Artist of the Month: CYNE 'Cultivating Your New Experience'

RuffDraft
RuffDraft Members, Writer Posts: 4,753 ✭✭✭✭
edited April 2011 in The Essence
CYNE
CYNE-thumb-400x448-40473.jpg
Akin wrote:
'I'm passing Gods conception approaching near the land deception adjust the mirror
in my rearview i see reflection
at times my highways lead to bleak direction so i seek confession speaking to beats
i call it resurrection cuz i got my soul back...'

Gainesville, Florida. 2003, a hip hop group named CYNE (Cultivating Your New Experience) release an album entitled 'Time Being'. An album that will lay the foundations for one of hip hop's most timeless groups of the past decade.

Based around two producers and emcee's, CYNE are a hip hop group with foundations of knowledge (in the form of Cise Starr and Akin) and depths of soul (in Producers Enoch and Speck). A mix that is rare in the hip hop scene and most definitely missed. Sure, one could refer to the CunninLynguists or take it back to the Tribe Called Quest days, but in the modern era, a group with introspective rhymes that ask questions of faith and life are few and far between; even in the moments when we share an ear with emcee's such as this, they are usually backed with boring monotonous beats, ruining the emcee's shine and resulting in an album that's barely listenable.

However, CYNE are the opposite to this, they are made up of two talented producers who make soulful landscapes that fit emcee's Cise Starr and Akin like a cape fits Batman. The result is something poetic and brilliant, hard to find yet totally worth the wait. Six releases later and CYNE are an Independent Group with a following of sorts, the unsung heroes if you like, in an otherwise appreciated community.

Time Being (2003)

Following two 12" releases, CYNE stepped up with their debut LP, Time Being. Experimental, at times funky but always uplifting, CYNE's debut showcases the groups strengths. The beat choices are varied and at times, distracting but each track hits hard all the same. One standout in particular samples Nas discussing his purpose in life, before one of the most tranquil beats of the 00's kicks in... if rain ever made a beat, it's this.
Cise Starr wrote:
I was a child of the 80s, growin up in the 90s
A small black child of power you couldn't find me
Because I shyly, would hide away from the faces
They used to look me in the face, Baby you'll make it
And told me to stand strong, because you're gonna be
Gone beyond the darkest sunshine hard
A new day
So I pray I'm gonn make em right I fight for life and make sure my lifes right
I stand strong on my own two
SO what you gonna do? I hold you
In the web of my speech and mold you
Into my past cuz this verse is a looking glass
Silk past the evil, and serve my people
Forever...

A timeless track in every way, Cise Starr begins to question life, a Mother's passing and the forming of CYNE with clarity. The questions begin to set the motion in place for what this writer sees as their best LP, Evolution Fight.

Time Being Standouts:

Evolution Fight (2005)

If Time Being was CYNE biding their time, they wasted no time returning with direct rhymes that questioned life, critiqued society and above all, delivered hip hop that made you press rewind - the best kind. From '? America' to 'Growing', CYNE were walking a new line of life during 2005 and it shows with this album as they proceed to uplift:
Cise Starr wrote:
As days go by my world get colder
I'm older, experience got my heart bolder
Hold up, better days ahead that's what I hope fa
There's beauty in the eyes of the beholder
I told ya...

Although the first half of the album starts off pretty much hit and miss, the second half of the album hits with a barrage that would forgive a new ear for mistaking the album as a Greatest Hits. Outstanding record after outstanding record, the creative beats switch to conscious questioning of ? 's presence at the switch of a track. Moments of questioning 'the meaning of life' are ever present, as are moments of heaven and the re-uniting of loved ones. It's with this deeply personal tone and incredible music backdrop that CYNE create a soundtrack to your life. This is real hip hop in the same vein as it's real music, something we can feel in our every day lives and something we can relate to. Whether it's the Arrow of ? that's set to strike you or if you're flowing like an autobot in Automation, Evolution Fight has something for every mood, yet still sounds seamless. A far cry from flawless, yet you could be forgiven for stating it as perfect.

Evolution Fight Standouts

Starship Utopia (2008)

starshiputopia.jpg

Following a great album such as Evolution Fight is always a difficult task, but in 2008 CYNE decided to drop two albums, instead of one. First starting with their Japan only release, Starship Utopia, which can be described as futuristic electronic music with a message. A move from the left side, maybe; but nonetheless a strong release that fits well in relation to their catalog. Unfortunately, this album only runs in at 30 minutes and has one true standout track in the opinion of this author; the album-titled track sounds inspired by Del and his 3030 project as the duo describe a new world and the Solar System in fast pace 'zooming to the rapture, watch out for image capture' over a mesmeric beat from the underrated Enoch and Speck.

