Bayani (album)

Infobox Album
Name = Bayani
Type = studio
Artist = Blue Scholars


Released = June 12, 2007 (Nationwide)
Recorded = The New Effenneffe
Seattle, WA (2007)
Genre = Alternative hip-hop
Length = 59:43
Label = [http://www.masslinemedia.com Mass Line Media]
Producer = Sabzi
Reviews = * Art of Rhyme Rating|4|5 [http://artofrhyme.com/Reviews/AORReviews.php?id=27 link]
* HipHopDX.com Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/reviews/id.810/title.blue-scholars-bayani link]
*Music For America (favorable) [http://www.musicforamerica.org/node/114249 link]
*Okayplayer Rating|4|5 [http://www.okayplayer.com/reviews/index.php/weblog/more/bayani/ link]
* Pitchfork Media rating-10|6.8 [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/43224-bayani link]
* JIVE Magazine Rating|5|5 [http://www.jivemagazine.com/review.php?rid=2351&rtid=2 link]
* Tiny Mix Tapes Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.tinymixtapes.com/Blue-Scholars link]
Last album = "The Long March EP"
(2005)
This album = "Bayani"
(2007)
Next album = "Joe Metro EP"
(2007)

"Bayani" is the second full-length album by alternative hip hop group Blue Scholars. The album was released on the group's own label, Mass Line Media, on June 12 2007 nationwide and has available for purchase at their shows since May 11.

The album's title is a Tagalog and Persian word meaning "heroes of the people" and "the Word" respectively. Those specific languages were chosen because the Blue Scholars' two members, Geologic and Sabzi, are Filipino and Persian respectively.

The album is thematically similar to the duo's previous works, with some songs focused on socio-political issues and others showing devotion for the Seattle area. The song "50K Deep" in particular brings both themes together and describes the events of the "Battle of Seattle" in November 1999. The song was the inspiration for an interview featured in Seattle paper "The Stranger" with Geologic and Against Me! frontman Tom Gabel, who also wrote a song about the WTO protests titled "Baby, I'm an Anarchist." [ [http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=272423 "War Without Bloodshed"] . The Stranger. July 2007.]

A video for the song "Back Home" was produced by Sabzi's brother Zia and released in June 2007. [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=En8DwCeKa6M "Back Home" music video.] Youtube. Last viewed August 2007.]

The duo also released a video for "Joe Metro" in November 2007. [ [http://www.mtvu.com/music/video_premiere/blue_scholars/ "Joe Metro" video.] MTVu.com. Last accessed November 19, 2007.] It features Geo riding the 48 Metro bus around Seattle and walking the city streets. A video blog was posted to Youtube documenting the filming of the video. [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hm3lbUwcmg8 "Joe Metro" video blog.] Youtube.com. Last accessed October 19, 2007.]

Track listing

# "Bahá'í Healing Prayer" (1:10)
# "Second Chapter" (1:54)
# "Opening Salvo" (3:14)
# "North by Northwest" (4:28)
# "Ordinary Guys" (4:01)
# "Still Got Love" (6:22)
# "Bayani" (2:18)
# "Loyalty" (3:59)
# "Fire for the People" (5:01)
# "Xenophobia" (1:50)
# "The Distance" (2:54)
# "Back Home" (5:11)
# "50K Deep" (5:08)
# "Morning of America" (7:03)
# "Joe Metro" (5:10)

Personnel

* Sabzi - DJ
* Geologic - vocals

Additional personnel

* Baha'i Healing Prayer on Track 1 chanted by "Amu" Behnam Khoshkhoo.
* Trombone on Track 6 by Ben O'Shea, additional vocals by Khingz.
* Additional vocals on Track 11 by Rahwa Habte and Semone Andu.
* Additional vocals on Track 12 provided by Jill Laxamana.
* Guitar on Track 14 by Andy Coe.
* Trombone on Track 6 and guitar on Track 14 recorded by Aaron Walker-Loud and Deva Griffin-Grimes at One Family Inc. Studios.
* Mixed by Martin Feveyear and Saba "Sabzi" Mohajerjasbi at Jupiter Studios, Seattle WA.
* Mastered by David Locke at JP Masters, Seattle WA.

References

External links

* [http://www.myspace.com/bluescholars Blue Scholars Myspace Profile]
* [http://www.masslinemedia.com Mass Line Media Official Site]