G-Side

All Music Guide:

Although G-Side’s raps are of the dirty south variety, Stephen "ST 2 Lettaz" Harris and Yung "David Williams" Clova incorporate synthesized new age music in their beats in a way that makes crunk actually sound dreamy. The duo formed in 1999, after meeting at the Boys & Girls Club in Athens, Alabama. In 2005, they hooked up with the production duo, Block Beataz, and became involved in their entertainment company Slow Motion Soundz, who released G-Side's albums digitally, including 2007’s Sumthin 2 Hate, 2008’s Starshipz & Rocketz, 2009’s Huntsville International, and 2011’s The One...Cohesive.

Wikipedia:

G-Side was an American hip hop duo from Huntsville, Alabama, consisting of ST 2 Lettaz (born Stephen Harris) and Yung Clova (born David Williams). In September 2012, it was announced that they had decided to part ways.

History [edit]

ST 2 Lettaz and Yung Clova met at the Boys & Girls Club in Athens, Alabama and in 1999 they formed the group later known as G-Side. G-Side together with Block Beattaz forms the nucleus of Slow Motion Soundz, an entertainment company based in Huntsville, Alabama.

Their debut album, Sumthin 2 Hate, was released in 2007. Huntsville International (2009) was at first planned to be released as a mixtape. However, it became their official follow-up album to Starshipz & Rocketz (2008).

G-Side released The One...Cohesive in 2011. It was produced by Block Beattaz, Clams Casino, A-Team, Str8 Drop, DJ Burn One, and the Basmo Family. Anupa Mistry of Exclaim! described the album as "the actually good coming together of rap's current obsession with Southern talent [...] and experimental beats". The duo released another album, Island, in the same year. It was produced by Block Beataz and Parallel Thought and features guest apprearances from Bentley, PH and Joi Tiffany.

Style and influences [edit]

The group's musical style is heavily influenced and created by close affiliates Block Beataz. The production duo consisting of Mali Boi and CP composing crisp, intricate, and flowing melodies whether they be sampled pieces, or original works laced with plenty of live stringed instruments and piano keys. ST's style of rapping is more lyrical while Young Clova has more of a mainstream, laidback flow.

G-Side says that artists like 8Ball & MJG, UGK, Outkast, Geto Boys, Scarface, Master P and 2pac influenced them both at an early stage of their lives and career. Their music has been described as a mixture of Dirty South and G-Funk. Although they have created some more up-tempo tracks, they mainly create laidback, suggestive music often described as "Film music symphonic" or "Hypnotic" and "Spellbounding". Block Beataz has provided the duo with beats that sample artists not commonly associated with Hip Hop music like Enya, Beach House and Dune.