BEN FM & DJ SEITH - True Taxi in Gentle Rain - BRAND NEW CASSETTE TAPE

Hip-hop has had a long and storied love of the concept album. Some amazing examples of the form are Prince Paul's "A Prince Among Thieves" and Esoteric's "Saving Seamus Ryan". Hip-hop was also the launching pad for the mash-up album in the mid-2000s. For example, Danger Mouse's "Grey Album" combined Jay-Z and The Beatles. Eventually, more albums like the krautrock indie rap soundclash "Inner Space" by Tom Caruana, and Amerigo Gazaway's "Fela Soul" (linking the daisy age to the afrobeat legend) arose. Enter Ben FM and DJ Seith's "True Taxi In Gentle Rain", a combination of both concept album and mash-up album.

The setting is dark and rainy on the streets of Richmond, VA, as a passenger catches a taxi to head home. While in the car, the radio starts playing jazzy instrumental loops and the cab driver starts relaying on-the-job experiences. As the journey continues, the driver tells real stories of deception, trauma, gentrification and more, painting a hyper-realistic picture of the city laid bare. The EP is available on cassette with digital download. The cassette is housed in a custom box which can be constructed into a papercraft taxi. "True Taxi In Gentle Rain" presents a unique fusion of two musical styles through the relatable, everyman raps of Ben FM and Seith's breathing loops and soundscapes. The combination results in an EP that earns its place among the classics.