Rich Medina, King Mono, Kent Odessa

For the past two decades, Rich Medina has cemented his reputation as an elite DJ, one of few on the planet capable of taking audiences worldwide on a sonic journey through hip-hop, house, soul, afrobeat, funk, breaks and dance classics. Today, many artists who have been Rich’s idols have become peers, and his fans often become his friends, even if just through the shared experience of music. Countless couples and relationships were commenced to the soundtracks he has created time and time again. His eloquence extends well beyond the music he plays—Medina’s spontaneous use of language speaks to the fact that he’s been a well-respected spoken word artist for over a quarter century, not to mention that he’s a journalist who has contributed columns and features to a wide variety of publications, including The Fader, Complex and Wax Poetics. Rich is a card-carrying member of the Rock Steady Crew and the Universal Zulu Nation. And he has consistently lent his name to charitable organizations close to his heart, most recently The Africa Center, Room to Grow and GrassRoots.

While Medina could rest on all of his past accomplishments, he has retained the energy of a prizefighter, constantly seeking something greater as both an artist and a businessman, steadily building a respected brand with his own two hands. Rich is one of those rare people who has built himself a platform on his own terms, in his own way, achieving success with every step he takes and enriching countless souls with incredible music and unique wisdom.

King Mono, the moniker behind the live band/production duo of Little Shalimar (neé Torbitt Schwartz) and Jeremy Wilms, is consumed with the sweet spot between funk, RnB, house, and 70s rock. Their debut album, Bump in the Night, will be released March 31st, 2015 on Tummy Touch and features vocals from RnB breakout singer Jesse Boykins III. The album embraces quirky electronic impulses, modern programming and psychedelic mushrooms, crafted from their collection of vintage analogue synths and portable drum machines.

King Mono gave us a taste of their sound with last year’s Straight to VHS EP that FACT Magazine hailed as “drum machine funk at its finest” and selected it as a “Best Bandcamp Release.” The duo also premiered the first video from Bump in the Night for “Pet Peeves” with Okayplayer stating, “King Mono is funk for the future, plain and simple.” Collaborator Boykins states that, “If you mixed mushrooms with elegance and the art of knowing what the people want when it comes to music you have King Mono,” and Killer Mike, one half of Run the Jewels, proclaims that “Other than RTJ, this is my shit!”

The two multi-instrumentalists/producers met doing time in the rhythm section of the legendary Afrobeat unit Antibalas. In the early 2000’s they founded the sophisticated disco soul machine, Chin Chin who put out two records on the respected Definitive Jux imprint. After working in a full band setting with Antibalas and Chin-Chin, the producers ached to experiment with hip-hop influences, looping, and other electronic leaning techniques. Splitting their time between touring and their studio in Brooklyn, their sound developed through the necessity of using instruments that were easy to travel with. The two went down a rabbit hole of vintage Casio keyboards, portable drum machines, and unhinged experimentalism. Jeremy expresses, “It was a refreshing transition from writing and performing as a full band on the road to doing a studio project that allowed us to experiment with our new and vintage gear.” Little Shalimar adds, “We started collecting classic Casio keyboards around the same time and would make tracks using portable drum machines while on tour with Chin Chin. So when we got back in the studio we were really inspired by our new gear to create a modern sound that was loop based and keyboard driven.” As the project evolved and more tracks came to fruition, the duo knew they wanted to get a number of different vocalists. But as fate would have it they were introduced to a budding vocalist named Jesse Boykins III through his backing vocal work with Chin Chin. The chemistry of all three in the studio was so prominent that Boykins became the sole featured singer (and co-writer on a number of songs) throughout Bump in the Night. Shalimar recalls that “the first time he smoked weed was with us,” so perhaps there were other forces that aided in their artistic bonding. King Mono cites classic influences like Bomb Squad, Mr. Fingers, Jungle Brothers and circa-1960’s Go-Go as well as modern production styles from Timbaland and LCD Soundsystem that can be felt on their full-length set.

Kent Odessa, a purveyor of indie-R&B and post-Motown pop extravagance, wields gooey nectar for those with a passion for Michael Jackson-y '80s disco and synthpop with a retro feel. In September, he released his latest EP, "Physical Genius," an album loaded with sensual, soul-vibes and Top 40 panache.