Indie rap’s favorite southern sons, CunninLynguists, are gearing up for a very busy end to 2009. Continuing forward with their reputation as one of only a handful of successful, truly independent groups to emerge since the turn of the millenium, CunninLynguists have announced new, direct partnerships with distributor Traffic Entertainment Group and premiere booking agency The Agency Group.
Traffic Entertainment has released material from a wide variety of artists, from Lil’ Scrappy to Little Brother, and will handle the domestic and international distribution of CunninLynguists’ newest endeavor, Strange Journey Volume Two, on CL’s own imprint, A Piece of Strange Music. The release features E-40, Evidence of Dilated Peoples, production from J-Zone and more and is scheduled to hit stores on November 3rd. Traffic will also be releasing much of CunninLynguists’ out-of-print back catalog, starting with double CD “Deluxe Editions” of Southernunderground and Will Rap For Food.
The Agency Group, one of the world’s premier booking agencies, boasts a roster that includes hip-hop heavyweights Big Boi of Outkast and Atmosphere as well as platinum pop artists such as Creed and Whitney Houston. In joining The Agency Group, CunninLynguists become one of very few hip-hop artists on the entire roster that also release records on their own label, a testament to the group’s independent drive and dedication.
Charley Greenberg, A&R at Traffic, heaped praise on the group’s work ethic and commitment to quality. “We are extremely excited to add A Piece of Strange Music to our roster of labels. CunninLynguists have built a loyally supportive, rabid fan base and have been one of the most consistent, creative independent hip-hop groups of this decade.”
Zach Quillen of The Agency Group agrees. “After a few years of being in touch and following their steady progress, I’m very excited to finally become a part of the CunninLynguists’ team,” says Quillen, who now oversees all North American booking for the group. “They are an example of an act that has truly paid their dues, developed a loyal grassroots following and are poised to continue to grow & succeed.”
“The need to have a direct connection with our fans has always been our first priority,” says the group’s producer Kno. “We create, produce, engineer and release our own music, own our own masters, manage ourselves, handle our own websites and up until this year did much of our own booking. Traffic and The Agency Group understand our need to have creative control over our art and respect our aim to maintain an unfiltered relationship with our fanbase. It is really great situation for us and we plan on making the most of it.”
CunninLynguists and The Agency Group will launch their new partnership with a full U.S. tour starting directly after the release of Strange Journey Volume Two. After a hugely successful European run spanning 10 countries this past spring, the U.S. portion of the Strange Journey Tour will extend for 5 weeks with fellow road warriors Grieves along with DJ/producer Budo, Los Angeles-based artist and frequent QN5 collaborator Tunji as well as Sweden’s own international hip-hop icons Looptroop Rockers, who will be taking part in their first-ever full U.S. tour.
Qn5
