Biography
Elekwent Folk is a hip hop group consisting of emcees/producers AstroLogical, A-Ro, Slippery Elm, and Free-D-ohm. All four members were born and raised in Vancouver, and met in high-school where they would spend lunch hour freestyling. As Slippery began to develop a deeper interest in writing, and Astro was encouraged by friends in a band to try making beats, the two came together as the duo Satyr and released an LP independently in January 2009 entitled “The Genesis”. The playfulness, jazzy beats, and insightful themes were well received and appreciated by hip-hop heads uninspired by the grittier sound of the Vancouver status-quo.
Energized by the positive feedback, Slippery, Astro, A-Ro, and Free-D began recording songs as the group Elekwent Folk, and in October of 2009 released a second LP entitled "Folk Fest". Folk Fest built on the foundation established by The Genesis, as all four members honed their style: further exploring themes of freedom, spirituality, spontaneity, and love, while attacking the excessiveness and destructive World views of modern society. Given it being written and recorded when they were at the pivotal age of 17-18, Folk Fest was an album of self-discovery for the group: each member beginning to powerfully define who they are as people, and artists.
Two weeks after Folk Fest was released, A-Ro caught wind of a contest through the internet being put on by the legendary Prince Po of hip-hop super-group Organized Konfusion—first prize being a record deal with Prince Po himself. The Folk agreed that the timing was too good to be true given the recent release of Folk Fest, and decided to take a chance and enter, submitting their album along with the contest’s 100$ entry fee. About a month and a half later they received a phone call from Prince telling them they had won.
Since winning the contest, the group co-founded a musical collective called Van-Tastic with several other like-minded Vancouver artists, and continues to work closely with friend and mentor Prince Po to put out good music, and contribute to hip-hop culture in any way possible. Folk Fest is due to be re-released via Prince Po’s label Nasty Habits Entertainment in the Spring of 2010.
Elekwent Folk embody the spirit of spontaneity, and like the name suggests Folk Fest truly is a folk festival—where different cultures harmoniously collide in a vibrant mosaic of colour and life. The album is a celebration, an offering to music and to the World. It is a collection of young men experimenting with the English language, funk, jazz, and progressive rock, to propel them into the future; and what that future has in store for these youngsters—only time will tell. At any rate, Elekwent Folk are determined to continue making positive music. Music made BY the Folk, FOR the folk!
MISSION STATEMENT: To make you dance and have fun; perpetuate love, inspiration, confidence, happiness; and instill a sense of wonder concerning our planet and the little things in life, that is unfortunately far too much subdued in this crazy fast paced age we live in.
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