Today's Specials by tha Breakfast Club

You’ll see them in our videos … a size 12 and up, please!”

Additionally, what separates Today’s Specials from the typical NYC fan fare is the standout production by in-house aficionado, A.I (aka Artificial Intelligence). Influenced by everything from Middle Eastern chants to down tempo, Tha Breakfast Club has created a style that has an international appeal and influence. The opening track, Crème de la Crème, was the catalyst for the group’s change in cuisine.

“The track was finished when the Dean came across an old record I have of an Arabic vocalist,” says A.I “As soon as I heard it, it clicked, and I started to look for pieces to add to the beat. We flipped it and pushed our music into another direction."

And Nuevo cuisine it is … techno, house, and dance hall seasonings can be heard throughout the album as well as Negro spirituals. Diamante de Conflict is a haunting track on Today’s Specials that sounds as if it is weeping and conjures up early Portishead in style. Beta Phi Chi, by comparison, is a sexy, dirty funk cut that feels like a track from the movie Snatch.

The Dean (producer/writer) adds his soulful baritone voice to several tracks as well as spitting 16 bars on a few. The group mixes a variety of vocal flavors and samples, giving each song a distinctive sound. But it's the contrasting styles of frontmen Show and Niam that are Tha Breakfast Club's main ingredients.

Show's flow is smooth, silky and playful, but with an edginess reminiscent of a young Method Man. Niam, on the other hand, is more falsetto in tone and gritty in style. His ability to paint a picture with words sets him apart from others in the game. Both lyricists' skills lie beyond the best mixtape maestros and heads above the chefs who rule the charts. "There will definitely be a few dudes looking over their shoulder," says Show.

Perhaps the only thing Tha Breakfast Club has in common with today's New York scene is a love for Hip-Hop and a yearning for change. “The game’s gotten too serious in the NYC," says The Dean. "What happened to the Beatnuts? What happen to Biz? We want people dancing, laughing and having a good time. Let the kids battle.”

So forget what the haters have been saying about the NYC. Put down the Top 40 cheese melts, put down the chicken and waffles and pick up Today's Specials. Cuz Tha Breakfast Club is serving up some "home- grown dro " that's bound to satisfy the palate. Bon appetit!

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