Edreys

Edreys
Originally uploaded by buffaloindiemarket

The patrons of the inaugural Buffalo Indie Market on April 12th were lyrically captivated by up and coming Rapper Edreys along with DJ Tone Def, laying down the beat for the laid back crowd, which was ill prepared for such a refreshing musical accentuation of the days event. The people could not help, but stop and listen or tap their feet and bob their heads to the rhythm that pulsed through the DJ's tracks and the Rapper's lips.

Since Hip Hop became a major commercial force and went global more than twenty years ago, critics have recently labeled the genre a static collection of regurgitated material continuously rehashed and left creatively stale as its predecessor, pop music. 

However, as the music played, Edreys, aka The Sidewalk Scholar, engaged the Market's audience with the artist's own thought provoking word play and scatological irony. Compared to musical juggernauts such as Nas and Common, he draws inspiration from other rappers like Freeway, Ghost Face Killa, Rakim, and EPMD. His music is without profanity, yet remains positively provocational to those that listen.

Edreys, whose name translates to 'One who masters the pen', may not be on the name of everyone's lips yet. But it's only a matter of time. He's worked as a musical producer for The Lifetime Channel and HBO and lyricist with groups like Soulive and Raw Intel. But his upcoming solo album titled, 'Expensive Hobby' has the hometown Buffalo product poised to break into the larger musical marketplace. A classic sound, inspired by the likes of James Brown, speaks to a diversity of sound that belies the artist's greatest strength as a rapper, which is his smooth and elegant delivery of wordplay. He tells the listener a story, which you can't help but hear. He leaves for Spain on April 30th for a club tour, but will return to Buffalo to join the Warped tour for more than a month of tour dates. Check out his myspace page. Just type in www.Edreysmusic.com. Edreys, which is pronounced 'E-drease', has only scratched the musical surface of what awaits him. Check him out and you'll see that the Sidewalk Scholar has something to say, and you will want to listen.