The Remnant

Derrick Hill/Platinum Souls
Created 2 Rule

      ...Hill gets some help in spreading his message from several exciting underground acts. The Remnant steps up to the plate with the relevant "The Rose", which deals with challenge of living through sexual temptations. The group also offers "WHY Gospel", which is an East Coast cut that the group uses to share why they've chosen to use their gift to spread the Gospel...

Producers: Platinum Souls
album release date: 2004
Platinum Souls Inc. Records
      - reviewed by Gerard Bonner -

- Gospel Flava - Gerard Bonner

Press:
“Three extremely talented young guys who are sure to impact the culture. I expect to see great things from them in the future…”
—Manchild of Mars Ill (Gotee Records/EMI Recording Artist)

“…These brothers have the technical flow of Eminem, the insightful wordplay of Nas, the expansive rhetoric of Talib Kweli, and the raw lyricism to make Biggie and Pac say ‘Amen’ from the grave!”
—Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, National speaker, professor, & bestselling author

“…I especially want to see these guys make it…”
–Killer Mike (Aquameni/Arista Recording Artist)

“They’re like the Pharcyde…so unique. I pray for these brothers because it’s gotta be a heavy burden for them to maintain such pure hearts in this game.”
—Precise of Corey Red and Precise

I get a lot of CD’s coming my way and most of them are unimpressive to say the least. But when I popped in The Remnant it wasn’t business as usual. I said to my wife, ‘These guys got skills!’”
—John Reuben (Gotee Records/EMI)

“It’s good to see young on-fire men of God with a unique ministry...”
—Boogie Blessed, DJ, Atlanta’s Hot 107.9 “Crunk 4 Christ Show”

“God’s raising up a new generation of Holy Hip Hop ministers and The Remnant embodies this youthful exuberance and a passion to see others saved…”
—Eddie Valez, Chairman and CEO, Holy Hip Hop, Inc.

"I jock these guys hard! Not only are they super dope ridiculous lyrically, but their characters are so humble. Yea, I'm riding hard!"
-Luke Geraty (Syntax Records Recording Artist) - Contemporaries

Droppin' Dimes
From the ATL LowDown's resident scene setters and reporters, ATL LowDown Dimes
Dropppp!:
by Lady Brown & Chantelle

Steady on the Grind

“Grind don’t scrape, scrape don’t grind,” 7even, an emcee from Chicago chanted, while performing as a part of the hip hop band The Movement at the Sweet Auburn Springfest. As much as we love samples and synthesizers, nothing can replace the sound of drumsticks clapping against snares, the way guitar picks sing against strings. The Movement didn’t let the red-eyed tipsy uncles and giggly brown children keep them from doing what they came to do: rock the crowd with their distinct combination of soul, hip hop, and rock. 7even blazed the mic with a cool, rugged flow that made the audience dance, bob their heads, and chant his hooks. Whether it’s an audience of fifty or five hundred, The Movement promises to bring real flow over live music.

Rap group on the rise, The Remnant, also knows the grind well, embodying hip hop with heart at their sophomore album CD Release party. Follow the metaphor of their new CD, The After School Special, and you will discover that life isn’t just our time to shine. The After School Special is the test we take based on all the lessons we’ve learned in this hustle we call life. Packed with 80’s flashbacks, heartfelt lyrics, and intelligent wit, The After School Special will leave you with a groove to move to and the inspiration to embrace every life lesson.

Grinding is more than a hot Neptunes track. For many local artists it’s a way of life and for artists like The Movement and The Remnant, we hope that the grind pays off.


Lady Brown is the ATL LowDown's Local Music Scene correspondent.

- ATL LowDown

The Remnant

By Mitchell Maddox

Photo by Ross Mena

Look out West Coast. From Atlanta comes a new player in the game of underground hip-hop. Adam Beane, John Jordan and Niles Gray are The Remnant. Don't let the name fool you — these guys are not leftovers. They are the main attraction — savvy and energetic, taking their inspiration from big names to the unnameable, the mundane to the mysterious. The members of the Remnant want you to hear what they have to say, and you might as well listen because both their lyrics and their beats are worth your time.

The Remnant first started writing and rapping together as freshmen at Morehouse College, and their education no doubt had a hand in their informed, mature and exceptional lyricism, which is pleasantly devoid of banal hyperbole and gasconade. Since the three arrived from their respective origins in 1999, the Atlanta scene has become the backdrop and catalyst for their unique sound, which sets them apart from those who may have eclipsed them in other settings, like the Bay Area or New York City. At times they sound like Aesop Rock or Hieroglyphics, both heavy influences, while at other times they sound more like early De La Soul. But here in Atlanta, their sound is unique. What they don't sound like is Crunk. They also don't sound commercial. Having worked with Atlanta's Mars Ill, who they cite as a contemporary inspiration, they are among a handful of serious and competitive contenders in the Southeast scene.



