Inflowential

Inflowential

Inflowential joins a recent upsurge in hip-hop bands with live instrumentals. But unique to Inflowential’s sound, instead of a drummer, their live percussionist drops the breaks as a human beat box. Though far from a new concept, live hip-hop bands—with the exception of the Roots—have not notably broken into the mainstream consciousness. Musicianship has not even been a prerequisite for mainstream success in regards to hip-hop in the past decade. Inflowential’s six piece band, including two MCs, a guitarist/keyboardist, bass player, DJ and vocal percussionist (and sometimes guest sax player), follow with other newbies like Asher Roth’s band to bring back the music, and they do it homegrown and organically. The group’s MCs add another dynamic layer. The lyricism is crisp, the verses well annunciated and the messages evoke honesyy. “Caged Bird” is a perfect example of the flawless synthesis of these various instrumental and vocal elements. The melody of the sax is carried by the beat boxing, reinforced by the turntables and served to you with flawless alliteration and rhyme schemes. Clearly influenced by early-mid-‘90s groups, Inflowential definitely brings clarity back to hip-hop through their sound and message, and college campuses are eating it up, marking a very promising beginning.
-Boyuan Gao - Beyond Race Magazine

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Last night was my first time seeing Raleigh, North Carolina’s Inflowential, and I had only heard good things about these guys, who turned out to be the most unique band I have ever heard or seen. They have beats and a hip-hop style similar to the Roots and are made up of two MCs, a guitarist, a bassist and an extraordinary beat-boxer in place of drums.

The Soapbox is a very small venue, and these guys had everyone in the place jamming and dancing. I was shocked when they asked the audience members if it was their first time seeing Inflowential and over three-fourths of the people raised their hands. I have never seen so many people absolutely love a band after seeing them for the first time!

From the very first beat people began bobbing their heads and were immediately hooked. Inflowential’s sound, lyrics and flows are so addicting that even when I woke up this morning I was humming their tune “Change.”

http://yourhereblog.mtv.com/2007/09/21/hip-hoppers-inflowential-win-over-a-crowd-of-newbies-in-nc/#comments - Ryankawamoto - MTV News

"Inflowential successfully mixes blues, rock, hip-hop, and reggae to create music with broad appeal. It's kinetic live show has been a draw for fans."
- DAVID MENCONI, THE RALEIGH NEWS & OBSERVER (FEB 06, 2009)


http://www.newsobserver.com/great8/ - - DAVID MENCONI, THE RALEIGH NEWS & OBSERVER (FEB 06, 2009)

Undoubtedly one of the best live performers in the state is the group out of Raleigh, Inflowential. A six-piece hip-hop "band" that entrusts two emcees (Tab-One, Charlie Smarts), a bassist (Bender), a vocal-percussionist (A-did), a guitar/keyboardist (Kyle Phelps) and not your typical drop a beat and fill it up with lytics type music; Inflow is intent on bringing a new brand of hip hop to the forefront: a sound that is equal parts of funk, soul and rap with an obviouos dedication to the live performance.

Bender and A-did went to high school together. While attending NCSU, they had chance meetings with Tab at various parties where they begin to mix it up together. Less than a month into their association, Tab and A-did entered a band contest in Wilmington and took top prize. Charlie came into the fold a short time later; followed by Illdigitz and most recently Kyle joined to "help fill [the] sound."

Like most bands, Inflow's music comes typically from a musical melody. The song comes together "by the instruments jamming," the lyricists form freestyles over the top and work towards the final result. What follows on the track is usually nothing short of brilliance.

Fortunately, this band doesn't just stop at the recording. On stage, they can take over the crowds ____e Mao Tse-tung. A few month's back at The battle the Hip Hop Bands at the Front Street Music Hall, they brought an energy to the building that stole the show. Performing with Dirty5Thirty, The Urban Sophisticates and Mosadi Music (three spectacular "bands" in their own rights), Inflow stealthily mesmerized the crowd and won the judges over with tight delivery and a silent confidence. That night they were unstoppable, as they put it "they were not going to be denied." They also benefited from A-did (when I first caught his 'steez,' I dubbed him "the weapon").

