Twelve-piece African funk powerhouse Chopteeth grooves through all-new original tunes that tell tales, call out injustice, and celebrate the DC music scene, where African sounds, hip hop, and funk naturally cross-pollinate.
Toss down the bones. The result seems random, but read the pattern and you’ll discern the shape of things, the present and what’s to come.
DC’s African funk powerhouse Chopteeth takes disparate elements, throws down, and sees plenty to hope for, to fight for, to dance for. On their latest album Bone Reader (release date: September 15, 2017), the twelve-piece grooves through original tunes, expanding the band’s songwriting forces for a tighter, more creative sound.
Inspired by Twi proverbs and Ivorian pop, by the life and struggles of Freddie Gray and Edward Snowden, Chopteeth’s songs tell tales, call out injustice, and celebrate the DC music scene, where African sounds, hip hop, and funk naturally cross-pollinate. The album taps the Mayor of DC Hip Hop, Head-Roc (“DC Vote”) and DC-based MC Flex (“Cop Show”) to add another layer to the party and the message.
Chopteeth’s songs evolve from ideas worked out by a single member, into elegant horn lines, complex West African rhythms, and social statements. Sometimes they get banged out in the basement, the way bassist and co-founder Robert Fox wrote the Afrobeat-grooving “Snowden” and “Rambeau,” a shout out to Marvel’s black female superhero who got her powers from New Orleans music.
“Cop Show” has light origins, but ended up making a serious statement. The groove and horn lines the band worked out sounded eerily like a cop show theme from the 70s, so much so the group scoured videos, just to make sure they weren’t accidently quoting. They invited Flex to rap over the top, right as Baltimore was reeling from Freddie Gray’s death. The funk groove became vital commentary.
“Chopteeth is a great example of stone soup,” notes trumpet player Justine Miller, who’s “So You Say” stands up for defiant, skeptical souls everywhere. “Everyone brings something that adds the right flavor. Everyone’s contributing to the mix.” It’s a mix that has allowed the band to open for a broad array of acts, from Parliament/Funkadelic to the Nevilles to Derek Trucks.