Progress Report

Was the #2 Hip-Hop add the week of April 15th. Debuted on the Hip Hop Chart at #13 and peaked at #11. - CMJ

The interview pt. 1

Last week, United States of Mind’s artist “Progress Report”, took some time to make an interview with us. In the first part the interview is about Detroit’s musical influence to their music, spots to dig and recommendable places to go eating in Detroit.

The second part of the interview will be posted tomorrow, so here comes the first one:

Hello Progress Report,

first thing coming to my mind while listening to the Progress Report, where are these guys from? I listened to the “Wake Up” a solid sample-based Track. It reminds me a little of Jurassic 5, but that how we understand life, we try to compare.
Rap and Blues:

You are from Detroit, a real hard turf for a musician with a great hip-hop heritage. We here at Rap and Blues are interested, tell us a little bit of your upcoming, which were the most influencing Artists for you?
D. Allie (Progress Report):

Well my father was a rock musician at the time so I grew up with music all around. Everything inspires me so it’s hard to pin point Hip Hop wise I’d have to say Kid and Play, KRS-1, Rakim, The Roots, and Pharcyde off top.

Everything else wise I’d go Jimmy Ruffin (who is like an Uncle to me in real life), Sam Cooke, Chuck Berry, Bob Marley, and the Motown sound in general.

My personal musical savior is Gil Scott Heron and on a now level I think K-Os is killing it out there.
Eddie Logix (Progress Report):

As far as hometown influences, i would say the early Motown Records artists such as The Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, 4 Tops, etc. had a huge affect on me but i was also greatly influenced by J Dilla and his entire catalog along with the many local artists i work and do shows with.
Rap and Blues:

Are you still diggin´in da crates?
Eddie Logix:

Yes, i am still a die hard record collector and probably will be for the rest
of my life.
D. Allie:

I leave the crate digging to the professionals like Eddie. I have records but more for listening and chilling out and it is far from respectable. It is an expensive habit and I can’t go cheating on my other vices just yet.

Interview-with-progress-report-2 in Exclusive: Interview with “Progress Report” part 1
Rap and Blues:

What is your favourite spot to dig in Detroit?
Eddie Logix:

I can’t say that i have a favorite spot to dig at in Detroit because there’s just so many quality record shops around here. I will say that some of my most frequent stops tend to be at Street Corner Music, Melodies & Memories, The Record Collector, Flip Side, and Peoples Records.
D. Allie:

I’m always learning from my friends so my favorite spot to dig used to be my boy Kyle’s spot so shouts to him. Lol.
Rap and Blues:

Where can i eat the best food in Detroit, i heard that the polish food is ridicoulus good in Detroit?
Eddie Logix:

The polish food is really good here but i think the Coney Island restaurants are really what Detroit is known for.
D. Allie:

There are so many dope spots around here. Southwest Detroit is killin’ it on the Mexican Cuisine tip. I’m vegetatian so there’s this café called Inn Season in Royal Oak that’s a personal fave. Many cities are not touching our Thai food game so shouts to Bangkok Café in Ferndale. (All suburbs of Detroit).
Rap and Blues:

Red Wings or Pistons?
Eddie Logix:

We do carry the “Hockeytown” label but i gotta go with the Pistons.
D. Allie:

I gotta go with Eddie on that one. I’m a bad boy for life. No Puff Daddy. Lol. From the back to back championships and yes I was at Hart Plaza for the parade celebrating as a young one. Then you go to the 2k ring as the only true team that was left in the NBA. That’s kind of how I view our music. We ain’t claimin superstar status but that don’t mean we ain’t coming at that ring.

The interview pt. 2

Last week, United States of Mind’s artist “Progress Report” took some time to make an interview with us. Part 1, was about Detroit’s musical influence to their music, spots to dig and recommendable places to go eating in Detroit.

So here comes the second part, which is about the living situation in detroit, their musical influence and the movement “United States of Mind“.

