Terrace Martin

Dinner Party Isn’t Taking Life ‘For Granted,’ So They’ve Welcomed Fans To Their ‘Enigmatic Society’ Era

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Dinner Party, the supergroup of Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, 9th Wonder, and Kamasi Washington, have announced their album, Enigmatic Society, will drop this month — just ahead of their performance at Coachella’s first weekend.

In celebration, the band also shared a new single, “For Granted” (feat. Arin Ray) today. The chilled-out energy in this latest release transports listeners to another planet, or maybe even a beach, as the instrumental incorporates twinkling bubble sounds. It marks just one of a few of the group’s collaborations with Ray on their new album.

The tracklist also features other special guests, including Phoelix, Tank, and Ant Clemons. This follows Dinner Party’s string of success over the past few years since they debuted. The band took received a Grammy nomination in 2022 for Best Progressive R&B Album for their project Dinner Party: Dessert. If they continue down this path, based on what “For Granted” suggests as well, more nods could be on the horizon.

Listen to Dinner Party’s “For Granted” (feat. Arin Ray) above. Continue scrolling for their Enigmatic Society album art and complete tracklist.

dinner party enigmatic society
Amani Washington

1. “Answered Prayer” (feat. Phoelix)
2. “Breathe” (feat. Arin Ray)
3. “Insane” (feat. Ant Clemons)
4. “Watts Renaissance”
5. “For Granted” (feat. Arin Ray)
6. “Secure” (feat. Phoelix & Tank)
7. “Can’t Go” (feat. Phoelix)
8. “The Lower East Side”
9. “Love Love” (feat. Arin Ray)

Enigmatic Society is out 4/16 via Sounds Of Crenshaw/Empire. Find more information here.

Blxst Plays Prince Charming In His Slick ‘Ghetto Cinderella’ Video With Mustard And Terrace Martin

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West Coast crooner Blxst plays Prince Charming in the new video for “Ghetto Cinderella” from his recently released EP, Just For Clarity 2. The song, which is produced by Mustard and features an instrumental appearance by Terrace Martin (who else could blow a sax like that?), finds Blxst in full-on lothario mode, making a play on a woman he calls his “Ghetto Cinderella.”

The video, which contains plenty of allusions to the classic fairy tale, takes place mainly in a neighborhood beauty shop, where Blxst gets his hair braided while flirting with one of the shop girls as she sweeps up. After spending some alone time in the LA sunshine, the pair puts in an appearance at a classy-looking gala, where a massive diamond is being displayed.

This is no fairy tale, though, and with no fairy godmother in sight, they make their own dreams come true, leaving behind only a bedazzled Nike Air Force 1. The clip ends with the remaining shop girls perusing a newspaper proclaiming the couple’s wanted status after they disappear with the diamond.

Blxst’s new EP follows the release of his debut album Before You Go. It also contains his Larry June collaboration, “Keep Calling,” as well as a Roddy Ricch team-up.

Watch Blxst’s “Ghetto Cinderella” video above.

Terrace Martin And Channel Tres Write A Love Letter To LA With Their New Single ‘Chucks’

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Jazz musician Terrace Martin has teamed up with house producer and singer Channel Tres for a breezy new collaboration. On their new single, “Chucks,” the two describe a day in Los Angeles, while on foot in their favorite shoes — Converse, also known as Chuck Taylor’s.

On the song, Tres makes nods to the City of Angels, by rap-singing, “Walkin’ on the street I see cop cars / Walkin’ on the street that’s the boulevard / It’s that motherf*ckin’ hustle and bustle sh*t / Know what I’m sayin’”

Throughout the thumping, groovy beat, Martin’s signature saxophone riffs give the song a dreamy feel.

In a press release accompanied by the track, Martin describes it as “a sonic picture that represents New Los Angeles. The driving pulse of the song represents the tempo of traffic, the bass line is the attitude of a true Angeleno, the space that Channel commands with his vocals closely relates to the motion of water. At the end of the day it’s goin’ to make you move and feel good about being alive.”

Tres also explained that lyrically, he wanted to pay homage to his west coast childhood.

“This record is about reminiscing and grieving my past,” Tres said. “I grew up on Long Beach Blvd. and a lot of things took place there. I remember the donut shop, the car wash, the Compton swap meet, and I tried to best articulate that feeling with space and groovy production. Chucks were also my choice of shoe growing up — they cost $25 at the swap meet, and they looked good. I had a bunch of them.”

You can check out “Chucks” above.

Terrace Martin Says He Will No Longer Work With ‘Rap Friends’ In A New Letter

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Terrace Martin 2020 Destination Crenshaw Groundbreaking Event
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Terrace Martin’s work in the music industry dates back to the mid-2000s. He started off as a jazz producer, but following some work with Snoop Dogg in the mid-2000s, Martin would go on to combine his jazz palette with hip-hop sounds as he worked with rappers like Kendrick Lamar, Denzel Curry, Cordae, Big KRIT, Travis Scott, Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, and more. Martin has also put nine albums over the course of 10 years with his first one being 2011’s Melrose with Murs and his most recent one being 2021’s Drones. Despite all his success, Martin is putting an end to his work with hip-hop artists.

In a lengthy letter that he shared on social media, Martin revealed that he would no longer work with “rap friends” in the future.

“It just hit me, I’ve helped people my whole career. I’ve helped the biggest artist to the smallest artist.

Whether it be producing a record or playing keys or sax solos or bringing in musicians to enhance an album to just giving game from all of my experiences.

Now I realize that the love and help I’ve been giving for YEARS has never been returned when I need it.

“I have waived publishing, credits, money etc on the strength of relationships, on the “love,” and to watch my “rapper friends” overpay these producers who come to me for pointers and tips is the ultimate slap in the face. So I’m done. I’m not working with anymore rap friends.”

While Martin’s presence in the rap world will be missed, he’s still helping craft some great records through recent projects like Robert Glasper’s Black Radio III.

You can view Martin’s letter in the post above.