Hezekiah: "Soul Music" Video

Video description: Head-nod with finesse? Or is that rock with finesse? Philadelphia-based artist, Hezekiah intends on redefining the boundaries of hip-hop with his debut long player, Hurry Up and Wait on Soulspazm Records. Scheduled for release in the beginning of 2005, Hurry up and Wait is a multi-layered soundscape of rich yet breathable melodies, powerful wordplay and punctuating percussion. While the album will have its fair share of notable guests (including Bahamadia, Grand Agent, Santi White (Stiffed), and Scratch (Legendary Roots Crew) the bulk of the album is intended to give its author's namesake the long overdue shine Hezekiah has been after for some time. Raised just south of Philadelphia in Delaware, Hezekiah grew up in the home of his mother and father where the sounds of Otis Redding, Bo Diddley and countless other blues records were in constant rotation on the hi-fi. Young and impressionable, Hezekiah soaked up the sounds of his musically trained family, and began to develop a love for music and eventually a sound of his own. But where Hezekiah would differ from the musicians in his family, would be in the adoption of digitally-based samplers, sequencers and synthesizers; the proverbial stew of hip-hop music. Hezekiah worked up the ranks within the Philadelphia underground hip-hop scene through his perseverance and talent as an emcee. Recognized for his exceptional live stage performances, Hezekiah continued to build his reputation as an influential artist working with many local independents. Indeed staying true to his diverse musical roots, Hezekiah was none too afraid to challenge as many genres of music he could, leading him to work with some of Philadelphia's most talented performers including R&B duet, the Jazzyfatnastees, Bahamadia, and Aaries. Most recently, Hezekiah received an invitation from Dawn Thompson (sister of Ahmir Thompson of The Roots), to co-produce the score for an episode of the Showtime Network's original series Street Time. Hezekiah continues to broaden his musical scope, dabbling in all aspects of art and business including emceeing, producing, singing as well as organizing the live hip-hop producer's roundtable, Beat Society. As a venerable do-it-yourself mastermind, it's no surprise that his new album carries the title, Hurry up and Wait; a reference Hezekiah says any independent artist can relate to, as the trials of making things happen on your own terms (without a major label) tend to wear on the creative mind. But be that as it may, Hezekiah accepts the challenge, and looks forward to the release of his first full length album. As a means to endure the long stretch to the finish, Hez continues to enjoy the ride of his own funky drum line, on a road that is none too short of adventures in synthesized harmony.

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