MCs Von Pea and Donwill make up the current incarnation of Tanya Morgan, a group formed on the message boards of OkayPlayer, and worked on their first album largely through instant messaging. (Von Pea lived in Brooklyn at the time, while Donwill and former third member Ilyas lived in Cincinatti.) Showcasing their irreverent sensibilities straight from the start, the group chose their name deliberately to confuse people, aiming to trick crate-diggers and samplers into thinking Tanya Morgan was an old-school soul singer. Regardless of how many hip-hop heads got duped, the group has enjoyed great acclaim from both critics and fans since their initial debut.
Their first exposure to audiences came in the form of an online mixtape Sunlighting, followed by the original EP Sunset. This caught the attention of XXL Magazine, who highlighted the group in their Show & Prove column, and brought them to the attention of Loud Minority Music. Their debut full-length, 2006's Moonlighting was released through them, to underground acclaim from Wax Poetics, The Source, and XXL. Their big breakthrough came in 2009, with the release of the follow-up, Brooklynati, which featured guest appearances from Phonte Coleman of Little Brother, Elucid, Blu, and many other figures of alternative hip-hop. The album received widespread critical excitement from The AV Club, Okayplayer, Popmatters, and SPIN Magazine, who likened them to modern versions of De La Soul.
After Ilyas' departure, followed by tours and opening slots for Ghostface Killah, Drake, Large Professor, and more, as well as brief solo outings for Von Pea and Donwill, Tanya Morgan has returned in 2013 with a brand new studio release. Rubber Souls marks several firsts for the group; their first instance of handing production reins to an outsider, (6th Sense, who has produced for Homeboy Sandman, Talib Kweli, and many others) and their first album to incorporate live instrumentation. The end result is a stunning new take on Tanya Morgan's specific blend of alternative hip-hop. The group's thought-provoking wordplay, infectious energy, and harmonious production chops are as sharp as they've ever been, while still sounding fresh and on the cutting-edge. Rubber Souls features guest appearances from various underground MCs and vocalists such as Nitty Scott, Outasight, Spec Boogie, Rocki Evans of CharlieRed, and many others. The album is being released through Imprint180, and is now shipping on compact disc and white-colored vinyl
from Traffic Entertainment.
EARLY PRESS FOR RUBBER SOULS
Music Video For "Never Too Much", directed by Brian Petchers
OkayPlayer.com's Early Sneek Peek of the Album
NodFactor.com's "Making-Of" Featurette with Tanya Morgan & 6th Sense
Tanya Morgan Presents…Rubber Souls Tires Ad
Tanya Morgan Presents…Rubber Souls Bands Ad
Tanya Morgan Presents…Rubber Souls Rubbers Ad
PRESS FOR TANYA MORGAN
– SPIN Magazine
– DJBooth.net
