E-Turn – Young World [album] (feat. Myka 9, JFK Ninjaface & Sean Shakespeare)
Orlando-based rapper/singer E-Turn will release her third full-length, Young World, this fall on Fake Four Inc. Backed by the soulful, melodic boom bap of Swamburger (Solillaquists of Sound), E-Turn utilizes a multitude of deliveries and croons to issue a call to arms against the maladies of modernity.
The title of the album refers to how in the grand scheme of history, life as we currently know it is extremely young. Hip hop is young, too. While early returns of the digital age are awash with tales of rampant greed, cruelty, and alienation, E-Turn expresses hope that the tools at our disposal can be used for the greater good of humanity. And hip hop, at its best, can play its part. Entertainment helps us forget ourselves. Art helps us remember ourselves.
E-Turn grew up amongst mixed cultures. Her father came from Iran to America during the revolution, and her mom, a San Diegan of Hispanic/native descent, had a volatile upbringing. E began singing at a very young age, rapping in 7th grade, performing with a cover band at 17, and then hitting the open mic circuit at the age of 19. Young World was created during a tumultuous stretch in E-Turn’s life, marked by the highs of touring Europe and the lows of loss.
Drawing influence everywhere from Mos Def to Stevie Nicks, E’s writing conveys urgency, mindfulness, and resilience in the face of pain. Her gritty, impassioned delivery fits seamlessly into the bold production aesthetics of Swamburger, with the two artists displaying the type of rarified chemistry that can only come from frequent collaboration. “Walking through your inner hell / Chipping at your outer shellâ€, E-Turn sings on “Stumbleâ€, channeling ‘90s R&B over a woozy, shuffling Swam beat. Guests on Young World include JFK Ninjaface, Sean Shakespeare, Carnage the Executioner on beatbox, DJ Hurley on cuts, and L.A. legend Myka 9, who cleverly mirrors E’s verse and hook with a thematic flip on standout track “Peasâ€.
E-Turn has toured with indie rap veterans such as Dessa, Blueprint, Count Bass D, Grayskul, Qwel & Maker, DJ Abilities, Abstract Rude, The Chicharones, and Solillaquists of Sound and played festivals like SXSW and Warped Tour. Following two releases with her former DJ SPS, Young World marks her official solo full-length debut. For many lost in the now, viewing life through a screen like a porthole on a sinking ship, E-Turn’s Young World offers hope that we can rise to the surface and find something real and lasting.