“I’m struggling ’cause losing you was some cruel and confusing ish…”
Critical Praise for Finale:
“Finale’s latest… shows his perseverance paying creative dividends. Grand Finale.” – Chairman’s Choice Feature, XXL
“Abrasive, impassioned, and heartfelt” and: “A Pipe Dream And A Promise is a solid first effort not to be denied. Motor music indeed.” – URB.com
“Finale’s debut album may be the rap fan’s rap scene fan’s rap record: really, really unflashy, and really, really good.” – CokeMachineGlow.com
“Finale’s mic presence channels Rakim… You would be hard-pressed to find a more inspiring artist in 2009 than this talented and righteous emcee right here.” – HipHopDX.com
“Finale is clearly running Detroit where rhymes are concerned.” – Frank151.com
“He brings the best of the city (Detroit) on wax, with an old school mindset and plenty of originality to match. Finale does what the name suggests, providing hard-hitting wit, optimal word play and nimble ability to ride a beat like a Yamaha.” – AllHIpHop.com
The Song:
This bonus track off of Finale’s A Pipe Dream & A Promise is a haunting remembrance of his producer and friend, J Dilla. The beat stays true to the art that was Dilla’s production, featuring his trademark samples of jazzy rhythms, electric piano melodies, and a flowing backup vocal that give the beat its own human quality. Over this, Finale tells us the tale of a man from Detroit, a boy named James Yancey, who rose to local fame by making music for his city and his people. The story progresses to the time when Finale and J Dilla met, and from here it was a bond that not even Dilla’s passing could break. Though it is clear he misses his friend, Finale finds the good in it all, telling us, “STOP: Don’t mourn him, think of it like your man on tour, and God knew to set him free and he repped the D…” A Pipe Dream & A Promise contains several songs that send a shout to Dilla, and this track wraps up the album like the postscript of a long, inspired letter that reads: P.S. I will never forget J Dilla. Rest in peace.
A Pipe Dream And A Promise is now available everywhere.
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=310552492&s=143441
Finale recently released Super Finale, an innovative, Super Mario Bros-themed video game, starring Finale as the main character, in which fans can win track the track “One Man Show” from the album upon completion of the game. A Pipe Dream And A Promise features production from J Dilla as well as Nottz, Flying Lotus, Oddisee, MPhazes, and Black Milk, who produced the album’s lead single “Motor Music.”
Play Super Finale:
The Background:
Before making his entrance into hip-hop, Finale worked as an automotive engineer promising to one day follow his dream of becoming a rapper. Making the rounds at local Detroit open mics and emcee battles, Finale began to mingle with local talents like Guilty Simpson and One.Be.Lo. After emailing some joints back and forth with J Dilla, Finale finally met him backstage at the DEMF (Detroit Electronic Music Festival), where Dilla introduced him to Madlib, saying that he was one of the best in the game. “It was an honor and definitely a defining moment,” says Finale. After realizing his passion and talent for hip-hop, Finale decided to finally quit his day job, follow his true passion, and make music a full-time career. After a handful of Fat Beats released singles, an album released with European producer Spier 1200 as a part of The Rawkus 50, and numerous appearances on independent releases from Invincible, eLZhi and others, Finale’s official debut LP, A Pipe Dream & A Promise, is available in stores and online everywhere via Interdependent Media.
MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/finale
