Sa-Ra

Sa-Ra
Origin	Los Angeles, United States
Genres	Alternative hip hop Contemporary R&B Funk Psychedelic music Electronica Jazz rap Experimental music
Website	http://www.sa-ra.net
Members
Om'Mas Keith - Shafiq Husayn - Taz Arnold

Sa-Ra is a hip-hop group based in Los Angeles, California, also known by its full name, The Sa-Ra Creative Partners. The group is composed of Om'Mas Keith, Taz Arnold, and Shafiq Husayn. The name translates roughly to "the children of God." The group's name, style and creativity are allusions to the similarly named jazz composer and philosopher Sun Ra.

History

Sa-Ra formed in the late 1990s from a trio of industry producers, musicians, and executives. The group’s discography^[1] includes songs with artists such as Jurassic 5 and Pharoahe Monch and have collectively and/or individually produced songs for artists like Heavy D, Bilal, Dr. Dre, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Fonzworth Bentley, Jay Z, John Legend and Goapele. The group had previously been signed to Kanye West's GOOD Music label, where it planned to release their debut full-length LP. The label was dissolved by distributor Sony BMG, and the group signed a deal with independent label Babygrande.

Releases and Recent Music

Several singles and recordings have been released under the group's own name, primarily on independent labels such as ABB Records, Ubiquity Records, and Sound in Color and on various compilations, and include the cult hit "Glorious," and singles "Double Dutch" and "Second Time Around." Newer material was released on the promotional SetUps and Justifications album sampler in mid-2006,including songs such as "Big Fame," "StarWars," and "Hollywood." Their "Second Time Around" single was released in CD format and is generally available from major online retailers as well as iTunes. The group’s original vinyl singles ("Double Dutch" and "Glorious") were limited releases on Ubiquity Records. A full length album, titled The Hollywood Recordings, was released on Babygrande Records on April 24, 2007.

The group has said that their sound is unlikely to gain any MTV attention.^[2] However, beginning in 2009, Om'Mas became a regular cast member on Diddy's MTV program Making His Band drawing more attention to Sa-Ra.

Discography

Albums

• The Hollywood Recordings (2007)
• Nuclear Evolution: The Age of Love (2009)^[3]

Appearances

• 2004: "Turn It Up", "Certified" (from the Krumbsnatcha album Let The Truth Be Told)
• 2005: "A Helluva Town" (from Impulsive! Revolutionary Jazz Reworked)
• 2005: "Deep Inside" (from the Platinum Pied Pipers album Triple P)
• 2007: "Space Fruit Interlude" (from the Talib Kweli album Eardrum)

References

1. ^ Sa-Ra Creative Partners
2. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/collective/A8418792
3. ^ Del F. Cowie. "The Force of Sa-Ra Creative Partners", Exclaim!, July 2009.

External links

• Official website