{"title":"Hi-Tek","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"hi-tek-beatbox-studios-1995-mpc-60ii","title":"Hi-Tek - Beatbox Studios (1995 MPC 60II)","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"aec-body\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"container\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"aec-main\" class=\"col-md-10\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"aec-product-container\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"aec-product-description\" class=\"col-md-12 col-sm-12 col-xs-12\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"aec-desc-review collapse\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter 25 years of living his dream as one of hip hop's most respected producers, Hi-Tek is digging back into his roots with a brand new trio of instrumental vinyl LPs in 2023. \"Beatbox Studios (1995 MPC 60II)\" is the first of the series, each featuring a selection of restored and remastered beats, carefully chosen from an archive of DAT tapes. These LPs manage to both provide a window into Tek's development and to shine light on the work of an already enormously-talented musician whose beats would've sounded right at home on classic releases from the mid-1990s. Having learned to make beats off of borrowed equipment as a teenager, the aspiring DJ\/producer born as Tony Cottrell achieved a break of sorts when he was hired in 1995 to manage one of the rooms at Beatbox Studios, a sprawling complex in the Clifton neighborhood in Cincinnati. It became the go-to-spot in town for emerging talent, giving him a chance to learn about the intricacies of recording and to sharpen his communication skills with artists to maximize their performance The gig also gave Tek plenty of down time to practice on and to master the studio's Akai MPC 60II while making his own music. It was around this time he began to collaborate with the top rap talent in Cincinnati, and he started regularly visiting New York City to plant seeds for new relationships in the industry. Though his work eventually evolved far beyond the styles present on \"Beatbox Studios,\" here you'll find many signature elements of that era's contemporary New York sound: some snappy drums reminiscent of A Tribe Called Quest or Easy Mo Bee, plenty of horn stabs a la Pete Rock or Lord Finesse, and the kind of dark pianos and filtered basslines that producers like the Beatminerz were steadily employing. These were his biggest influences at the time, and that was the sound of 1995. As it turns out, that classic sound remains in demand today, and while Hi-Tek was not a well-known name in hip hop circles at that time, the caliber of beats on \"Beatbox Studios\" prove that he was a talent to be reckoned with, even then.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFormat \/ \u003cb\u003eLP\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eReleased \/\u003cstrong\u003e 10\/06\/2023\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue \/ \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHIKM-3\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode \/ \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e754003289992\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eArtist \/\u003cstrong\u003e Hi-Tek\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLabel \/\u003cstrong\u003e Hi-Tek Music\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre \/ \u003cb\u003eHip Hop\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Fat Beats","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40964945936445,"sku":"HIP-H-754003289992","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1487\/4550\/files\/4250898-3043630.jpg?v=1704984854"},{"product_id":"hi-tek-beatbox-studios-2-1996-mpc-60ii","title":"Hi-Tek - Beatbox Studios 2 (1996 MPC 60II)","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"aec-body\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"container\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"aec-main\" class=\"col-md-10\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"aec-product-container\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"aec-product-description\" class=\"col-md-12 col-sm-12 col-xs-12\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"aec-desc-review collapse\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAfter 25 years of living his dream as one of hip hop's most respected producers, Hi-Tek is digging back into his roots with a brand new trio of instrumental vinyl LPs. \"Beatbox Studios 2 (1996 MPC 60II)\" is the second volume of the series, each featuring a selection of restored and remastered beats, carefully chosen from an archive of DAT tapes. These LPs manage to both provide a window into Tek's development and to shine light on the work of an already enormously-talented musician whose beats would've sounded right at home on classic releases from the mid-1990s. Building on the styles showcased on the first \"Beatbox Studios\" LP, Hi-Tek was clearly developing his own personal style on the studio's in-house Akai MPC 60II sampler. The drums were swinging more; the grooves were deeper; the bass thumped harder. Even when choosing familiar samples, he was chopping them in fresh and unexpected ways, which would eventually help shape his signature sound. As his reputation was becoming cemented in the local Cincinnati scene, his relationship with the rap group Mood was