Rap and Blues:

Nike Air Max or Adidas Classics?
Eddie Logix:

Im a sneaker fan in general so i like both but nothing really beats the Adidas classic Top Tens.
D. Allie:

I’m not really heavy into either. I’m Timberlands in the winter and Chucks in the summer.
Rap and Blues:

We hear that Detroit is dying, the industry is having big Problems, in how far is this influencing your life, your music?
Eddie Logix:

The Detroit economic situation is a huge influence on our life and our music. I feel that it increases our political and social awareness as well as the daily struggle to simply make a living. This is not only reflected in the production and written forms of our music but also in promotion and record sales.

When more and more people are struggling to pay bills and put food on the table there is not much money left over for anybody to spend on cds, mp3s, vinyl, and local shows.
D. Allie:

I think Eddie really says it best. However, great things come from great struggle so I hope when you hear the new ish you can say these guys sound like they’re on their last buck. Lol.
Rap and Blues:

A lot of good Albums dropped in the last few days (Bun-B, Eminem), tell me what you have in your tape-deck / ipod?
Eddie Logix:

Lately I have been ridin around listenin to a lot of local projects such as Draztik & Sleepy Biggs – Smokers Cough, Ren Cen – Cyber Pimp, Miz Korona – The Injection, & Danny Brown – The Hybrid.
D. Allie:

I don’t bump much new ish unless it’s local so all the ones Eddie stated plus I’d probably throw in Stoopz n Breeze – Turn Up The Smooth and Blake Eerie- The Lateef Ep.

I find myself constantly inspired and challenged by those immediately around me so I don’t really feel the need to search too far nowadays.
Rap and Blues:

To sum this interview up, tell us a little bit about your movement “United States Of Mind”?
D. Allie:

The Movement can be found in The Music. United States of Mind is really all about us starving artists local to Detroit and beyond getting together and approaching this game with the DIY mentality that we are known for. I don’t need any co-signs or major label dollar signs if I can streamline my music straight to the people.

When you hear the soundtrack to the movement that we’ve provided know it’s uncompromised and uncut. I am trying to prove an idea that you don’t have to sell out to sell. On that point I need a little help from my listening audience. Lol. But seriously, we believe music truly is one of the most powerful mediums invented and as long as you PAY attention I could care less about things that fold or jingle.

If you can do that we are one step closer to understanding each other and for better or worse that means the world to me right now so through the transitive property I guess that means you mean the world to me right now. Thanks for interviewing/listening/reading/spreading the message/existing.

Interview by Aviator. Rap and Blues would like to thank Progress Report for their time doing this interview. - Rap N Blues

Scoring points for originality, quality production, insightful lyrics, catchy hooks and their ability to play well with others, D.Allie (United States of Mind) and Eddie Logix (Midcoast Most) have teamed up to take their conscious art form to new heights. The result, though far from over, is Progress Report — a new project that bravely blends elements of soul, funk, rock and hip-hop. Together with the local art collective/label sUPERIORbelly, Progress Report debuts their self-titled, four-song EP as the fourth volume in the label's Spill Out Series, as curated by Blair French (aka dial81).

Poeticizing their personal perspectives comes naturally for D.Allie and Eddie Logix, both experienced MCs on the local scene and beyond. Logix is behind the beat on each soul-rock backdrop, while D.Allie works hard on a public level to make sure their music catches people by the ear. "One of the reasons I wanted to work with D.Allie is because he's always on his grind, making moves and getting stuff done," says Logix. "We ensure progress by setting and meeting goals."

In the discussion of where they've been and where they're going, Progress Report isn't shoving moral lessons down their listeners' throats. Their goals are practical, delivered lyrically with a "come-up" theme, which is just aggressive enough for D.Allie to claim the title of "hardest soul rapper in the city." This designation doesn't go unwarranted; the EP champions a lively new vibe coupled with the seriousness of driving guitar riffs that move the EP's single, "Wake Up." On Side A you'll find the original and instrumental tracks, while the B-side sustains the record's upbeat experience on the romantic melodies of "I'm Yours," where both MCs bashfully expose their emotional vulnerabilities. As two underground hip-hop artists, it's refreshing to hear them use a more digestible approach: "I'm Yours" may be the strongest track on the record, shining with poppy guitar and piano chiming beneath the warm vocals of D.Allie's very talented sister Mayaeni on the hook.

