Artist RJD2

Chloe Aftel

Website
RJD2

RJD2 rose steadily in the hip-hop underground thanks to a turntablist sound pointed toward the mantle of DJ Shadow and collaborations with people like Blueprint, Diplo, and Aceyalone, which made his proclamation in 2006 that he was going “rap free” pretty surprising. RJD2’s 2007 album, The Third Hand, marked an abrupt swerve into the realm of organic, instrumental-based prog-pop. The change continued in 2009, as RJD2 started his own label to release his albums, including last year’s The Colossus and the work of his latest project, Icebird, a collaboration with singer Aaron Livingston, best known for guesting on The Roots’ The Tipping Point. Icebird’s 2011 debut, The Abandoned Lullaby, features more of the pop experimentation that has divided RJ’s fans, but so far, its results have proven pretty darn catchy.

Updated 01/24/2012