Captain Planet is proud to announce the release of his newest single "Big Man" featuring Shungudzo, out today. 3 years after releasing his groundbreaking collaborative album with singer Chico Mann (which landed him live sets on Boiler Room & KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic as well as a feature on NYTimes "Best Songs Of The Week") DJ/producer Captain Planet returns with the premier single "BIG MAN ft. Shungudzo" from his forthcoming album NO VISA set to drop June 26th on Bastard Jazz Recordings.
The new single first debuted with
Complex who caught up with Captain Planet, "Big Man is like a classic hip hop boast song, flipped on its head. While writing this song with Shun, we were trying to do two things at once- picture what we would be doing if we were in charge, if we had the crazy money that these mega billionaires have, while at the same time pointing out the ridiculousness of power and wealth disparities to begin with. Shun is speaking in the voice of the underdog, dreaming about being on top, the underlying desire that keeps Capitalism afloat, while at the same time bragging that if she did have diamonds in her cereal, she'd be making it rain on Skid Row.
The beat has the deep 808 knock of so much hip hop music that I love, but it's also in 6/8 time signature and is rooted in West African balafon music. I feel like Big Man is especially relevant right now, while this worldwide pandemic is highlighting how differently people with fewer resources are being affected. The disease can spread anywhere, even infecting the British royalty, but it's the folks on the margins who are going to be hit the worst, not just by the disease, but also from the economic fallout, increased racism and xenophobia. And when we still have black men in America being essentially lynched, with police and district attorneys all playing their part to cover it up, a line like "dem crooked police men, I'm gonna arrest them" sure feels good to sing out loud."
Shungudzo added, "The original source of inspiration for "Big Man" was the colonization of Africa (specifically Zimbabwe, where I'm from), and the "f you, pay me" mentality that these colonizers had while stealing other people's possessions, livelihoods, and in so many cases, lives. Then we extended that thought onto all of the world, in present times, in which the rich continue to profit from the labor and suffering of the poor. The voice in this song is the voice of a Robin Hood and liberator of sorts, who not only wants to take from the rich in order to give back to the poor, but also to make the rich suffer in the same ways that the poor have suffered for so long."
The new song is layered over a bed of West African balafon and earth shaking 808 bass, Shungudzo's voice cuts like a razor- subversively envisioning the day that she will be on top, calling the shots, running the world, a "BIG MAN". When the heavy percussion drops out midway through the song, a powerful chant acts as a call to arms, where each of us is invited to join the dream, imagining what we would do if we were in charge of this corrupt and unjust world.
NO VISA, the 5th full-length album from producer Charlie Wilder (aka Captain Planet), is both a return to form and a launchpad into the future. With 13 songs that feature vocalists from around the world, long-time fans will recognize several previous collaborators as well as the global influences that have always been central to Captain Planet's music. Wilder's trademark sound pulls from African, Caribbean, Middle Eastern and South American styles of music, blended with the Hip Hop, Reggae, House, and Electronic music that he grew up playing as a DJ. While "BIG MAN" stays true to form, the song also represents a harder hitting, more focused vision. Showcasing the Captain's production chops and songwriting talents equally, the song unveils a unique musical landscape, a place where our political boundaries and cultural hierarchies begin to dissolve, where foreign languages mingle together and deep rooted traditions dance with the future.
Captain Planet is a world traveling DJ & music producer who blends global roots music styles with forward-thinking hip-hop, dancehall, and electronic beats. After cutting his teeth in the competitive New York City club scene, he went on to host a popular radio show on WNYU Radio, and started the globally renowned music blog
www.MixtapeRiot.com. He has released 4 full-length albums featuring his trademark "Gumbo Funk" sound on
Bastard Jazz Recordings, and can be heard on the soundtracks to multiple popular TV shows such as "Silicon Valley", "Orange Is The New Black", "Entourage" and "CSI:NY" to name a few. Additionally, he has produced world recognized remixes for the likes of Little Dragon, Katy B, Alice Russell, Erykah Badu,
Mayer Hawthorne and many more. His song "Un Poquito Más" featuring
Chico Mann has earned over 2.5 million streams and was featured in major ad campaigns for Target & Honda. Inspired by the success of that song, the two artists teamed up in 2017 for a full-length collaboration album and released "Night Visions" to critical acclaim, including a mention on NYTimes "Best Songs Of The Week". The two performed live for the globally renowned
Boiler Room Sessions & the taste making
Morning Becomes Eclectic radio program on KCRW.
Shungudzo is a prolific Zimbabwean-American singer and songwriter who has most recently been featured on hits from Oliver Heldens, Rudimental, and Bantu, as well as appearing on the 50 Shades Freed soundtrack. Her unique and versatile song-writing has also been the driving force behind popular tracks from
Jessie Ware to Little Mix.
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