With the solid support of college radio and hip hop/alternative press, the High Decibels have gained a reputation as one of the freshest and most innovative new hip hop groups. Featuring two MCs and a crackerjack live band, the group slides easily between classic rap and rock styles, bringing a brash, adventurous spirit back to a genre that sorely lacks it.
Frontman Duke Johnson, an East Oakland native, started freestyling at the age of 12 in the schoolyard with some friends, including his current HD partner, hypeman Chief. His first live performance was at a talent show at a local high school. Mid-performance, his backing CD started skipping, and the audience booed him offstage.
Discouraged from performing rap, Duke decided to try poetry and spoken word. Equipped with plenty of subject matter from his experiences living in Oakland, he gathered his confidence and entered a few slam events. Transfixing audiences with real life depictions of struggles and shootings -- one he witnessed at the age of 8 -- Duke soon became a top ranked slam poet in the Bay Area.
It was at a slam event in Berkeley where Duke caught the interest of rock/funk producer and guitarist KC Booker, who was looking to collaborate with some hip hop artists. Duke agreed to give rap one more try, and when Booker and Johnson recorded their first tracks -- a potent mix of authentic hip hop and hard, funky blues -- the chemistry was undeniable.
Bringing Duke’s childhood buddy Chief into the mix as a hypeman was the final essential ingredient. Coupled with a live band and Chief's raw, kinetic energy onstage, the High Decibels shows proved to be high-energy, crowd-stirring affairs. Their genre-crossing musical style and a solid debut album has helped them earn outstanding critical reviews and a top 5 position on CMJ's Hip Hop Chart.
Band Members
Duke & Chief
Influences
De La Soul, Led Zeppelin, Run-DMC, OutKast, The Who, the Beastie Boys, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, James Brown, Digable Planets, Beck, Tribe Called Quest, The Meters
Website
www.thehighdecibels.com
