The Throwback City Instrumental album was released [digitally on itunes and cd baby] December, 2008, and was released on vinyl, March 11th in retail stores and in stores throughout Canada, Japan, Paris and the UK. Super Producer [and former Beatminerz producer] Baby Paul wanted the classic album to be a collector’s item. “Only a handful of producers and DJs put out instrumental albums, and I realized that Hip Hop is the only genre that does that. It truly is a grassroots project and I’m proud of it,” says BP of the project.
BP established Divine Order Entertainment [D.O.E.] in 2006. The label reflects his creative vision and opinion of how music should be produced. But there’s more to this label name than meets the eye: “Everything that happens to me, happens in God’s time and with God’s understanding.” The spiritual root of the name came about as a result of experiences that BP says challenged his relationship with himself – and which have defined his reality. BP refers to the unseen forces that have impacted his life as, “Divine Order.”
About the inspiration behind the TBC album: “I looked at some of my producer peers like J Dilla, Alcamyst, Large Professor and Pete Rock, who have successfully launched instrumental albums. Over the years, I’ve collected and created music and have what is called, ‘a lost catalogue’ or ‘lost tapes,’ which is music that never found the right artist to translate it creatively. A few key grassroots producers contributed instrumental releases such as JD (formerly of Slum Village), who put out Donuts and who was incredibly abstract and brilliant. His album had a lot of breaks, beats and intricate chops.”
BP wanted to utilize a combination of sampling as well as live instruments to portray his musical diversity. He sequenced the music on the album three times to create its final sound. Though the album lacks lyrics, the music conveys moods and statements based on the instrumental arrangement; it is a combination of the past, present - and BP’s look to the future standard of urban music.
BP chose the name, “Throwback City” because creatively, his learning foundation started with Hip Hop: With the progressive market and strong presence that Hip Hop has today, he wanted to make sure that the foundation of the era he came from, was not lost. The theme may be based in the past, but it’s not stuck there. Add to the “throwback” element of the album, “city” because there’s 30 songs on it illustrating its many conglomerates, like a city. “You’re coming into my town when you listen to it,” he says.
BP collaborated with Mike Risko on this album, who played instruments and did some additional programming, as he has done with BP on past projects involving Nas and AZ.
BP also co-starred in independent film, “Soulful,” produced by the Tough Struggle Entertainment film company, as well as scored. It is available on Amazon.com, and in Blockbusters. He will also be co-starring in their next film, Ex$pendable, due the summer of 2010. Recently departed LaLa Brown, contributed songs to the soundtrack; BP has promised Ms. Brown’s family that she would be memorialized in this film’s production.
Last but not least, BP is working on AZ‘s album, “Doe or Die2″ due the third quarter of 2010.
For more information on Baby Paul’s music, visit him at www.myspace.com/babypaulbpzy and follow him at twitter.com/bpzy.