Starship Utopia Standout:

Pretty Dark Things (2008)

CYNE's second LP of 2008, Pretty Dark Things, was stated to be released in the same year due to their extensive work in the studio. No doubt the quality of music that was produced hand in hand with Enoch and Speck alongside the Ghanian-originated emcee's had something to do with it and this is evident here. Continuing with their uplifting rhymes of choice, intelligence and knowledge, whilst never straying away from politically fuelled rhymes ("Now we all caught in police state/ do you want to escape or pray?"), CYNE continued to show that no sound was their own, forever experimenting with loops, beats and rhymes. One standout, 'Elephant Rome' loops a fantastic guitar riff alongside electronic sounds that brings the best out of the emcee's who rhyme on a mesmerising level... 'The ice glass prism in the sun that blinds others, the serpent in the rainbow, he bright like day glow, colours within the black light...' A solid release that towers above Starship Utopia due to its length in particular.

Pretty Dark Things Standouts:

Water for Mars (2009)

Following up their duo-album year of 2008, CYNE stepped back into the studio to release their latest release (as of this writing), Water for Mars. With 2009, it was clear that CYNE was ready to 'get it on, this year' and 'find liberty and equality for all, this year.' This Year being the album opener and arguable standout of Water for Mars alongside The Jux, which re-sights a college black kid falling for 'the (white) devil' and making her pregnant whilst in college. The script flips when the middle class black kid is dropped by the white girl due to her families opinions with regards to their relationships and pending abortion... a great story-telling track...

Water For Mars Standouts:

Overall, CYNE have crafted a soundscape that has pleased many. They understand how to uplift and they definitely question life to the fullest, which, in turn, broadens the horizons of the listener. If you like soulful beats, dope emcee's and a question to ponder, then look no further than CYNE. A great group, undiscovered by many, but treasured by all (in the know). As one draws to a close, it should also be mentioned that CYNE have generated a following in Japan as well as the States, working with the late Nujabes and arguably blessing one of Nujabes greatest tracks, Feather. As I close out, breathe in, the soulful sounds of Nujabes blessed with the rhymes of Cise Starr and Akin:

Comments

  • RuffDraft
    RuffDraft Members, Writer Posts: 4,753 ✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2011
    If you're a fan, want to know more or just wish to comment, please do. But take your time to listen to the tracks if you have the time, they're all great tracks and CYNE are a talented group that everyone who loves hip hop should be acquainted with. Props for reading :tu
  • Food & Liquor
    Food & Liquor Members Posts: 1,126
    edited March 2011
    A lot of quality tracks posted; out of those I'd say First Person, Arrow Of ? , Up Above and Feather are my favourites. I think I'll give Time Being a listen in full some time in the not too distant future.
  • RuffDraft
    RuffDraft Members, Writer Posts: 4,753 ✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2011
    A lot of quality tracks posted; out of those I'd say First Person, Arrow Of ? , Up Above and Feather are my favourites. I think I'll give Time Being a listen in full some time in the not too distant future.

    Good choices and props for listening, did you read it all? I'm conscious of the fact that I.C'ers generally don't want to read so much, but it's hard to fit an entire career into a small amount of words and still sell the artists to the readers...

    I'm a big fan of the tracks that you like too, especially Up Above, Arrow of ? and First Person. Have you listened to Evolution Fight? It's their best album, IMO.
  • Food & Liquor
    Food & Liquor Members Posts: 1,126
    edited March 2011
    RuffDraft wrote: »
    Good choices and props for listening, did you read it all? I'm conscious of the fact that I.C'ers generally don't want to read so much, but it's hard to fit an entire career into a small amount of words and still sell the artists to the readers...

    I'm a big fan of the tracks that you like too, especially Up Above, Arrow of ? and First Person. Have you listened to Evolution Fight? It's their best album, IMO.

    Yeah I read it which is why I wanted to go with the first album first, set the tone of it all. Didn't get chance to go through the albums yet so glad this topic came up. I think the thing that put me off with going with Evolution Fight first as well was the bit about the start being hit and miss but I'll still give it a try.

    And yeah, get what you mean. There's only so much you can do with the space but it's enough to get you started with an artist/group.
  • RuffDraft
    RuffDraft Members, Writer Posts: 4,753 ✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2011
    Yeah I read it which is why I wanted to go with the first album first, set the tone of it all. Didn't get chance to go through the albums yet so glad this topic came up. I think the thing that put me off with going with Evolution Fight first as well was the bit about the start being hit and miss but I'll still give it a try.

    And yeah, get what you mean. There's only so much you can do with the space but it's enough to get you started with an artist/group.

    Props, yeah, but don't forget that Evolution Fight could be mistaken for a Greatest Hits as well... I played that album for an entire summer on repeat, it's a great album and better than Time Being overall as the emcee's questioned everything, so it's a coming of age album in the same way that other artists debut's usually are.

