Back in 2013, Awon and Phoniks got together to release their debut album, Return To The Golden Era. And now, the VA emcee and Portland, ME producer have reunited for the official follow-up, Knowledge to Self.
Staying with the raw, dusty, and soulful sound found on the debut, Phoniks continues to show off his maturation, while Awon flexes his growth as a writer. Gone are the tales of a troubled youth and shaky come-up. Which has been replaced by more present rhymes that find Awon educating the youth (“Reflections”) and speaking on current social climates (“Summer Madness,” “Profit Off My Pain”).
“The writing process for Knowledge of Self was more meticulous for me because I wanted every word to have meaning. I wanted people to walk away from a Hip-Hop record feeling good. I wanted to have a positive message overall, but still maintain the heavy rotation quality that we as artist strive to achieve. Overall ‘Knowledge of Self’ does speak to the audience from my perspective as a man today, there is more Knowledge, Wisdom, and Understanding to pass on daily. As I was told Each One Teach One.” – Awon
Released on Awon’s independent label, Don’t Sleep Records, Knowledge of Self is now available on SoundCloud, Bandcamp, iTunes, Spotify, and pretty much anywhere else you can listen to music. And for those who enjoy physical releases, the album is available on limited-edition transparent blue 2x vinyl via DustyPlatter.
