FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 22, 2020

Contact: Cullen Wade

fellowman@gmail.com

703-851-1062

RAP TRIBUTE TO FALLEN MUSIC ICONS MIXES REQUIEM AND CRITIQUE

Charlottesville, Virginia - Rapper and producer Fellowman did not intend to release an album about death in the midst of a global pandemic. The album, titled Death of the Author--a collection of tributes to 14 of Fellowman’s deceased musical heroes--was in the works for over 2 years. In a time when humankind is confronting mortality on a historic scale, Fellowman was motivated to complete and release an album that, in its quiet way, does the same thing through the lens of music appreciation. To round out the album, he enlisted help from guests like University of Virginia professor of hip-hop A.D. Carson, Waterloo of Charlottesville’s legendary Beetnix, and Oddisee collaborator Unown.

The artists eulogized on Death of the Author include rappers Sean Price, Prodigy, Left Eye, and H.H.P. from South Africa; rockers Jimi Hendrix, Warren Zevon, Prince, Joe Strummer from The Clash, Mark Shelton from Manilla Road, and Grant Hart from Husker Du; folk singers Phil Ochs, Victor Jara and John Prine; and soul singer Aretha Franklin. Fellowman pays tribute to this diverse bunch of artists in equally diverse ways: covers, new raps on old beats, new beats built from samples of their music, and thematic inspiration. Along the way, he constructs an overarching narrative of his own journey from hero worship to a balanced view of creator and creation.

The seed for Death of the Author was planted in 2016, during a conversation between Fellowman and his sister after the death of Prince. The album is his attempt to answer a question from his sister: “how can you cry at the death of someone you never knew?” His musical replies range from personal narrative of a transformational moment in “Waterfalls (for Left Eye)” to the outright rejection of celebrity mourning in favor of elevating personal relationships in the Jimi Hendrix tribute “In the Name of the Fallen.” All these threads come together on the final track “Sometimes Love,” in honor of Grant Hart, where Fellowman dissects the complicated legacies of universally beloved but personally problematic artists like 2Pac and John Lennon.

In addition to its literal meaning, the title Death of the Author refers to a 1967 essay of that name by French literary theorist Roland Barthes. The essay argues that a work does not belong to its author, that it’s misguided to bring considerations about the creator’s background and presumed intent into interpretation. Ultimately, Fellowman concludes, an artist’s biography is less important than the biographies of the listeners, both on a personal and cultural level, that the work helped to shape.

Death of the Author releases on 12/22/2020 through Bandcamp and Fellowman’s indie label Rugged Arts.

# # #

For a full press kit including downloadable music, email fellowman@gmail.com