Dujeous

Birthed from vinyl, drum machines, and samplers, Hip-Hop has often viewed live instrumentation as an alternative to the norm. Luckily, such boundaries mean little to Dujeous (pronounced Doo-jee-us), a group of MCs and musicians with a discography, tour history, and production resume that proves they’re still just as Hip-Hop as any kid banging out beats on a lunchroom table.

As a matter of fact, Dujeous isn’t so far removed from those cafeteria tables. Native New Yorkers all, the seven members have been crew since elementary school, and founded the group during their freshman year of high school. With a decade-long chemistry that no Craigslist band-seeking-bassist posting can replicate, MCs Mas D, Rheturik, and Mojo converse with Apex (bass), Taylormade (guitar), Dave Guy (trumpet), and Tomek (drums) on songs and onstage with a comfort and confi dence that has become second nature. Considering their extended kinship and shared history, it’s no surprise the group’s intoxicating fusion of Hip-Hop, reggae, rock, and jazz so deeply refl ects the myriad joys and struggles of growing up in New York City.

Since independently releasing their Leading by Example EP in 1996, Dujeous has accumulated a track record of high praise from critics and loyalty from listeners. A pair of undeniable 12-inch singles (1999’s “Breathtaking” b/w “Epic Proportions” and 2002’s “Spilt Milk” b/w “All MCs”) was followed up by 2003’s As Promised, a collection of unreleased songs and remixes that cemented the group’s status as one of New York’s foremost up-and-coming heat-makers.

The buzz yielded honey with 2004’s City Limits, Dujeous’ first full-length album, which brought the crew’s combination of gritty city tales, ethereal melodies, and trunk-shaking thump to a higher level. Released on Third Earth Music through Caroline Distribution, City Limits has sold 12,000 copies to date and reached No. 6 on the CMJ Hip-Hop chart. Critical acclaim was plentiful; Dujeous was named one of Urb magazine’s “Next 100” and snagged a spot in The Source magazine’s coveted “Unsigned Hype” column, a distinction shared by such luminaries as Notorious B.I.G., Common and Eminem.

Long considered one of Hip-Hop’s most explosive live acts, Dujeous has shared stages with Busta Rhymes, Slick Rick, Mos Def, Mobb Deep, Cam’Ron, and George Clinton. They’ve toured across the U.S. and Europe several times, leaving a new foundation of devoted fans everywhere they touch down. And their work in the studio is just as impressive: As producers, session musicians, and vocalists, the group has collaborated with Kanye West, John Legend, Nancy Sinatra, Bob James, Saigon, Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, Dip Set, Mark Ronson, Rhymefest, Aesop Rock, Immortal Technique, DJ Rob Swift, Charles Tolliver, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, and many more.

Dujeous has also branched out into television and film, supplying music for major and indie motion pictures, including Blue Crush, Half Nelson, Lift, Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhymes, and Kings & Queen, television shows such as MTV2’s Crank Yankers (for which they produced the theme song), BET’s Ultimate Hustler, and ESPNs The Life, and two award-winning TV ads for The Drug-Free Partnership for America (see attached discography). Meanwhile, companies like Levis, Tangueray, and Enyce have all used the crew’s bangers to hawk their products, and Nokia phones and Dell computers feature pre-installed Dujeous ringtones and MP3s.

Whether burning down stages in front of teeming crowds in Europe or helping platinum artists crank out hits in the studio, Dujeous has demonstrated the rare ability to create timeless music with universal appeal. Always breaking conventions and constantly evolving as artists, Dujeous could care less about musical classifi cations or Hip-Hop clichés anyone may try to box them into — just spell their name right.