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Free Radio, the Asheville-based hip-hop collective featuring forever friends Austn Haynes and Johnny Reynolds, returns featuring new band members including Grammy winning singer Debrissa McKinney and rising powerhouse soul vocalist Datrian Johnson.
Formed in 2012, the new configuration of Free Radio represents a massive evolution of intention and sound. “I feel like the universe put us together” says Reynolds. “We all came from different walks of life and found ourselves in this time and space.” The new singers create a new crossover dynamic, pushing Free Radio into a fresh sonic space while retaining the vibe that has earned the band numerous “best hip-hop” awards. “When Datrian and Debrissa come together it’s just magical” continues Haynes.
Free Radio's "Earthworms" was released in June 2021 and is an ode to what’s possible, a boundary expanding project to push dreams forward while never forgetting where we come from. For Free Radio those roots are in the golden age of conscious hip-hop when emcees wrote their own raps and built their own beats. When Reynolds delivers “Gotta pay attention to your health ‘cuz you can’t trust the food nowadays on the shelf” you can hear echoes of legends that came before including OutKast and Dead Prez, but this is no throwback, all it takes is one listen to Johnson’s R&B breakdown and we know boundaries are being pushed.
Formed in 2012, the new configuration of Free Radio represents a massive evolution of intention and sound. “I feel like the universe put us together” says Reynolds. “We all came from different walks of life and found ourselves in this time and space.” The new singers create a new crossover dynamic, pushing Free Radio into a fresh sonic space while retaining the vibe that has earned the band numerous “best hip-hop” awards. “When Datrian and Debrissa come together it’s just magical” continues Haynes.
Free Radio's "Earthworms" was released in June 2021 and is an ode to what’s possible, a boundary expanding project to push dreams forward while never forgetting where we come from. For Free Radio those roots are in the golden age of conscious hip-hop when emcees wrote their own raps and built their own beats. When Reynolds delivers “Gotta pay attention to your health ‘cuz you can’t trust the food nowadays on the shelf” you can hear echoes of legends that came before including OutKast and Dead Prez, but this is no throwback, all it takes is one listen to Johnson’s R&B breakdown and we know boundaries are being pushed.