Quakers

Quakers are an underground hip-hop collective helmed by producers Fuzzface (<a href="spotify:artist:53b2a4ytPlelgBJYLLocWh">Geoff Barrow</a> of <a href="spotify:artist:6liAMWkVf5LH7YR9yfFy1Y">Portishead</a>), 7STU7, and Supa K (formerly known as <a href="spotify:artist:5yAyZa2e9KTHLsxSOMDmrC">Katalyst</a>), along with dozens of guest rappers from around the world. Matching gritty, nearly psychedelic beats with verses from a wide array of emcees, the project made its debut with an acclaimed self-titled full-length in 2012. After a lengthy absence, Quakers returned in 2020 with their second album.

<a href="spotify:artist:53b2a4ytPlelgBJYLLocWh">Barrow</a> founded Quakers with <a href="spotify:artist:21nDnfVlobfPqlgcZ5mH4I">Stuart Matthew</a> (7STU7) and <a href="spotify:artist:6uOTv8FGh1q3hizfMtri1N">Ashley Anderson</a> (Supa K), two producers associated with his Invada Records label, which has branches in both Australia and the U.K. With the help of <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Stones+Throw%22">Stones Throw</a>'s <a href="spotify:artist:3KjYnDT3cEQ8ngiCLTCIl9">Peanut Butter Wolf</a>, the trio assembled 35 members to contribute to Quakers' 41-track debut, including an assortment of talented underground rappers, golden-age hip-hop veterans, and a wealth of fellow <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Stones+Throw%22">Stones Throw</a> artists. Following a teaser for "Fitta Happier," a quirky single that infused lyrics by <a href="spotify:artist:36zSkwftotDHslP3KUQpew">MED</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:0Zji66LHK0QCC8AUMuyp3h">Guilty Simpson</a> with a marching band performance of <a href="spotify:artist:4Z8W4fKeB5YxbusRsdQVPb">Radiohead</a>'s "Optimistic" and "The National Anthem," Quakers was released in spring of 2012. The project re-emerged eight years later, first with a 50-track instrumental beat tape titled Supa K: Heavy Tremors. Then in November of 2020, the more politically informed II: The Next Wave arrived, featuring appearances by <a href="spotify:artist:5p2gVFoALyOtm13Fv5TjgQ">the Koreatown Oddity</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7fw0E8WHdG3r9SuPBcGmWk">Sampa the Great</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6VBHBMoQNSPMhh214baHsU">Jeremiah Jae</a>, and several Detroit rappers, including <a href="spotify:artist:1p5inp8DH6XUJsMKftseei">Boog Brown</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:6o8VpmZLTJZfFUQhKCDYoZ">Denmark Vessey</a>. ~ Jason Lymangrover & Paul Simpson, Rovi