If you remember Doug E. Fresh or Biz Markey...if you heard of Skinny Boys you will recall an instrument that brings a depth to the hip hop genre: the beat box. In another room, one could mistake the output of A-did's mike as drum machine, dj, sampler or all three. Where Bender's bass lines set the groove factor and Tab and Smart's delivery is the meat and potatoes, the weapon is truly the glue that holds it all together. I would never say that Inflow would be worse off without him...who am I kidding? Yeah, I would. He adds another layer that flat out cannot be replaced. In a live performance, he is the Eddie Van Halen solo. The new fan will be blown away by his skill.

Inflow has produced two mixtapes and will be releasing their first full length record, The Inflow LP due out in October. Although they are still shopping a studio to put all the pieces together, they may end up "recording the album ourselves and let someone else mix and master it."

They credit Tribe, MosDef, Andre 3000, Dilla, John Paul Jones, 9th, Questlove, Ben Folds and Carter Beauford (among many others) for their styles and influences. Their hobbies include: snowboarding, video games and "gorgeous honey dip lovelys." And they especially thank their "home away from home," The Raleigh Pourhouse and all of their fans who show support for the music that they describe as a dedication to spreading a "message of hope and unity."

I hope that everyone who reads this has Inflow in their music players. Further, I urge you to get out to one of their shows and bring friends. Personally, I think these guys have what it takes to go onto the next level. But for now you can catch them next at the Mission valley Block Party in Raleigh on September 6 or check out their page: www.myspace.com/inflowential for updates and new music. - Fuzz Jackson & Butter Squared: The Village Idiot Magazine

Infusing hip-hop with live instrumentation à la The Roots, a positive message reminiscent of De La Soul and the unique dynamic of a human beat box, Inflowential has established itself as one of the Triangle’s premiere live hip-hop groups.
n addition to the live band aspect, perhaps one of the most prominent features of Inflow that has helped the group to stand out from countless other hip-hop acts is the presence of a beatboxer. Adid brings that to the table after catching The Roots at Duke University while he was a freshman at N.C. State.
ince its inception in 2003, the group has released a live album of one of its earliest performances, a mixtape and a professionally recorded EP. Next up is a full-length — entitled After This — that the band says has been a labor of love victim only to their own perfectionism. - MyNC.com

This group out of North Carolina is quietly putting together a bevy of hot tracks. Their first music video, “Sheriff”, is a nice blend of reggae beats and socially conscious lyrics. They take the chorus of Bob Marley’s classic “I Shot the Sheriff” and do it justice.

“Change”, Inflowential’s best song, is off of its first album, Evolutionary Process and can be heard on the group’s Myspace page here. For more music out of NC State, including album and mixtape downloads, check out Inflowential’s site here. - The Rabbit Hole music Blog

Inflowential will be a household name in a few years. If the Inflow EP is any indication on Inflowential's potential, then we are all in for a treat. They've got the makings and inner workings of a platinum selling artist. Throw in label support, an experienced producer, and another album, and you've got gold.


Even if we don't keep in touch, I'm glad I met you,

Mattias
- Mattias - Bandoftheday.com/inflowential

This group out of North Carolina is quietly putting together a bevy of hot tracks. Their first music video, “Sheriff”, is a nice blend of reggae beats and socially conscious lyrics. They take the chorus of Bob Marley’s classic “I Shot the Sheriff” and do it justice.

“Change”, Inflowential’s best song, is off of its first album, Evolutionary Process and can be heard on the group’s Myspace page here. For more music out of NC State, including album and mixtape downloads, check out Inflowential’s site here. - The Rabbit Hole music Blog

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When I was growing up in a small town in the Piedmont, there were two dive bars to choose between if you wanted to go out; neither had live music on a regular basis.

So as soon as we were old enough, my weekends and occasional weeknights (if my parents were feeling generous) consisted of hopping in my friends' cars to drive to Chapel Hill or Raleigh to find out what the hipsters were buzzing about. The clubs and little bars there played a major part in forming my taste in music. To this day, I'm still drawn to finding out what is happening in that part of the state, and each week when I run down my list of upcoming shows, I check the blogs and bar listings for Raleigh and Chapel Hill.

Inflowential first caught my ear when some of my Raleigh friends started going to see them on a regular basis, and when I saw that one of their gigs coincided with a recent trip back home, I stopped in to check them out. When I arrived that night, people had already lined up around the building; inside, a tight circle had formed around where the band was set up to play. Live hip-hop shows feed so much off of the audience, and the four band members were very aware of how to involve the crowd.

