L.A. Symphony With a name that is both renowned and revered in the hip-hop community, L.A. Symphony has endured the test of time with a classically organic sound that has been tempered by challenging changes while retaining a playful innocence that is, in a word, fun.
“We’ve got nothin’ better to do than to crack wise and keep thugs steamin’.”
The combined creative energies of MCs CookBook, Flynn, Joey the Jerk, Sharlok Poems, and Uno Mas - along with DJ Activ8 – come together to compose sonic synergies of poetic satire and classic beatsmithing. Beethoven it is not. But, not long after the beat drops on any of their vibe-heavy tracks you'll walk away feeling like you’ve spent some quality time hangin’ out and getting to know five new friends.
L.A. Symphony was formed in 1997 during a time when West Coast hip-hop was better known for gangster rap with its repetitive themes of sex and violence. However, LAS rose through the ranks of the underground hip-hop scene with a distinctively organic vibe that was styled to “connect with the common man”.
“Whatever is on our heart, whether it be laundry, girlfriend or God, we just speak it and don’t try to hold back. We try to be as honest as we can, and we try to connect with the common man - from the dude that’s 14 who has a crush on a girl in Carson, to the executive sniffing cocaine who wants to stop, and to the little cheerleader girl in Arkansas. We want them all to relate. We want it to be that universal. We want to make a difference in somebody’s life by creating music that moves you.”
While captivating a burgeoning fanbase and receiving early interest from record labels, the band decided to release the first album, 1999’s Composition #1 independently. Despite its spotty distribution, people began to take notice, including Steve Taylor of Squint Entertainment. Having established industry respect with hit releases from Sixpence None the Richer and Chevelle, Squint was looking to expand their hit-parade into the hip-hop market and wanted an act that was accessible in its thought-provoking artistry. They found L.A. Symphony.
LAS’s Squint debut, Call It What You Want, was hotly anticipated by both industry watchers and hip-hop fans alike. With tracks produced by the band and guest producers Mike C (Beastie Boys), will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas), and Prince Paul the project’s debut single “Broken Tape Decks” was ecstatically received by music critics. However, due to internal problems at the label, the album would never see the light of day. In what will someday make for a classic “VH1 Behind the Music” story, the band was to endure a four-year struggle to record and release another album. The band continued to tour relentlessly opening for major acts like Jurassic 5 and Black Eyed Peas, and playing major events like the NBA All-Star Jam Tour, the Van’s Warped Tour (Los Angeles show), and The Night Hip-Hop Stole Christmas. They even quietly released the Baloney EP in 2002. Now, the recently “remixed” LAS are free agents once again and are ready to take their place along side contemporaries Black Eyed Peas, Jurassic 5, Common, and Pharcyde as a marquee urban/crossover act.
Group Professional Life: 1997 – Present
Group Members:
Joey The Jerk
Flynn
Cookbook
Uno Mas
Sharlok Poems
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