I first came across Kero One several years ago on MySpace and was diggin’ his jazzy, souful hip-hop sound. Since then his career has been blossoming and he recently dropped his second album Early Believers which is really dope. I’m not sure what it is about the Bay Area that produces such sunny, organic hip-hop, but cats up there sure do make music like it’s summer all year round!

Early Believers is definitely on a feel-good tip – from the smooth, melodious tracks to the positive, no-drama lyrical content. And I ain’t mad about it. Production-wise the album has a very organic and live feel. While it’s mostly hip-hop, there’s touches of house (Keep Pushin’) as well as more exotic rhythms (Bossa Soundcheck, A Song For Sabrina), so the album has a multi-dimensional vibe. While Kero handles most production/label/MC duties himself, he does have a couple of quality guests stop by, namely Ohmega Watts and Ben Westbeech. This album is definitely recommended!

Download Kero One – Welcome To The Bay
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Download Kero One – When The Sunshine Comes ft. Ben Westbeech
[audio:kero-one-when-the-sunshine-comes.mp3]

I found this video on Vimby which I think is a little older but gives some good background on Kero One.