Hip Hop, Soul, Funk, R&B, Jazz, Salsa, Rock. Various producers such as Dr. Dre, Hi-Tek, Pete Rock and Dj Quik come to mind as great influences. Each producer pushes the limits of creativity and that is the main focus at Fried Roots. Hip Hop music appreciation came from being a fan of old school acts like Rakim, Whodini, EPMD, Run DMC and Gangstar. These artists created a focus for me on production and lyricism, no matter what genre you work in.
As an emcee, Lost Thought entered the game in 1999 focusing on creativity with wordplay and a flare for production of Hip Hop beats with substance. With an early focus on songwriting, the pickiness of production was apparent and inevitably led to creating our own instrumentals. Los Angeles was the birthplace of soulful, jazzy beats with west coast bass and east coast drums. The point was to gather and create all the great techniques of all our mentors and create this new sound, Fried Roots.
“Lost Thought & Shifty J define hip hop music”
With my business partner, Shifty J, the music production is a representation of two creative minds with one common goal, bringing music we like to the forefront. Tracks like Post Office Pimpin off the Time album are very reminiscent of that older Tribe Called Quest vibe, with high content and lounging head nodding breaks.
March 2007 marks the creation of the Fried Roots movement. With future albums and instrumental work coming soon, Lost Thought is looking to make history through innovation in beats and collaborations.