Music Monday: Alleyes Path

Alleyes Path is Michael Bridgmon and Jared Young.

New York…Los Angeles…Atlanta…these cities have traditionally been the powerhouses of hip-hop, spawning many of rap’s greats and many of today’s big artists. But now, in the digital age, anybody with a computer and some recording equipment can put together an EP; innovative music can literally come from anywhere. And so, we have Alleyes Path: two guys working in Columbus, OH who recorded their debut album in a bedroom and are now putting out some of the best hip-hop on the scene.

The duo consists of writer/vocalist Alleyes Manifest (Michael Bridgmon) and producer/vocalist DJ Path (Jared Young), both of whom are college students in Columbus. Bridgmon is actually a St. Louis native who got his start working with DJ Oddasee (Matt Goodman) but gained prominence after meeting local standouts Dusty Wallets (formerly Spark1duh?) and DJ Who. He began performing at many of the local venues that we hold dear—hip-hop Thursdays at The Atomic Cowboy, The Pageant, Vintage Vinyl—and in 2007 was featured on NPR’s Song of the Day for the single “Calm Before the Storm”.

Bridgmon then relocated to Columbus to attend the Columbus College of Arts and Design, where he met Young. Coming from a family of musicians, Young collected recording equipment in high school working part time jobs and taught himself how to produce by reading information online. In January 2009, Bridgmon gave Young a call after hearing some of his beats and they began working in Young’s bedroom studio every weekend; four months later, their debut album “Here” was completed. Their music is a reverberating mix of jazz samples, smart lyrics, and the unmistakable grit of underground hip-hop. At just 20 years old, Young can’t even buy himself a drink, but he can forge some very spacey and very jazzy beats—bringing to mind Nujabes and other sci-fi styled producers. Both members contribute vocals to the mix, and they rap over Young’s beats with some intelligent rhymes and exceptional flow, concocting a harmonious mix of music and vocals that makes Alleyes Path a standout in today’s hip-hop scene.

Since releasing “Here”, the two have put out the “Turkey Dinner Sampler” (available for free download on their MySpace) and are coming out with new material later this summer. Both also have extensive solo outputs and are some of the hardest workers in hip-hop. Fortunately for us, they’re bringing their operation to St. Louis for a couple shows with the help of newly recruited live DJ Self Help – July 22^nd at The Atomic Cowboy and again in August during STL hip-hop week. Don’t miss the chance to see Alleyes Path live—they don’t come from a huge city, they don’t have a massive recording budget, but they are definitely worth checking out.

“Fast Hands”

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“In Over Easy”

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