G&D (GEORGIA ANNE MULDROW AND DUDLEY PERKINS AKA DECLAIME) TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM BLACK LOVE & WAR ON AUGUST 9 VIA SOMEOTHASHIP CONNECT / EONE
G&D (GEORGIA ANNE MULDROW
AND DUDLEY PERKINS AKA DECLAIME) TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM BLACK LOVE & WAR ON AUGUST 9 VIA SOMEOTHASHIP CONNECT / EONE
LISTEN TO FIRST SINGLE WHERE I’M FROM
Toronto, ON – June 5, 2019 – Georgia Anne Muldrow and Dudley Perkins aka Declaime, collectively known as G&D, present their new album, Black Love & War, which will be released August 9, 2019. Both life and musical partners, G&D have been together for over 13 years raising three children together.
The album celebrates black love and the unity of the black family, but the album also delves into many of the socio-economic and racial issues that still have them at ‘war.’ The album features production from Oh No and Mike & Keys (Nipsey Hussle), and vocal contributions from Aloe Blacc, Latoiya Williams, Sean Biggs and Ms. Dezy. Pre-order Black Love & War, out August 9 on SomeOthaShip Connect / eOne Music, here.
About G&D’s Black Love & War – by Marcus J. Moore:
Blackness has been under attack ever since the first Africans were brought to the United States and forced into slavery. In that time, our culture has been pillaged, packaged and sold to major corporations for profit. We’re told that we’re simply not good enough to be equal, or to be seen at all. We’re forced from our homes by white people who think our neighbourhoods are cool.
Then there’s the police: They’ve been spraying us with fire hoses and shooting us dead since God knows when. So, the brutality you see today shouldn’t surprise you; it’s only been magnified by the prevalence of smartphones and the 24-hour news cycle.
With this in mind, creative partners, Georgia Anne Muldrow and Dudley Perkins have returned with a new album, Black Love & War, their third release under the moniker, G&D.
Long before the term “black excellence” was en vogue, Georgia and Dudley personified it, setting a strong example for others to follow. Not only do they create music together, they adore each other, and that devotion shines through the art, on songs like Eyeluvu (from Dudley’s 2009 album, Holy Smokes) and These Are The Things I Really Like About You (from Georgia’s beloved 2018 album, Overload).
But now, the world needs healing, so the duo is back to spread love and solace to those crumbling under the weight of systemic oppression. Yet, this isn’t a warm hug or passive pep talk; Muldrow and Perkins want you to fight hard—for yourself, for your brothers and sisters, for your peace of mind. Only Georgia and Dudley could turn a song like 187—a brief interlude near album’s end—into a festive nursery rhyme about killing your oppressors, or use another sketch like Slave Revolt Soundtrack to portray the death of a slave master on a plantation. Black Love & War is a wake-up call for black people to rise and revolt, to battle a system meant to kill and imprison us.
“We always have a militant feel,” says Georgia, “but we wanted people to be able to join in the music and sing along with it. It’s music that makes people come together. It’s a very cultural record.”
Black Love & War won’t surprise those who’ve followed Georgia and Dudley to this point; the Cali-bred, Nevada-based couple have always challenged listeners to stand tall in the face of tyranny. The devil is working, and as scores of black people die at the hands of racist white law enforcement and MAGA followers emboldened by the U.S. president, now’s the time to prepare for revolution. “We thought, ‘Let’s hit ‘em harder, and not give a fuck about the industry,’” Dudley says about the premise for Black Love & War.
“Truth fucks with people. This ain’t just music; it’s a message and a tool to raise up the spirit of the black race.” The duo does that by compiling a fluid set of upbeat tracks, steeped heavily in their now-trademarked mix of “fOnk,” which blends ‘70s funk and West Coast G-funk into a rich, psychedelic sound. As a result, Black Love & War feels like a classic Parliament-Funkadelic record, except the themes are tied to modern-day despair. On Peace Peace, for instance, Dudley dissects America’s history of racism and violence from the perspective of a concerned father: “Welcome to the world, son, now run, police got a gun … they will throw sticks and stones ‘till they break ya bloody bones/what a wonderful way we all live.”
He continues that theme on The Battle, with a backing track that matches his urgent tone: “Whole world is on the attack, whole lotta whites hate blacks/And most for no damn reason, this is the season to shoot another dead/Last night, they shot a baby black boy in the head.”
If much of the album is carried by the aspect of War, the back end leans into the concept of Black Love—especially on songs, Again, P.A.L. (Post Apocalyptic Love), and Fruitful. In these moments, Georgia and Dudley move toward a calmer, more subdued set of sun-kissed R&B and Quiet Storm soul, evoking classics like Rose Royce’s Wishing On a Star and Bootsy Collins’ I’d Rather Be With You. But while they take minor cues from these luminaries, this is love music the only way Georgia and Dudley can do it—straight from their heart to yours, from their own place somewhere amongst the stars.
“I want folks to feel pumped listening to Black Love & War,” Georgia says. “I want it to help them on their journey to fearlessness. I hope these songs help them release that magic, or makes their day more understandable.” Adds Dudley, “this is the music that raises the vibration. We’re pushing each other for the betterment of the planet. We’ve gotta heal our people right now.”
Black Love & War Tracklisting
1. English Breakfast
2. Where I’m From (Prod. by Mike & Keys)
3. Peace Peace (Prod. by Georgia Anne Muldrow)
4. That’s How We Do It (Prod. by Georgia Anne Muldrow)
5. The Power Of Your Brain (Prod. by Georgia Anne Muldrow)
6. The Battle (Prod. by Georgia Anne Muldrow)
7. Slave Revolt Soundtrack (Prod. by Georgia Anne Muldrow)
8. Protect Yourself (Prod. by Oh No)
9. Sunshine (Prod. by Oh No)
10. 187 (Prod. by Georgia Anne Muldrow)
11. Again ft. Latoiya Williams (Prod. by Georgia Anne Muldrow)
12. Jacob’s Ladder (Prod. by Georgia Anne Muldrow)
13. P.A.L. (Prod. by Georgia Anne Muldrow)
14. Smile ft. Aloe Blacc, Latoiya Williams & Ms. Dezy (Prod. by Georgia Anne Muldrow)
15. Fruitful ft. Sean Biggs (Prod. by Georgia Anne Muldrow)
16. Big Mel (Prod. by Georgia Anne Muldrow)
DOWNLOAD – Hi Res Album Artwork | DOWNLOAD – Press Photo
