Mr. Anonymous

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A collection of 13 original songs featuring reggae, dancehall, electronica, acoustic, salsa, and dub music. Created by Jeep (The Samples, Jeep Music)

Record Label:  KAB America

Buy at  iTunes Music Store


THE STORY OF MR. ANONYMOUS
by Jeep

HOW DID THIS ALBUM COME TOGETHER
When i first started compiling music for the album, i had a concept in my mind of making the "ultimate chill vibe" cd with acoustic guitars and dancehall rhythms. i really wanted to make an international flavored party cd for people to relax and rock to by the pool, on a road trip, on a boat, etc. being a lifelong fan of reggae and dancehall music, i was hearing the voices and melodies of my favorite jamaican artists in the songs i was writing. on my last cd "cool & easy", i worked on a couple tracks with Michael Rose from Black uhuru. we had talked about working together again, so i called him up and things took off from there.

WHO IS MR. ANONYMOUS
The name mr. anonymous represents the collaborative spirit of the album, and is kind of a pseudo name for me as an artist and producer. although i wrote and performed most all of the music, i sang on about half of the material. it seemed like anonymity to a certain extent was the best way to present and feature all of the artists on the cd, kind of like a collage as opposed to a single artist cd.

HOW DID YOU HOOK UP WITH ALL OF THE ARTISTS
It all really started with Michael Rose. he got me in contact with Cutty Ranks who put me in touch with Barrington Levy and so on. the whole process was very random. for example, i had just finished recording a track with Cutty (in kingston), and we were talking about drummers. i mentioned Sly Dunbar, so he called him on his cell phone and handed the phone over to me as we were driving in the car. we talked and Sly said he would do the track if he liked it. he ended up bringing Sky Juice (the original percussionist for Black Uhuru) along for his session. earlier that same day, i was hanging out at Cutty's house and his prot���©g���© from Spanishtown, Dr. Innocent , came over to work on lyrics. he had heard the "Mr. Anonymous" track that Cutty had already finished, and wanted to do something on it as well. some of the artists i met for the first time hanging out in the studio. Turbulence was hanging out in the yard of the studio right at the time i had finished recording Sly and another dj named Danny English. my engineer Fatta saw him on the monitor, and we called him in to check out the track. he liked the groove and dj'd the track right then. for Bounty Killer, i left a copy of a track at the front desk of my hotel for his manager to pick up. she said he would do the track if he liked it....later that night, she called me and said Bounty wanted to do the track, and i ended up going over to Shaggy's studio to record with him. Dave Wakeling had done some shows with my band on our last tour, and we had discussed working on a song or project together. i sent him the track and so on.

HOW WERE THE SONGS CONSTRUCTED
Most every tune started as an acoustic guitar riff, and most of the songs with guest artists were written with their voicing in mind. for example, the song "SWING" was written with the Barrington Levy trademark "shidley woy" in my head. every time i played that song to myself, i couldn't get that sound out of my head. another example is the melody and phrasing for the song "GOOD VIBE". i had Michael Rose and Dave Wakeling singing both of those parts in my head before i even set the guitar down. other songs were composed on my groovebox. these songs were the more dancehall/hiphop vibe, and the dj's i picked were for their rhythmic delivery and tonal quality. with Cutty Ranks and Bounty Killer, i just sat and listened!!!

WHO WAS YOUR FAVORITE TO WORK WITH
It's hard to pick a favorite because all of these guys blew me away. i would have to say the "experience" of hanging with Cutty Ranks probably sticks out the most. it was my first trip to kingston, and he let me stay at his place. he took me to his old neighborhood where he grew up and introduced me to the family that took him in as a kid. he turned me on to all of his local food spots and bars, and i basically tagged along on all his errands like the barbershop, carwash, local herbal doctor, domino game, etc. Cutty is intensely musical and constantly writing and reciting lyrics. he's extremely smart and has a lot to say. he stands right in your face tapping your chest while he raps, always projecting a message. i'd wake up every morning with a track blasting out of his stereo and he'd be singing lyrics into his dictaphone. one afternoon, Dr. Innocent came over and all three of us sat out in Cutty's backyard on cinder blocks smoking spliffs and writing lyrics. i just listened and took it all in. Cutty is a straight up respectable guy, and i wouldn't trade that experience for anything!!!

FINAL THOUGHTS
"Mr. Anonymous" has been the most fulfilling musical project of my life. the sounds and vibes on the album are kind of like an audible diary of the entire experience. i have truly been blessed to work with such amazing talent. there is so much spontaneity and life in every one of the performances. i really feel like the album truly captures the best of the best!!!


Recording Location:  Jamaica