ABOVE: DJ Acee
Band Profile: HighRise
By Rafael Sangiovanni
The members of the Miami hip-hop band HighRise proudly wear their egos and their hometown—Dade County to be more specific—on their lyrical sleeves. In fact, they wrote a song about it: “Many ways to die in Miami Dade.../A real gritty city where a man is made.” Like many of the group’s songs, it’s set to the sounds of smooth keyboard lines, jazzy horns and downtempo beats, representing a hybrid style of hip-hop that’s been HighRise’s staple since 2001.
The group was formed by MCs Promo and Last One and DJ Acee. They spent a couple of years cooking up their brand of music, which includes influences like A Tribe Called Quest, Black Star and Atmosphere. They eventually put out their first album The Low Life in 2005, which featured the song “Miami DADE.”
ABOVE: Travis, Matt, Eric, Disashi
ABOVE: Travis, Matt, Eric, Disashi
HighRise soon evolved into a live hip-hop band with the addition of guitarist Max Tau and bassist Danny Bull, so it’s only logical that their upcoming album is entitled The High Life (or as they call it, “The Champagne of Albums”). Expected to drop this summer, it features the same jazz-laden feel on songs like “H.O.E.,” “Dim The Lights,” which is based on Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” and the Gorillaz-esque “When You’re Around.”
For these guys, it’s all about jiving and having a good time, so be sure to check them out at PS14 on March 10th. Also look out for a possible tour with Lupe Fiasco and MayDay in the summer.
Email Rafael your thoughts: outloud@outloud.com
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