Adrian Younge is a self-taught multi-instrumentalist, composer, & orchestrator who has produced for entertainment greats such as Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar & Wu Tang Clan. In 2007, Younge relinquished his position as a professor of law to find himself at the center of the Black Dynamite phenomenon. He served as the film’s editor/composer. Hailed as a modern blaxploitation masterpiece, the soundtrack was listed in the top 10 best soundtracks of the year by the LA Times. In 2011, Younge created the album, ‘Something About April’, showcasing a dark mix of psychedelic soul & cinematic instrumentals. In 2013, the project was sampled twice by Timbaland for Jay-Z’s Magna Carta… Holy Grail, solidifying Younge as a new sound in hip hop. His work has also been sampled by various artists including No I.D., DJ Premier, Schoolboy Q, and more. Younge owns/operates Linear Labs, a recording studio/label which reflects his dedication to the art of analog recording, utilizing analog tape & live instrumentation exclusively. Under the label, he’s produced projects for artists such as Ghostface Killah, Souls of Mischief, & The Delfonics. In 2017, Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest) formed the band, The Midnight Hour. In addition to musical releases & touring, they’ve teamed to score a myriad of television/film projects: Marvel’s Luke Cage (Netflix), Raising Kanan (Starz), The Equalizer (CBS), Reasonable Doubt (Hulu), Run This Town (2019), Washington Black (2023), Boogie (2021), and Bitchin’, The Sound and Fury of Rick James (2021). Younge has also scored Black Dynamite (2009), Black Dynamite animated series (2012), California King (2023), The Big Payback (2023), Queens (ABC), All Rise (OWN), & Human Footprint (PBS). In 2019, Younge, Muhammad, Andrew Lojero & Adam Block created Jazz Is Dead (JID): a multimedia company specializing in the production of live concerts, studio albums, television & film. JID concerts have earned an ever-growing fanbase through national/international tours. Under the label, Younge & Muhammad have produced albums w/their musical heroes including luminaires such as Roy Ayers, Lonnie Liston Smith, Gary Bartz, Jean Carne, Marcos Valle & Tony Allen. In February 2021, Younge released the seminal album, ‘The American Negro’, his most important work to date. This project, in tandem with his Amazon original podcast, ‘Invisible Blackness’ and short film ‘TAN’, provides an unapologetic critique on the evolution of racism in America. The podcast features conversations with guests such as Chuck D, Roy Choi, Dr. Melina Abdullah, Wayne Brady & Mahershala Ali. For Adrian, the message is more important than the music. The many projects continue today as he is working on JID30’s and we are just searing up JID20’s. In between, there is more going on over at Linear Labs: São Paulo. São Paulo sparks a new golden era of musical genius defined by the maestro Adrian Younge, encapsulating what he’s learned in building the first era of Linear Labs and its successor label Jazz Is Dead. Linear Labs: São Paulo marks the evolution of this journey. Step into an extraordinary psychedelic and soulful experience with Adrian Younge presents Linear Labs: São Paulo: a compilation of new songs showcasing the musical brilliance of Adrian Younge with artists from around the world. Essentially, the album features one unreleased song from an array of forthcoming albums Younge has produced for Linear Labs, including Something About April III, the tertiary installment of Younge’s masterwork trilogy, and a new blaxploitation adventure from hip hop legend Snoop Dogg, entitled ‘Don’t Cry For the Devil’. Also included on this preview is Brazilian actress/ singer Samantha Schmütz, Middle-Eastern singer Liraz, London-based jazz vocalist ALA.NI, afro-futuristic soul singer Bilal and a bonus song with Stereolab’s Lætitia Sadier.
I had the pleasure of catching up with friend of the proGram, Mr. Adrian Younge shortly after ‘Adrian Younge presents Linear Labs: São Paulo‘ dropped and even before we got into how that all took shape, and color, we just did a routine check in with each other since last we spoke. It is always one of my objectives to try and get listeners to ‘feel’ the way the artists, these PEOPLE, feel as they go through the artistic explorations and expressions. The global reach of many of his projects is always something that catches my ear – but on this compilation, this peek into the future, I really took off in flight with it. We talk about how then then gets mixed with the now and sometimes the future gets created, on analog even. I feel a connection with this cat, so the support is brotherly for me and I truly believe he will continue to unlock and open new doorways into sonic adventures that seem familiar yet, there’s a welcoming newness to that rare groove…and it may just be Adrian Younge.
