HeavyweightS

First Word Records is proud to bring you new music from Essa & Pitch 92 accompanied by an all-star squad of 'HeavyweightS' including Klashnekoff, Kyza, Doc Brown & many more.

Following on from the first track by the duo 'Heavyweight' which dropped late last year, this posse track version is taken from a new full-length album entitled 'Resonance', which is due to be released in late Summer.

A lyricist, lawyer and a Londoner, Essa initially released music under the name Yungun in the early noughties, in the midst of UK hip hop's own "golden era". He earned praise from artists such as Nas and Mark Ronson, and performed and recorded with such luminaries as De La Soul, Wu-Tang Clan, Guru, Slum Village and Pharoahe Monch.

His classic debut album 'The Essance' originally dropped whilst he was at law school, 20 years ago (which was recently given a full re-issue on First Word, on vinyl and digital for the first time). This was followed with a collaborative album with DJ Mr Thing ('Grown Man Business'), then some years later with 'The Misadventures of a Middle Man' in 2014. Prior to 'Heavyweight', Essa last released a track on Juneteenth 2020 entitled 'Justice', as a powerful reaction to George Floyd and the BLM movement. It saw support from the likes of Gilles Peterson, and raised money for an assortment of access-to-justice organisations.

Joining Essa on the boards throughout this new project is acclaimed producer and DJ, Pitch 92.

Born in Dublin in 1992, Pitch grew up in Germany & Switzerland, where the sounds of Madlib & Dilla fired up his neurons. Under the encouragement of friends ASM, he began experimenting with an MPC at the ripe old age of 12. He relocated to the UK in the late noughties, where he was quickly engulfed into the Manchester hip hop scene, becoming a longtime member of The Mouse Outfit, touring across Europe and featuring heavily on their first two albums.

Since going solo in 2017, he's released full album projects with Verb T on High Focus, Confucius MC on HHV, Illaman on Potent Funk and MC DRS on Space Cadet, as well as two solo albums ('Intervals' & '3rd Culture') and production work for artists such as Ocean Wisdom, Jehst, Foreign Beggars, The Four Owls and First Word family, Ruby Wood and Tyler Daley (Children of Zeus), to name just a few!

This new project from the duo is co-produced, mixed and mastered by Viva Cee, an extraordinarily versatile up and coming writer/producer, known for fusing international sounds with contemporary black music styles. Expect big things from this exceptional talent.

Following on from the concept of a "solo posse cut" in the original version of this track, this time we have the real deal. Accompanying Essa on the bars here we have a legendary set of UK hip hop luminaries - namely Terra Firma's Kyza and Klashnekoff, regular collaborator Devise, Manchester's Persia, Nottingham's Nay Loco, and original Poisonous Poets' members Reveal, battle rap champ Tony D and multi-talented rapper / actor / comedian, Doc Brown.

UK Hip Hop 'HeavyweightS' from top to bottom, we think you'll agree.

'HeavyweightS' is released digitally worldwide via First Word on May 3rd 2024.