The soulful, Kalamazoo hip-hop ensemble soared to the top of the December chart, with several new Michigan entries right behind. Listen to tracks from all of the recordings.
No. 1 Album: Last Gasp Collective performing at its Kalamazoo record-release show in October. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
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Jay Jackson, the driving force behind the Kalamazoo-based Last Gasp Collective, marvels at how West Michigan’s hip-hop scene is “growing at an astonishing rate” while testing different musical modes.
“It’s beginning to splinter off into so many styles and approaches,” he told Local Spins. “The mixture of these styles is producing such beautiful art. We as a band are just happy to be included and welcomed into the scene.”
That “welcoming” vibe pushed Last Gasp Collective’s latest, much-anticipated studio album, “Our Daily Bread,” to the top of the Local Spins Hot Top 5 Chart for December, representing the local or regional release receiving the most radio airplay at WYCE (88.1 FM) in Grand Rapids.
December Boasts 5 New Chart Entries
For Jackson, the robust reception to the wide-ranging group of musicians and singers’ 14-track project is particularly satisfying because the creation of “Our Daily Bread” proved to be a Herculean task.
“Honored. Getting this album completed and released was a much longer and involved process than we expected,” he conceded. “So for it to be so well-received is amazing. We’re just thankful to our longtime supporters for their patience and our new listeners for giving us a chance.”
Recorded over five days on a farm where band members “wrote the basic ideas” for the soulful, musically expansive project, “Our Daily Bread” also boasts many featured artists, including Kazzythegypsy, Nik Huey, Marq Beyond, Ardea, Heyzeus, Reychon and Lakeshore Drew.
“This was much different than our previous processes, but more rewarding in that everyone contributed from Day 1,” Jackson said. (Scroll down to watch a video for the track, “Half Truths.”)
Last Gasp tops a December chart that boasts a remarkably diverse, genre-spanning collection of releases by Michigan artists.
Ann Arbor harmonica whiz Peter Madcat Ruth’s C.A.R.Ma Quartet snagged the No. 2 spot on the Hot Top 5 Chart with the jaunty, globally engulfing “Cosmic Convergence,” followed by bluegrass guitarist Billy Strings’ “Me/And/Dad,” which fell from No. 1 in November to No. 3 in December.
Grand Rapids soul singer Sarena Rae, meanwhile, came in at No. 4 with her holiday EP, “River,” with two albums tying for No. 5: West Michigan singer-songwriter Sophia McIntosh’s “Set Me Free” singles EP and Grand Rapids musician Adrian Wright’s “Future Love.”
Listen to tracks from all of the releases here, along with a Last Gasp Collective video. And check out reviews of these and other Michigan albums here.
THE LOCAL SPINS HOT TOP 5 ON SPOTIFY: December 2022
VIDEO: Last Gasp Collective, “Half Truths” (Featuring Nezi)
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