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The Urban Renewal Program is the past, present
and future of urban art, music and expression. This album
is the first of four installments, featuring such artists
as Mos Def, Diverse, Caural, DJ Food, El-P, Aesop Rock, Tortoise,Prefuse-73,
and Miho Hatori of Cibo Matto and Gorillaz. The album also
features artwork by Evan Hecox, and the CD will come packaged
with a book of additional artwork by Kaws, Graphic Havoc,
Struggle Inc, and Brent Rollins of Ego Trip.
The Urban Renewal Program is a platform for the exploration
and interpretation of urban life through music and art. This
program strives to embody the essence of city life with themes
of community, graffiti art, transit, and artistic integrity.
Each artist’s voice harmonizes with the chaotic roar
of the city soundscape to create a dialogue that is both raw
and passionate in its message. The album is full of surprises
and bonus material like Aesop Rock, after his "Train
Buffer" track, rambling about a prostitute he almost
caught one night while El-P laughs in the background.
It also includes moments of insight into the artistic process,
like Miho Hatori talking about cruising the city trying to
find her rhythm, or Mos Def drawing inspiration from his neighborhood.
This album is a hybrid collection of cultural references and
musical disciplines.
It follows the erratic, never-ending pulse of the city from
the cacophony of the early morning rush hour to the edginess
of night. This is the daily journey of the urban occupant.
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