    It's good that you read it anyways, is a lot to read, so appreciate you taking the time and it's definitely worth it to do so as like you say, it puts you on to a new artist.
  • renagade410.
    renagade410. Members Posts: 647 ✭✭✭
    edited March 2011
    I found out about cyne in the essence a couple years back actually. Evolution fight was my first cd of them i got. If you have heard it then you know that shortly after i picked up time being lol. Couldnt give a favorite track tho, thats like giving a favorite album of all time. I'll prob listen to my cyne playlist tonight and drop my top 5(sorry thats the most i could cut it down to)

    I would like to know who yall think is the stronger artist out of cise star and akin....i could never choose
  • RuffDraft
    RuffDraft Members, Writer Posts: 4,753 ✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2011
    I found out about cyne in the essence a couple years back actually. Evolution fight was my first cd of them i got. If you have heard it then you know that shortly after i picked up time being lol. Couldnt give a favorite track tho, thats like giving a favorite album of all time. I'll prob listen to my cyne playlist tonight and drop my top 5(sorry thats the most i could cut it down to)

    I would like to know who yall think is the stronger artist out of cise star and akin....i could never choose

    Cise Starr!! I know what you mean though, I just like Cise Starr on First Person... I think he showcases his ability to create a classic track on his own... top 5's cool :tu
  • supertitan
    supertitan Members Posts: 140 ✭✭
    edited March 2011
    I was lucky enough that a former IC member put me onto Cyne, Time Being and Evolution Fight are both 3.5-4.0 mic albums. I don't think that they have been able to duplicate the same quality since Evolution Fight though.
  • RuffDraft
    RuffDraft Members, Writer Posts: 4,753 ✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2011
    supertitan wrote: »
    I was lucky enough that a former IC member put me onto Cyne, Time Being and Evolution Fight are both 3.5-4.0 mic albums. I don't think that they have been able to duplicate the same quality since Evolution Fight though.

    lol I think that might have been me, I've made loads of threads about them on the old I.C. But I think Big L RIP put me on to them and that's how I discovered Nujabes.

    Know what you mean though, both of them were great albums, but since they are very experimental, but I put it down to the questions that they posed on those two albums in particular which made them great.
  • supertitan
    supertitan Members Posts: 140 ✭✭
    edited March 2011
    yeah it was big l r.i.p. who put me onto them as well. I agree the inconsistency is likely just due to how much they experiment with their sound
  • RuffDraft
    RuffDraft Members, Writer Posts: 4,753 ✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2011
    supertitan wrote: »
    yeah it was big l r.i.p. who put me onto them as well. I agree the inconsistency is likely just due to how much they experiment with their sound

    You not still think that it comes across as nice regardless though? I've found some of their recent releases really listenable.... just not as much as Evolution Fight (which I see as one of my favourite independent albums, period).
  • traestar
    traestar Members Posts: 6,030 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2011
    Absolutely Love CYNE! Actually the Florida underground scene is pretty solid!!
    CYNE
    The AB's (Therapy, Willie Evans Jr., J One Da, Base Boogie)
    DJ Shotgun
    ¡Mayday!
    Dillon V Maurer
    Batsauce
    Daisy
  • RuffDraft
    RuffDraft Members, Writer Posts: 4,753 ✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2011
    traestar wrote: »
    Absolutely Love CYNE! Actually the Florida underground scene is pretty solid!!
    CYNE
    The AB's (Therapy, Willie Evans Jr., J One Da, Base Boogie)
    DJ Shotgun
    There is a group that I can't think of right now that are pretty sick
    Dillon V Maurer
    Batsauce
    Daisy

    Any of them sound similar to CYNE?
  • stupot0607
    stupot0607 Members Posts: 1,914 ✭✭✭
    edited March 2011
    Here Ruffdraft im just wondering....

    Your itunes must be canny full.... haha

    your always suggesting new music (which im not guna complain about lol)...

    I Got 347 (majority hip hop) albums, 6066 songs and counting.....

    Btw im guna check out some CYNE sometime when i catch up on listenin to some stuff.... haha
  • traestar
    traestar Members Posts: 6,030 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2011
    RuffDraft wrote: »
    Any of them sound similar to CYNE?
    Mayday has that rock sound like them!
    But CYNE still has that unique earthy sound that separates them from others.

    http://maydayonline.com/
    They recently came out with a digital album called Stuck on An Island

    The Asamov crew are my favorite Florida group (representing Duvall County, Jacksonville)
    Its the The AB's, the Smile Rays (Therapy, Batsauce, Daisy), and Dillon
  • traestar
    traestar Members Posts: 6,030 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2011

    Here's a track
    Here's one of members Wrekonize on a new track with Mike Beatz
    and yes THE Wrekonize from MTV the Battle II
  • RuffDraft
    RuffDraft Members, Writer Posts: 4,753 ✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2011
    stupot0607 wrote: »
    Here Ruffdraft im just wondering....