The B-side also features a stellar remix by Exchange Bureau Music's The British Knights and takes the original's soulful throwback sounds a step further. The result is an irresistible dance version of the single, adding punchy synths, a fat bassline and the signature cowbell that evokes classic, golden era hip-hop. These come-up and throwback themes are appropriately captured on the format selected for the new group's first entry to the music world: an amber-hued 7" vinyl. In choosing sUPERIORBELLY and vinyl as modes of support and distribution, D.Allie says, "We want to bring people back to actively listening to music and help re-invigorate vinyl culture." In getting people to wake up, D.Allie hopes that listeners will take the time to put the record on, rather than just push play on their digital devices. "Not to be the cliché conscious rapper, but that's just it: we're conscious. It's a constant battle to stay in the reality of the now. It's a smell-the-roses thing." In the same breath, D.Allie expresses that it's problematic to maintain a "keepin' it real" mentality. "'Keepin' it real' leaves your head stuck within a situation, stopping you from aiming any higher. Maybe 'keepin' it real' has slowed hip-hop's progress as a whole."

Progress Report keeps it moving with a full-length album ready to drop (date TBA), and will celebrate their new vinyl and a video for "Wake Up" at their release party. Look out for a new, all-local hip-hop mixtape from Eddie Logix and Aptemal Clothing coming this fall and more gimmick-free heavy-hitters from D.Allie and the USM crew. | RDW

sUPERIORBELLY Spill Out Series Volume 4 Release Party w/ Progress Report, Team Social and The British Knights • 8/28, 10 p.m. • The Majestic Café • 4140 Woodward Ave., Detroit 313.833.9700 • progressreportmusic.com; majesticdetroit.com • 7" vinyl is free with $7 cover charge • 18+
- Real Detroit Weekly

Hip-Hop is alive and well in The D.

Need proof? — Check out Detroit rap-duo Progress Report’s new release, “Spill Out Series Vol. 4?. The four song EP features D. Allie and Eddie Logix’s lead single (and accompanying video) “Wake Up”. The beat, a pretty straight-forward rock inspired jolt of guitar, tambourine, and bass drum — is brilliantly executed. The song is both a mature, playful, and energetic tribute to many underground success stories, as well as an ode to a suddenly drowsy underground hip-hop scene. Perhaps the song’s most enjoyable take away is its lyrical wit and complexity. Both D. Allie and Eddie Logix are stellar — effortlessly moving from verse to verse and maintaining the “come-up” theme Detroit craves. If you’re heading out for the night, this is just the track to get you amped for your first stop. The two MCs play well off each other, though I sometimes fear their rapping styles are a little too alike. Nonetheless, my appreciation for this shorter, more focused project helps mitigate the latter. Serious thought went into each of the four tracks, a kind of grooming that is often lost in full-length hip-hop productions. Each of the songs is crisp, well manicured, and seasoned — a step up the ladder in relation to both artists’ past releases.

Meanwhile, “Wake Up (The British Knights RMX)” has serious star potential. Its funky dance-synths and rolling bassline make it the perfect club banger to get heads on the dance floor. The EP’s last track, a sappy tribute to some abstract woman (I guess the rap game is still searching for the next Bonita Applebaum), does little to advance the idea that most young male hip-hoppers lust for women they can’t have and then feel the need to make songs about it. Ironically though, the beat’s beautiful blend of guitars and keys is so tasty that it had me craving for a third verse. Mayaeni, the New York based soul singer (and subsequently D. Allie’s baby sister), also contributes to the hook, adding a refreshing dose of femininity not easily accomplished with this genre of rap. All in all, “Spill Out Series Vol. 4” is a pleasing listen, and something Detroit should proudly call its own.

For more check out: www.ProgressReportMusic.com



- Urb.com