First up for Reks in ’09 is his album-before-the-album (and addendum to his last album), More Grey Hairs, due in stores by the spring.
“This [is] a collection of material that we felt should have made ‘Grey Hairs,’ but we just could not extend ‘Grey Hairs’ any further,” Reks explained to DX of his forthcoming release. “We had a bunch of records that we had already prepared that we felt like were good enough but were just not fitting into the whole collective as much as the other records were. And so these records were put aside so we could release ‘em shortly after ‘Grey Hairs’ dropped… [But] “System” [is] a new record. We did a few new records for [‘More Grey Hairs’].”
A host of up-and-coming producers helm the bulk of the trackwork on More, including Immortal Technique’s deejay, G.I. Joe, who crafted the album’s first official offering, the aforementioned “System.” The budding beatmaker having been brought to Reks attention following his appearance on the scratchfest, “No Mistakes Allowed,” from Statik Selektah’s first full-length, 2007’s Spell My Name Right. Also putting in work on More is Florida-based trackmaster Timeless Beats, who contributed the soulful lament on the realities of our recession era “Dear Winter” and Reks’ former classmates at the University of Massachusetts, the Soul Searchers, who were absent from the creation of Grey Hairs but instrumental in the construction of Reks’ 2001 Landspeed Records debut, Along Came The Chosen, as well as his self-distributed Rekless street album in ’03 (which Reks revealed to DX he plans to re-release sometime later this year).
But it’s not all lesser-known producers supplying the sonic foundation for Reks’ rugged rhymes on his latest offering. More does boast a couple big names behind the boards, including DJ Premier, who laced Reks with one of his most impressive productions of ’08 for “Say Goodnight” from Grey Hairs, and once again provides the match to light the fire of Reks’ furious flow on “Cloud 9.” And of course the Executive Producer of Grey Hairs, Statik Selektah, puts in plenty of work on More Grey Hairs.
And while light on guest appearances this go-round, Statik’s other celebrated Showoff spitter Termanology is added alongside Skyzoo for a remix of the Soul Theory produced slow burner from Grey Hairs, “Money On The Ave.”
As for the content of More Grey Hairs, much like its predecessor Reks easily upstages his cash-and-ass contemporaries by skillfully weaving in to his rhymes a vast array of topics, ranging from discussions of politics to painfully personal revelations.
“I got this record, ‘Good Night, And Good Luck,’ where it’s more [of] a [storytelling track],” Reks revealed of one of his new conceptual gems. “I’m kinda like dealing with a relationship gone bad, and how it affects the children… I deal with relationships [on ‘More Grey Hairs’], [and I] still [address] the emcee topic, [which] is gonna be rampant because I’m just so fed-up with some of this b.s. that we’re receiving from artists nowadays… If they’re gonna beat us in the head with the bullshit, then I’m gonna beat them in the head telling them how weak their bullshit is.”
Following the release of More Grey Hairs, the outspoken orator is dropping a politically-minded mixtape with the aid of 1914, another Sunshine State production source in Reks’ rolodex, and the beatmakers behind “Long While” from Grey Hairs.
Additional mixtape collabos with Soul Theory and Statik are on Reks’ ’09 itinerary to surround the release of his official new studio album. Due sometime this summer, the project is currently untitled, but Reks ensures the eventual title he selects for his next offering of all-original material will not have the word “grey” anywhere in it.
“There will be no [titles and topics] that deal with the aging process any longer,” he said of his future songs and albums. “I think I found my fountain of youth.”
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