Uhuru

"Uhuru" is the debut album by Summers Sons & C.Tappin from London and Bristol. The journey of this album started back in 2015 and was inspired by the people and places of Tanzania. After three years of channelling the vibe into beats and bars, it is finally here!
Summers Sons are Turt (rap) + Slim (beats) who are actually brothers. They are longtime friends with vocalist and pianist C.Tappin. Their music can be described as rap with a lot of jazz. We like to call it cool bap.
Turt first got into hip-hop through Grime but also cites UK wordsmith Jehst as a major influence. Slim was doing UK Garage for a while, when his brother asked him for some more chilled beats to rap to. Tappin came up in a musical family, picked up the piano as a kid and played in indie bands.
With such diverse backgrounds Summers Sons and C.Tappin are not your average rap group. They would actually rather name their crew a band. Which makes total sense when you catch them live. Slim slices up the beats on his SP404. Tappin gets busy on the keys and adds vocal harmonies while Turt holds down the vibe on the mic, spitting lyrics with a message.
Still only in their early twenties Turt, Slim and Tappin are somehow old souls when it comes to music. If you listen to "Uhuru" you are unmistakably reminded of the Soulquarians school of fusing hip-hop, soul and jazz. Follow the Sons' "Road To Uhuru" playlist on Spotify and you are treated with gems from D'Angelo, Dilla, Badu and Bilal back to back with new UK Jazz tunes from Alfa Mist or Ezra Collective. Rounded up with a selection of dusty beats from German beatmakers like Hubert Davis and Twit One. On their own songs Summers Sons and C.Tappin are connecting these dots in their very own style and fashion.
While Slim had already released beats on Banoffee Pies and Brownswood, Turt and Tappin made their official debut on the "Hay Luv" album by Twit One , who they had met when he played a DJ gig in Bristol some years ago. With the release of the Summers Sons' "Undertones" EP on MPM in early 2018 the London - Cologne connection became official. The six tracker introduced the sound of the Summers and Tappin to a bigger audience and included remixes by FloFilz and Twit One.
Now get yourself ready for "Uhuru" ! To learn more about the album we recommend the liner notes: We're all as simple complex as the next man. No one really comes correct with a set plan. It's all guesswork. Feet stepping, Keep checking with my head first.

(Old Soul)

Uhuru is the product of many years of friendship combined with a mutual love for music from the soul. After hearing Turt rap on brother Slim's beats for their 2015 debut project, Summers Sons, vocalist and pianist C.Tappin felt compelled to become involved creatively. After months of recording and producing together spontaneously, Turt and Tappin flew to Tanzania to climb Kilimanjaro. Uhuru is the name of Kilimanjaro's peak and the Swahili word for 'freedom'. The distinct voice that appears on the album also belongs to Uhuru, a larger-than-life taxi driver from the town of Moshi, always equipped with the right CD for his passengers. Uhuru's belief in the power of music to overcome all things is an inspired message that has become the entrepiece of the album. With these words in mind, they found themselves on top of the world and above the clouds, focused only on bare essentials – food, water, sleep and company. This proved to be a transformative experience. There is nothing good like music.

Music can unite people,
Music can make people understand what is life,
Music can put people together,
Music can make people fall in love.

(Uhuru)

The seed for the album had been planted. Back in London, Turt, Slim and Tappin witnessed a performance by one of their greatest inspirations, D'Angelo. Invigorated, they spent a hazy night creating music. Waking up to a track unlike anything they had produced before, Dusk To Dawn was born and the journey had begun. Slim's studio became their haven and offered a
space in which to experiment and create. Whether the studio was busy or quiet, the sun high or low, Summers Sons and C.Tappin began working their way through countless beats and pages of lyrics to find the perfect vibe. With a new found process, creativity flowed and the trio began to build the album on the themes of freedom, family and the solace provided by music, always keeping in mind Uhuru's message of love and life.

All lyrics written and performed by Turt and C.Tappin.
All tracks produced and mixed by Slim. Keys performed by C.Tappin.
Recorded at Lightworks HQ, London and The Penthouse, Bristol.
Mastered by Roe Beardie at The Brewery, Cologne.
Illustration by Denis Faneites.
Physical: Limited edtion double LP with gatefold cover (1.000 Copies). Record 2 includes instrumental edits of all songs.

Live:
18.8. Oxted, Ken Festival
07.9. London, Upstairs at the Ritzy (Album Launch w/ Twit One)

Socialmedia
Spotify sptfy.com/summerssons (88k monthly listeners)
Summers Sons Instagram www.instagram.com/summers_sons
C.Tappin Instagram www.instagram.com/ceetappin
Facebook www.facebook.com/officialsummerssons
SoundCloud soundcloud.com/slim_summers_sons