The 808 Band
Sebastopol, California, United States | INDIE
Music
Press
Musical unity is finally gained at Club Six tonight when a mix of vocalists and DJs step before a full live band to get funky. DJs Apollo, J-Boogie, Pause, Doc Fu, and Stava join live acts Mike Marshall, Robert Herrera, Dead Rap Kids, and SonicBloom for on-the-spot collaborations with house band The 808 Band. It's bound to get crazy, stay fresh, and go late, so come ready to see a damn good show. - Nitevibe
If you prefer your hip hop more from the underground side, Mazzotti's has "The Bay 2 Bay Hip Hop Reggae and Soul Showcase" presented by 808 Media and Dirty Rat Records with former Arcatan Bicasso of Living Legends, Sonicbloom, The 808 Band with Robert Herrera, and DJ Pause on the tables. This one's put together by Gabe McDowell of The 808 Band, a former local who was once drummer for a band called Lakota with Pete "Manifest" Collins (I wonder how he's doing) and Robert Herrera. Lakota morphed into an outfit called Critical Measures and Bicasso, then an HSU student, joined up as MC. Gabe and Bicasso ended up moving down to Oakland after college and hooked up with a crew called Mystik Journeymen that eventually evolved into the Living Legends -- with Bicasso thus becoming legendary. The old crew is reassembling in Arcata for the party with cool B.A. jazz-hoppers Sonicbloom and Fortuna's Dirty Rats joining the fun. - Northcoast Journal
The connection between R&B and hip-hop comes into focus Saturday at Mingles as the dynamic Brooklyn soul singer Maya Azucena teams up with the 808 Band, a South Bay duo that's supplied slammin' beats for Pep Love, Goapele, and other local performers. Also on the bill is DJ Sake-1. 510-835-3900. - East Bay Express
Hella-Ween 2008
"Bumpin' in the Night" is the ghoulish theme when rapid-fire MC Dublin of Shotgun Wedding Quintet kicks off this helter-skelter party with SonicBloom, Kadillac, the 808 Band and DJ J-Riggs. All ages. 7 p.m.-midnight Friday. $10 ($8 with costume). Masonic Center, 373 N. Main St., Sebastopol. 829-9732. www.808media.com. - Press Democrat
The 808 Band with Robert Herrera, Natural Selection. How did the eternally foggy Bay Area generate such a sunshiney band? Natural Selection is full of happy, laid-back reggae with hints of hip-hop and funk. Singer Robert Herrera has a lovely voice, and the album features some seriously sweet harmonies. Rhymes are dead-on, lyrics are sweet but not cloying. Natural Selection is an utterly charming album, perfect to perk you up on a dismal day. (self-released)
- EAST BAY EXPRESS
Get your fix of live, improvisational hip-hop at Elbo Room on Friday where members of Living Legends, 808 Band, 4OneFunk and Shotgun Wedding Quintet will be laying it down for special guest, master lyricist KRS-ONE. One of hip-hop's finest, KRS-ONE, flows better than many lyricists can write, so come and be entertained by his free-flowing form - NITEVIBE
Discography
ALBUM: Critical Measures
ALBUM: Lakota
ALBUM: Live at La Pena
SINGLE: "Don't Look" feat. Pep Love, Maya Azucena
SINGLE: "GSH" feat. The Grouch, Maya Azucena
SINGLE: "TALK SHIT" feat. Deuce Eclipse, Bicasso
Photos
Bio
TThe 808 Band is a versatile reggae, hip-hop and soul instrumental group based in Sebastopol, CA. In June 2009, the group released the acclaimed "Natural Selection" featuring Robert Herrera on vocals. The name "808" comes from the legendary Roland TR808 drum machine, used in countless Hip Hop songs through out history. Drummer Gabriel "Big G" McDowell plays a custom drum kit built by the African American Drum Company, designed to sonically mimic the famed Roland TR808 Drum machine. With a special technique, Big G is able to create this sound 100% natural, playing "the world's only acoustic 808 drum."
From it's genesis in Oakland, CA, during the prolific era for independent music of the mid 1990's, The 808 Band has played on the cutting edge of groove music. It all started with Big G performing on drums with The Living Legends Crew, consisting of Mystik Journeymen, MURS, The Grouch, Eligh, Bicasso, Arata and Asop. The 808 Band soon expanded to the trio of Big G on drums, Jeremy Mage on Keyboards and DJ Raw B on the tables. From there, the duo of J-Mage and Big G put in work in the bay as house band at La Pena's legendary Collective Soul series, backing such artists as Zion I, Planet Asia, Goapele, Destiny Wolf, Aya De Leon, and recording with Pep Love, The Grouch, Deuce Eclipse, Bicasso and Maya Azucena.
www.808music.com
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