helping to catalyze more regular visits to New York City. The beats collected for \"Beatbox Studios 2\" were the ones that would stick in the auto-reverse tape deck for those road trips, as were the demo tapes he crafted with Mood, which would eventually earn them a record deal with Blunt Records in 1996-the same label and year where he would land his first major placement on Royal Flush's \"Ghetto Millionaire\" album. It was also on one of those 1996 journeys to NYC that he would meet a young Brooklyn emcee named Talib Kweli-with whom he would form one of the most iconic duos of the indie-rap boom of the late-nineties. \"Beatbox Studios 2 (1996 MPC 60II)\" showcases Hi-Tek as a hungry young talent on the rise, and his continued elevation would lead him to a career as one of the few producers who can claim to have worked with such a broad range of legendary artists; from superstars like Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, and Anderson. Paak, to underground heroes like Mos Def, Common, and J Dilla.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFormat \/ \u003cb\u003eLP\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eReleased \/ \u003cb\u003e12\/08\/2023\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue \/ \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eHIKM-4\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode \/ \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e754003289121\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eArtist \/ \u003cb\u003eHi-Tek\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLabel \/ \u003cb\u003eHi-Tek Music\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre \/ \u003cb\u003eHip Hop\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Fat Beats","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40979345997885,"sku":"HIP-H-754003289121","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1487\/4550\/files\/4269027-3072688.jpg?v=1705589241"},{"product_id":"talib-kweli-hi-tek-reflection-eternal-train-of-thought","title":"Talib Kweli \u0026 Hi Tek - Reflection Eternal: Train Of Thought","description":"\u003cdiv id=\"productDescription_feature_div\" class=\"celwidget\" data-feature-name=\"productDescription\" data-csa-c-type=\"widget\" data-csa-c-content-id=\"productDescription\" data-csa-c-slot-id=\"productDescription_feature_div\" data-csa-c-asin=\"\" data-csa-c-is-in-initial-active-row=\"false\" data-csa-c-id=\"vefibw-hxcfq5-gylj2y-37dae5\" data-cel-widget=\"productDescription_feature_div\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-feature-name=\"productDescription\" data-template-name=\"productDescription\" id=\"productDescription_feature_div\" class=\"a-row feature\" data-cel-widget=\"productDescription_feature_div\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"productDescription\" class=\"a-section a-spacing-small\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWith a back-to-the-streets, grassroots approach, rapper Talib Kwali and producer Hi-Tek have constructed a simple, pure hip-hop album. Their formula is simple: hot banging beats with novel samples, combined with slick, stylish street corner rhymes. Joined by a who's who of hip-hop like De La Soul (\"Soul Rebels\"), Mos Def (\"This Means You\"), and Kool G Rap (\"Ghetto Afterlife\"), REFLECTION ETERNAL is packed with everything a hip-hop fan could want. A notable cut is \"Down For the Count,\" which features Rah Digga, Xzibit and a cameo from boxing champion Lennox Lewis, here performing in something of a different style to his showbiz colleague Oscar De La Hoya. If you're looking for pure hip-hop, REFLECTION ETERNAL is for you.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"detailBullets_feature_div\" class=\"celwidget\" data-feature-name=\"detailBullets_feature_v2\" data-csa-c-type=\"widget\" data-csa-c-content-id=\"detailBullets_feature_v2\" data-csa-c-slot-id=\"detailBullets_feature_div\" data-csa-c-asin=\"\" data-csa-c-is-in-initial-active-row=\"false\" data-csa-c-id=\"dftp9y-3qv6ak-mo0u9-nznyfl\" data-cel-widget=\"detailBullets_feature_div\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"detailBulletsWrapper_feature_div\" data-feature-name=\"detailBullets\" data-template-name=\"detailBullets\" class=\"a-section feature detail-bullets-wrapper bucket\" data-cel-widget=\"detailBulletsWrapper_feature_div\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFormat \/ \u003cb\u003eLP\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eReleased \/ \u003cstrong\u003e09\/30\/2014\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCatalogue \/ \u003cstrong\u003eB0021375-01\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBarcode \/ \u003cstrong\u003e602537945818\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArtist \/ \u003cstrong\u003eTalib Kweli \u0026amp; Hi Tek\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLabel \/ \u003cstrong\u003eRawkus\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGenre \/ \u003cstrong\u003eHip Hop\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"UMGD","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43053363003453,"sku":"HIP-K-602537945818","price":34.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1487\/4550\/files\/602537945818.jpg?v=1794160266"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.plaidroomrecords.com\/collections\/artist-hi-tek.oembed","provider":"Plaid Room Records","version":"1.0","type":"link"}