duo.
While visitors to Las Vegas
are dazzled by the glitter of the famed strip, Owens and Bob-J know the other side of the city. “If you come to Vegas it’s like any other town,” says Bob-J, ” It’s just one two-mile stretch of road that’s crazy.” Their hometown’s boom inspired Owens’ lyrics for the song “Building” that includes these lines:
“I gotta say the ground’s shaking White girls with hair like Jamaicans Walking the streets in my hometown”
Owens explains his inspiration. “I was driving down the street and I saw this young black kid dressed in hip-hop clothes riding a skateboard. It was a crazy visual. Then I started to connect all of the different changes that are going on here in Vegas, of cultures coming together. Then I saw this white girl in the mall with these long dreadlocks – it tripped me out. And these high rises are all new to Vegas. The song is all about change.”
Change, transformation and metamorphosis:
qualities that also define Somobe, two youthful purveyors whose creed is uniting, not dividing audiences. “I don’t purposely write things from my own view point, but I think a lot of the songs -- even though they’re personal experiences—translate,” says Jonathan Owens. “It’s important to tell your own story but to have people hear it and apply it to themselves.” In that spirit, The Great Communication heralds the vital sound and the emphatic soul of Somobe.
Links
