Despite rumors that Shafiq, OmﾒMas and Taz of the musical trio Sa-Ra have disbanded, the group known best for their work wiith Kanye West (they were signed to his G.O.O.D. Music label) is putting those rumors to rest with the May release of The Hollywood Recordings, the prequel to their forthcoming major label debut, on renowned indie Babygrande Records.
With high profile guest spots including Featuring Erykah Badu, Talib Kweli, Bilal, J Dilla, Capone-N-Noreaga, Pharaohe Monch, Kurupt, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Lord Nes and more, The Hollywood Recordings defies categorization and represents Sa-Raﾒs complete vision, which encompasses more than just music. ﾓWe take the best of all doctrines, practices and sciences, and have developed our own style,ﾔ OmﾒMas explains. Taz adds, ﾓOur music contains a deeper meaning, a real purpose.ﾔ
ﾓYou look at James Brown, Prince, Jimi Hendrix, John Coltrane, Parliament — all of the originals, the Gs of whatever they did — people didnﾒt get it at first,ﾔ Shafiq says. ﾓIt wasnﾒt until they madde it cool. Then, when they made it cool, everybody was doing it. Our job is to make history, not to entertain. Our job is to change, add and contribute to what the greats have already contributed.ﾔ
A product of South Central Los Angeles and the South Bronx, group founder Shafiq cut his teeth producing with Ice-T and Lord Finesse. OmﾒMas was a quality mixer and engineer for a host of talent, including Ice-T, Foxy Brown, Mobb Deep and Jam Master Jay. While meeting with fellow South Central Los Angeles-based Taz in 1989, Shafiq realized that the three could make magic together, and formed Sa-Ra, meaning ﾓoffspring of the most powerful energy in the universe;ﾔ the name also means ﾓchildren of the cosmos.ﾔ
The groupﾒs subsequent production work with and for the likes of Dr. Dre, Kanye West, John Legend, Jurassic 5, Ice-T, Lord Finesse and others was accompanied by Sa-Ra releases: the Dark Matter And Pornography Mixtape and The Second Time Around. All of Sa-Raﾒs work is marked by a connection to your soul, your being. Itﾒs an intangible link to your inner self, making their output indispensable. It is something that cannot be ignored, as it cuts to the core of existence.
Click to hear Sa-Ra’s current singles: Feel The Bass (F/ Talib Kweli), Hey Love, & Bitch