    Your itunes must be canny full.... haha

    your always suggesting new music (which im not guna complain about lol)...

    I Got 347 (majority hip hop) albums, 6066 songs and counting.....

    Btw im guna check out some CYNE sometime when i catch up on listenin to some stuff.... haha

    hahaha it is canny full, I have over 200 albums in CD format and a lot more on my Mac.

    But I only know a lot of Independent Artists because it's all I've really listened to for 7 years or so... before that, I was listening to all the classic mainstream records, but once I ran out of listening to those, I delved into the Independent stream after discovering it here... most mainstream stuff I don't listen to at all... so my knowledge of it lacks... but most of what I heard is rubbish. I'll only check their singles, it's artists like The Roots that I'll always listen to though, who are mainstream.

    Seriously though, check Evolution Fight, it's a great/classic album for Independent hip hop in my eyes...
    traestar wrote: »

    Here's a track

    Here's one of members Wrekonize on a new track with Mike Beatz
    and yes THE Wrekonize from MTV the Battle II

    Props Trae, I'll listen to this and be back later with my thoughts, can't listen at the minute :tu
  • stupot0607
    stupot0607 Members Posts: 1,914 ✭✭✭
    edited March 2011
    RuffDraft wrote: »
    hahaha it is canny full, I have over 200 albums in CD format and a lot more on my Mac.

    But I only know a lot of Independent Artists because it's all I've really listened to for 7 years or so... before that, I was listening to all the classic mainstream records, but once I ran out of listening to those, I delved into the Independent stream after discovering it here... most mainstream stuff I don't listen to at all... so my knowledge of it lacks... but most of what I heard is rubbish. I'll only check their singles, it's artists like The Roots that I'll always listen to though, who are mainstream.

    Seriously though, check Evolution Fight, it's a great/classic album for Independent hip hop in my eyes...

    Ruffdraft you a geordie?? just saying canny hahaha, wondering if your a daft geordie bastard like me hahaa

    Hahaha yeah man, i think im in a transitional stage with hip hop, i never really listen to anything mainstream anymore, ive gone off Jay, Em, Dre Ect..... i think Underground is more mature Hip Hop... and as im gettin older i relate to it alot more than the mainstream stuff.

    I got a list of Cds to get (which evolution fight has been on for a while), And i wanna hear the New Raekwon and Saigon next (not got round to it) Lupe was on that list, but after everybodys negative reviews im guna put that back abit haha, then ill download CYNE.....
  • RuffDraft
    RuffDraft Members, Writer Posts: 4,753 ✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2011
    stupot0607 wrote: »
    Ruffdraft you a geordie?? just saying canny hahaha, wondering if your a daft geordie bastard like me hahaa

    Hahaha yeah man, i think im in a transitional stage with hip hop, i never really listen to anything mainstream anymore, ive gone off Jay, Em, Dre Ect..... i think Underground is more mature Hip Hop... and as im gettin older i relate to it alot more than the mainstream stuff.

    I got a list of Cds to get (which evolution fight has been on for a while), And i wanna hear the New Raekwon and Saigon next (not got round to it) Lupe was on that list, but after everybodys negative reviews im guna put that back abit haha, then ill download CYNE.....

    No lol

    Ahh it's good, you'll still have love for Jay and them as you get older, they make grown music too or sometimes you just wanna check something else, like I have all their CD's... but it's true, the underground, generally, is more grown.

    TBH, I would say CYNE should be first on your list out of those... Saigon and Raekwon are still mainstream per se... they're still really good, but Evolution Fight touches on things, the CD pretty much crafted a summer for me and changed my perception on things due to the questions posed by the two emcee's.

    Enjoy whatever you get though :tu
  • Ounceman
    Ounceman Members Posts: 6,702 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2011
    Yes i too discovered this group from the album evolution fight as well. and have been a fan ever since. i personally met them when they headlined a concert venue at the FAU campus. they are very chill and down to earth. Definately one of florida's best kept secrets
  • RuffDraft
    RuffDraft Members, Writer Posts: 4,753 ✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2011
    Ounceman wrote: »
    Yes i too discovered this group from the album evolution fight as well. and have been a fan ever since. i personally met them when they headlined a concert venue at the FAU campus. they are very chill and down to earth. Definately one of florida's best kept secrets

    That's cool, I'd really, really like to see them live. Good show?
  • skeep
    skeep Members Posts: 298
    edited April 2011
    Cyne is dope. Thanks for spreading the word.
  • RuffDraft
    RuffDraft Members, Writer Posts: 4,753 ✭✭✭✭
    edited April 2011
    skeep wrote: »
    Cyne is dope. Thanks for spreading the word.

    Thanks for checking out the thread :tu

    Going to leave them as Artist of the Month this month, been mad busy and going on a trip tomorrow. My apologies to anyone who checks the series.