Diversity makes The Remnant's music layered and complex. Their broad range of influences spawns an original amalgam, and their sound can't be pinned to one coast or genre. DJ E! (Elisha Mooring), who has been with them since freshman year at Morehouse, drops the New York City sample bag on beats that lack no original thump. Hailing from Masillon, Ohio — the high school football capital of the world — Beane cites varied influences, from Kool G to Hiero. He claims to define his politics according to West Wing, which is ironic, because the politics he spits on his records are not so sophomoric. Jordan grew up on Pigeon John, B-Twice and L.A. Symphony in Los Angeles. He has even spent time with John and reveres him as a mentor. Gray comes from the Bay Area and is not the first MC to cite comics and video games as integral to his routine. He also claims to have single-handedly introduced the card game Magic to Arizona while ostensibly under the influence of his early rap heroes Puff Daddy and Mase. Today his tastes have matured, and he spends more time wading through the murky world of underground hip-hop side projects. All members cite God and a Christian background as essential to the group's development and artistic core, which, like these other elements, shines through in their music.



Practically speaking, their modern, eclectic sound also makes them more marketable, which they discovered while sharing the bill with rock groups around the metro area. Like many recently successful West Coast groups, The Remnant finds receptive audiences among curious college crowds who are not as genre-bound in their tastes. Gray himself plays guitar in the rock band Stupid Smart, and all have had lifelong interests in myriad secular and spiritual forms of music.



If you want a taste of The Remnant, check out their latest record, After School Special, which is both a culmination of their efforts with E! and a collaborative exploration of new breaks from DJ Bombay. The variety of moods and styles, from dancehall rap to melodic, from provocative to reflective, will keep the most jaded audiences tuned in. The educated tone of the album is inspirational without being didactic. And the subject matter is familiar and sanguine. Listeners are sure to be thirsty for their next installment, which they are working on now and will be a heartfelt homage to love and the ladies, inspired loosely by A Tribe Called Quest's The Love Movement. This effort promises to be their best to date. The slated title at this point is PB&J. Think: fine dining featuring a peanut butter sandwich. Hear: ill hip-hop.



By day, Beane and Jordan sell office products and optimize search engines, respectively. Gray works at the library. There is no reason these artists should not get paid to make music full time. Such intelligent, inspired and positive hip-hop is a blessing in the often corrupt and vapid commercial rap industry today. The Atlanta hip-hop family is ready to take off the red shirt, and the national hip-hop scene could use this crew on the roster.

www.catchtheremnant.com - Southeast Performer March '07

The Remnant — After School Special

Produced by The Remnant

Co-produced by DJ Bombay, Elisha Mooring and Bodybag

A dark corner has been illuminated somewhere in hip-hop Gotham. This highly inspired album from Atlanta's newest underground trio is a throwback to the golden days of hip-hop. After School Special recalls the days when talented artists worked closely with noticeably talented DJs to develop a singular style, using their literary acumen to enlighten their audiences. Seekers of gratuitous profanity look elsewhere. Not one lyric on this album is anything less than the product of intelligent, thoughtful reflection.

After School Special, The Remnant's best effort to date, pays homage to two decades of both East and West Coast styles. A barrage of sampled pop culture and one ultra-corny skit hearken back to the early 1990s — De La Soul's seminal Three Feet High and Rising comes to mind — while vocal histrionics give tacit praise to underground favorites Aesop Rock and Hieroglyphics. The beats are even old school, enhanced by decent, up-to-date scratching. The Remnant has crafted a consummate amalgam of creative samples, mature beats and sound wisdom. The trio calls it "retro-progressive," a term we would have a tough time improving on.

The overall production isn't quite as professional as one might be used to hearing on Clear Channel, but The Remnant probably has a different market in mind. The record may be slightly sample-heavy, but the samples are so memorable that it's easy to forgive. Finally, the vocal histrionics might be a little over the top, but perhaps, in this way, they emphasize the poignant message that The Remnant successfully conveys.

Look out for these guys, because if their shows are half as good as this album, they will be worth the cover price. Hopefully we'll see an even more polished effort from the vault very soon. Don't let The Remnant's spiritual influence turn you away — people should hear what these guys are saying. (Self-released)

www.catchtheremnant.com - Southeast Performer Feb'07 Edition