After a decade long camaraderie, Los Angeles based artists Defari of Likwit Crew notoriety (home to hip-hop and rap artist The  Liks, King Tee, Xzibit) and DJ Babu of Dilated Peoples and Beat Junkies fame have teamed to release their self-titled debut, The LJs, on March 22nd 2005 via ABB Records. The Likwit Junkies are no strangers to hip-hop. The inevitable collaboration is a union long in the making…even if neither one of them was aware at first.

 

What finally brought these two together after a decade long friendship? “It was kind of an accident” jokes Babu. “We’d both focused on our own projects and t we never had the chance to work together.” After remixing “Behold My Life” for Defari’s sophomore release Odds and Evens, they soon realized their musical chemistry. Since then, they spent time in the studio recording the album around their crazed work schedules. The final result is this new hip-hop duo. It presents classic hip-hop with a contemporary edge combining the raw energy of Babu’s beats and Defari’s gritty and sober lyrics in what is sure to be a ground breaking album this year.

 

The 15-track CD is produced entirely by DJ Babu, executive produced by the Likwit Junkies (and ABB president Beni B), and features guest appearances by Rakaa Iriscience (“Dark Ends”) of Dilated Peoples, sultry L.A. vocalist Noelle (“L.J.s Anthem”), Planet Asia (“One Time”), plus a few more. The lead single “One Day Away” is already generating attention at radio, a video for the single is in the can, a national tour is in the works, and record release parties are being held in Los Angeles and San Francisco in late March.