BenOaks released his 1st hiphop album – SAMSARA – suddenly on June 28. He re-acquired some of his masters from an abandoned Bones Culture compilation album. The concept was to try & create a track with hiphop artists from every major US city.
Even after making hundreds of hiphop songs with dozens of talented emcees, SAMSARA is Benjamin Oaks first ALL hiphop album. Most of his twelve or so albums are a blend of various electronica – from dubstep to downtempo triphop & alternative hiphop – a blend of electro, electronic rock & funk.
BenOaks & Friends SAMSARA is a mostly soul style based boombap hiphop album. Guitar & organs over head-noddin funk beat. There are a few crunk/trap/chillwave modern style tracks on BenOaks & Friends SAMSARA. There is also a reggae song, a downtempo triphop banger, a dubstep beast, 3 electronica tracks & a downtempo electronica instrumental.
With lyrical artists from St. Louis, Detroit, DC, Des Moines, Wilmington & Chicago – SAMSARA – features hiphop legends like:
- 66notes
- production artist, vocalist, lyricist & hiphop artist from Des Moines, IA
- Daytym
- vocalist, lyricist, hiphop & production artist from Minneapolis, MN
- Starranko
- vocalist, lyricist & hiphop artist from Washington, DC
- Gentle Jones
- vocalist, lyricist & hiphop artist from Wilmington, DE
- iM$YD (the Great VEEZUP)
- lyricist & hiphop artist from St. Louis, MO
- L Soul
- lyricist & hiphop artist from East Lansing (Detroit), MI
- Devy Dev Dev
- vocalist from Illinois
- Android Ed
- vocalist, lyricist, hiphop artist & owner of Rivera’s Barbershop in Avondale, PA