Grayskul

All Music Guide:

Oldominion crew members and MCs Onry Ozzborn and JFK had been meaning to do a project together for a while, but it wasn't until after they heard Cannibal Ox's 2001 album, The Cold Vein, that they decided to organize themselves. The finalized their lineup in 2003 with the addition of bass player Rob Castro, who had played on Ozzborn's The Grey Area. After Grayskul recorded over 30 songs and released a tour-only LP, their music got into the hands of Rhymesayers head Siddiq (Brent Sayers), who liked their hard-edged sound and immediately signed them. Using the alter egos Reason, Fiddle Stick Recluse (or just Recluse), and Phantom Ghost El Topo, Ozzborn, JFK, and Castro -- whose live show included a live DJ and oftentimes masks -- released their debut, Deadlivers, in 2005, and two years later (this time preferring the monikers "Count Draven" and "Count Magnus," and without Castro) Bloody Radio, which featured verses from Aesop Rock and Cage, among others, came out.

Wikipedia:

Grayskul are an alternative hip hop group from Seattle, Washington.

History[edit]

In 2003 Onry Ozzborn and JFK, both members of the Pacific Northwest hip hop collective Oldominion, teamed up with bassist Rob Castro to form Grayskul. They recorded about 55 songs in eight months at ATB Studios; these would eventually become the albums Creature, Thee Adventures! and Deadlivers. After opening for Eyedea & Abilities during their 2004 E&A tour, their music was brought to the attention of Rhymesayers Entertainment head Siddiq by their manager, Wordsayer of Jasiri Media, and Grayskul was signed almost immediately by the major underground label.

Grayskul's label debut, Deadlivers was met with promising reviews, including Spin who rated the album a B+. Many likened the album to Cannibal Ox's desolate dystopian debut The Cold Vein, which Grayskul admitted was a major influence.

In 2007, Grayskul released their second album on Rhymesayers, Bloody Radio, this time with Ozzborn going by the name Count Draven and JFK going by the name Count Magnus. While this album curiously excluded Castro, underground hip hop heavy hitters such as Aesop Rock, Cage, and Slug all chipped in verses further solidifying Grayskul's standing in the underground hip hop community.

In 2009, Grayskul in collaboration with producer Maker released Graymaker. In an interview with Seattle Weekly Onry said, "Of the albums we've done in the past, we've never had a whole project that's straight-ahead hip-hop ... People always say our stuff is dark, weird, bugged-out, but I think this one will catch people by surprise. [Maker's] beats in general made us write different. He uses more breakbeats, slower BPMs, so you'll be able to hear that." Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist}} template (see the help page).