The two MCs - Tab-One and Charlie Smarts - a bassist named Bender, and Adid the Abstract (beatbox/human orchestration) opted out of the safe haven of a Southern slant, and instead worked their way through a completely original performance with universal themes. Their delivery edged toward a full-band sound, and their focus was on live instrumentation with no percussion other than the beatboxing, a skill that requires an enormous amount of stamina. All of the lyrics (written by Charlie Smarts and Tab-One) had a positive slant that, surprisingly enough, a lot of the crowd had already memorized.

"We try to encourage being positive," Tab-One told me during a recent interview. "(We) take the vibe that we get from playing, and give it back to people."
This past spring, North Carolina Central University hosted a hip-hop summit, and as part of the weekend Atlantic Records held a talent search with 40 local bands, finally selecting Inflowential as the winner.
Their success also caught the attention of Little Brother's producer, 9th Wonder, who has offered some beats to the group (as well as insight).
Inflowential has already released an EP called The Evolutionary Process, and is currently working on a full-length.
Head out to Bella Festa on Friday and check out what the music scene in Raleigh has discovered: that Inflowential is an up-and-coming band well worth watching.
Details: Inflowential (www.myspace.com/inflowential), with Kanser, YBG and Brown Co. 10 p.m. Friday at Bella Festa, 127 Princess St.

http://www.starnewsonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061005/COLUMNIST40/610050338/-1/columnist40 - Jaclyn Currents - StarNewsOnline

[link to webcast]

http://wunc.org/tsot/archive/sot0302d.mp3/view

- Frank Stasio

Hard at work at their first studio album, with tracks produced by the Grammy-winning 9th Wonder, North Carolina hip hop collective Inflowential have covered significant ground since forming in spring of 2003 at North Carolina State University. The six-piece band features 2 emcees, a bassist, and a guitarist. Most impressive, however, is the work of A-did, who is single-handedly responsible for vocally producing all of the percussion in their songs, no drum machines or looped beats here. The boys cite The Roots, A Tribe Called Quest, Slum Village, Little Brother, and Blackstar as their influences, and it shows—Inflowential slides comfortably across genre labels, using their live instruments and jazzy undertones to create tracks with an energy and power that feels fresh. A group with great promise, if their win at the 2008 MtvU and Palm Centro Battle of the Bands is any indication, and one that you would be wise to keep on your radar. - Urb Magazine

Hard at work at their first studio album, with tracks produced by the Grammy-winning 9th Wonder, North Carolina hip hop collective Inflowential have covered significant ground since forming in spring of 2003 at North Carolina State University. The six-piece band features 2 emcees, a bassist, and a guitarist. Most impressive, however, is the work of A-did, who is single-handedly responsible for vocally producing all of the percussion in their songs, no drum machines or looped beats here. The boys cite The Roots, A Tribe Called Quest, Slum Village, Little Brother, and Blackstar as their influences, and it shows—Inflowential slides comfortably across genre labels, using their live instruments and jazzy undertones to create tracks with an energy and power that feels fresh. A group with great promise, if their win at the 2008 MtvU and Palm Centro Battle of the Bands is any indication, and one that you would be wise to keep on your radar. - Urb Magazine

"Their live show is not one to miss, as you can't get a glimpse of how impressive the group is by solely listening to the recordings. Their command on an audience was particularly impressive on "We Get Down". Having never seen the group before, I found myself joining in with the veteran fans as they bent their knees and got "down".

http://itisthemoneyshot.blogspot.com/2008/03/inflowential-caged-bird.html - It's the Money Shot blog

"Their live show is not one to miss, as you can't get a glimpse of how impressive the group is by solely listening to the recordings. Their command on an audience was particularly impressive on "We Get Down". Having never seen the group before, I found myself joining in with the veteran fans as they bent their knees and got "down".

http://itisthemoneyshot.blogspot.com/2008/03/inflowential-caged-bird.html - It's the Money Shot blog

"Inflowential exhibits the hallmarks of the best acts on the college music scene – originality, creativity and eclecticism," said Jason Rzepka, mtvU's director of communications. "The group clearly stood out as one of the most impressive to enter the competition, and now it's up to NC State students to propel Inflowential to victory." - www.ncsu.edu

"Inflowential exhibits the hallmarks of the best acts on the college music scene – originality, creativity and eclecticism," said Jason Rzepka, mtvU's director of communications. "The group clearly stood out as one of the most impressive to enter the competition, and now it's up to NC State students to propel Inflowential to victory." - www.ncsu.edu