When a conscious rapper and some of New York City’s most exciting young jazz musicians decided to unite their talents in 2010, the goal was to push the boundaries of creativity, both musically and lyrically. After seven years of weekly residency at SMOKE Jazz Club, and more than 400 performances, Nickel and Dime OPS continues to inspire listeners and spectators with their unique musical fusion and incomparable energy. Music lovers and hip hop purists have enjoyed watching the nine piece band bring down the house at such fabled venues such as Blue Note NYC, SOBs, The Cutting Room, Joe’s Pub, and The Bitter End, as well as other cities in the U.S. and Europe.
The starting cast of Nickel and Dime Ops features Nickel Cinco (MC), Karlea Lynne’ (vocals), Jason Marshall (tenor sax and musical director), Wayne Tucker (trumpet), Corey Wallace (trombone), Willerm Delisfort (piano/keys), Andy Bianco (guitar), Dezron Douglas (bass), Norman Edwards Jr. (drums).
The latest album from NYC’s Nickel and Dime OPS (who have been holding a residency at SMOKE every Thursday for the past eight years) is a very special project called Resuscitation Music. The album was completely financed by supporters of the band through crowd funding. This enabled the group to record at Big Orange Sheep Studios in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. The studio was chosen because of its ideal layout which features four isolation booths and one main room. This enabled the band to record a studio-quality album in a live setting. The result was magic. Nickel and Dime OPS recorded an unprecedented thirteen new tracks in one day.
The album was produced by MC Nickel Killsmics, who wrote all lyrics. Several special guest vocalists are featured, including two-time Grammy nominee Jean Baylor, Phantom Vanity, Camille Thurman, Milton Suggs, and (Madame Secretary) Victoria Cave. The driving force behind Resuscitation Music was the desire to make really great music and present a powerful hip-hop album that could be fun but also have an inspiring message.
Glide is proud to premiere the video for “Wake Up and See the Sun”(Dime OPS Version) a spot on jazz hip-hop number written by the band’s trumpeter, Wayne Tucker (w/ lyrics by Nickel Five) and directed by Jamal Hall. The band conjures an effortless groove with bouncin’ melodies that are reminiscent of classic Tribe Called Quest, The Fugees and Digable Planets. Along with its inspiring lyrics and eclectic nuances, Nickel and Dime OPS deliver the musical medicine and then some if these times of controversy.
