Take Mark Rae (a figurehead of the UK's soul/hip hop music scene, formally of Rae & Christian) and Rhys Adams (groove hound producer/writer DJ extraordinaire of Rocker's Hifi fame), send them to Jamaica and the result is Yes King.
Yes King shuffle pieces of hip hop, dancehall, disco, ragga and ska to craft a truly textured and smoking good sound that is laid down on their new album Rock This World. Rooted in Jamaica, the sound retains a strong London vibe and creates a new atmosphere for the dance floor.
Mark Rae burst onto the UK music scene with his first production duo, Rae & Christian. At the same time he founded his former label and record shop, Grand Central Records and Manchester's Fat City. When it came time for Mark's follow up LP, ‘Into the Depths’, Mark collaborated with Rhys Adams (aka Frankie Valley), who remixed Rae's “Candystripe” and their production / writing collaboration was cemented.
In 2004 they went to Jamaica to record with local Jamaican vocalists. These sessions left Mark and Rhys with the makings of the heart and soul of the Yes King sound; blending old and new, using live instruments and crunchy hip hop/R&B/reggae beats.
The album also features an eclectic array of guest vocalists including Ayak (2004 Prince's Trust Urban Music Award Winner); Dawn Penn (vocalist on dancehall classic ‘No, No, No’); Veba; Tor (described by Ras Kwame as “One of the sickest lyricists the UK has to offer”); Mystro; Kenny Knots; Sweetie Irie; Baby Chann (member of legendary UK bashment crew Suncycle); Prezident Brown (Jamaica's Hi Power Soundsystem) and Pete Simpson.
While recording the album, artists would greet the Duo with “Yes King” (a traditional Jamaican greeting). Mark and Rhys felt the saying captured the essence of the project, and settled on Yes King for the name of the group. Dawn Penn's track, ‘Rock This World’, set the tone for the album and thus, the title.
The New Zealand album edition features the Yes King remix of “Shake” by Emptyheads feat. Dynamite MC, which rocked dance floors and radio waves from NZ's George FM to the UK's BBC Radio One