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The Platinum Pied Pipers are a two-man dynamic musical duo with an essential new twist on modern hip hop and soul. Producers Waajeed (a founding member of Slum Village) and musical sidekick Saadiq have worked hard for two years releasing 12” singles, contributing to the Rewind series and performing several highly talked-about live shows while working on their debut album “Triple P”.
The first two PPP singles sparked sold-out European tour dates and a flurry of press from the LA Times to Urb Magazine’s Next 100 issue, a Top 5 rating from The Detroit Free Press for their performance at Detroit’s electronic music festival, Movement 2004, plus a mass of features in lifestyle and music mags, and a steady buzz in industry-savvy circles. They’ve appeared as guests and had their music play on radio shows from San Francisco to London to Paris and Tokyo, including Radio 1, Radio 1xtra, Ministry of Sound, Radio Nova, Jointone, and on the Ninja Tune globally syndicated show Solid Steel. In addition to multiple dates in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Detroit, they hold down a residency at the revered Friends and Family Club in England, and have played several dates in New York including a Puma/Giant Step Tsunami benefit alongside The Brazilian Girls. They’re played an exclusive PUMA party at WMC, and are touring the USA this summer.
Cover versions of Faze O’s classic “Rydin’ High” and Bobby Caldwell’s “Open Your Eyes” on Rewind Volume 2 showcased their ability to match beat making with musicianship, and the original tracks flaunted on “Triple P” launch an exciting voyage into Detroit hip-hop, soul, house, and rock. It’s a mix that is that is at once polished and catchy but also edgy for the underground heads. Fellow Detroit artists Jay Dee, MC Ta-Raach, plus UK-based Spacek, and Los Angeles based SA-RA Creative Partners pop up on the album. The jump off 12” featured the vocal abilities of Los Angeles native and newcomer Georgia on a classic Waajeed-style banger called “Your Day Is Done” with New York based Tiombe Lockhart’s soulful jazz ballad “I Got You,” on the flip – this track was nominated for song of the year by the BBC Radio 1 Worldwide show. The second 12” also features Tiombe Lockhart on a bumpin’ soul cut with Ge-ology and Rich Medina adding their remix prowess to a joint featuring Jay Dee. Other album highlights include a Latin-fueled version of “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” (already garnering support from DJs worldwide) and a track with Detroit MC Invincible.
While the PPP moniker may be somewhat new to the scene, Waajeed is no stranger to those who know their hip-hop. Teaming up with hip hop production guru Jay Dee in the early 1990s, Waajeed helped form the trailblazing group Slum Village. He contributed tracks to Slum’s “Dirty District” compilation on Sequence/Kinetic in 2002 and recorded seven tracks (co-producing two) for the critically acclaimed “Trinity (Past, Present, and Future)” released on Capitol in 2002 - including production credits on “La La” and the dub-influenced club banger “Star.” He worked with Jay Dee co-producing tunes on the instant classic, “Welcome 2 Detroit” released on BBE in 2001 and co-produced songs with Detroit soul sensation Dwele. Waajeed’s production work was also featured in MGM’s box-office hit, Barbershop 1. His label, Bling 47, provided the launching pad for “The Official Jay Dee Instrumental Series,” regarded in many circles as an underground classic, and the first installment of his own instrumental series, “BPM.” Bling 47 productions have even wound up on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim programming slot.
Waajeed, a self-taught musician who feels right at home in front of his MPC 2000, is known for his gritty Detroit hip hop style. Whereas Saadiq, a master keyboard and guitar player, brought up under the tutelage of world-renowned songwriter Barrett Strong (most known for his work with Motown artist Marvin Gaye), brings the element of improvisational live instrumentation to PPP’s sound. Waajeed and Saadiq were introduced through their mutual friends, Slum Village, and the two joined forces musically at the turn of the millennium. Their partnership was formally launched on Ubiquity’s Rewind Vol.2 and continued to flourish behind the boards for acts including top-selling German group, ASD and Japan based DJ Mitsu’s album “The Awakening Remixes” on “Right Here,” featuring Dwele |
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