There’s absolutely no doubt that Tonio Sagan’s musical compositions are figuratively and literally what “Dreams Are Made of.” The Massachusetts-raised producer — who is also the great grandson of the late GOAT astrophysicist Carl Sagan (sorry Neil deGrasse Tyson, you’re the JAY Z to our Nas) — is a student of all music in general, and has an incredible ear for sound design.
If you’ve listened to any of his recent sublimely designed productions, you’ll hear influences of jazz, rock and roll, reggae, soul and of course a hearty dosage of Hip-Hop.
On “Murderas,” Tonio laces his friend and battle-rap legend Illmaculate with an unwieldy array of deep bass and dubby undertones, rich percussion and brass reverb, drawn from influential dub masters like Lee “Scratch” Perry, King Tubby and Jah Shaka — and a dash of hyphy rhythms. The meso-shadowy, minimalist vibes — topped off with a vocal sample lifted from his previous Warrior King-featured single “Frenemies” — give Illmaculate the perfect soundscape to rap about everything from the all too prevalent government corruption, being an independent artist and not depending on co-signs; effortlessly switching up his flow throughout each 16 bars.
