Last November, I posted an item about Eyezon and Sean Lane’s album, A People Like Us. Unfortunately, just days after writing the post, I received news that Eyezon’s label, rising indie label Interdependent Media (Finale, J*Davey, Tanya Morgan), had shelved it indefinitely.

Eyezon addressed the issue in a MySpace bulletin yesterday titled “Must Read”:

interdependent Media had held captive or rather suspended the A People Like Us since October of last 2008 along with Eyezon for two more records.

He has been told to shop the record to recommended labels but has recieved no help in doing so. The label said it does not want to do business with the artist but yet does not want to terminate the contractual terms on which they drafted for three albums.

Sean Lane who did all the production has chosen to take his production o which is the entire project away from the project if the label choses to still hold on to the project.

He has no contractual agreements with the Label nor between him and the artist.

I was told this is the same thing the did to another artist who also had issues with the label..

As of this writing, Interdependent Media has not responded to Eyezon’s accusations.

Read the rest of this entry »

On January 29, rapper Eyezon and producer Sean Lane will release A People Like Us on Interdependent Media.

Eyezon has a crazy story. Originally from South Africa, he lost his father at an early age and his mother was exiled to Germany. So he relocated to the United States, where he immersed himself in hip-hop culture. He often raps about his homeland and social issues, but is definitely an Oaktown rapper, with a swagger and street sensibility typical of the area’s musical product.

Here’s an excerpt from the bio:

A People Like Us was produced entirely by Charlotte, North Carolina-based producer Sean Lane. Initiated through online communities OkayPlayer.com and Soundclick.com, the bi-coastal duo shared a love of music, and decided to digitally craft A People Like Us through file sharing. Eyezon, who has been writing verses since 1994, admits, “I’ve never worked like this. All I got was the drum loops, with maybe a sample in the back. Sean Lane went on and added different things to the beats to make them what they are now.”

Interdependent Media, a sequel of sorts to Tanya Morgan’s old imprint Loud Minority Music, drew a lot of attention for releasing J*Davey’s first nationally-distributed album and K’naan’s U.S. debut, but not for lesser-known albums from Shaya and Truthlive. Hopefully, Eyezon’s A People Like Us will get the spotlight it deserves.

Update: Eyezon has left Interdependent Media, and the label will not be releasing A People Like Us. It’s unknown if Eyezon will get a chance to release the album elsewhere. Stay tuned.

Read the rest of this entry »