Greyboy

San Diego producer and DJ Andreas Stevens, or Greyboy, was initially taken by hip-hop but — because he couldn't find any decent MCs to hook up with — shifted his attention to acid jazz. He was, in fact, the very first American producer to do so. And it was an inspired move. In 1994 Stevens served up his debut solo album, Freestylin', with the help of talented sax player Karl Denson. The offering became a cult hit, especially in acid jazz-hungry Europe. Released on the label Ubiquity, it cost $4,000 to make and nothing to market, yet it remains the label's most successful offering. That same year Stevens did his credentials no harm with the underground favorite track "Unwind Your Mind" (another collaboration with Denson), which appeared on Ubiquity's Home Cookin' compilation. His next album, Land of the Lost, came out in 1996, at a time when the popularity of acid jazz was beginning to wane. From 1993 to 1997 Stevens was, along with Denson, also a key figure in the acid jazz band Greyboy Allstars, who put out three albums on their own Greyboy Records label. Stevens then drifted back to his hip-hop roots, pairing up with skateboarding champ Rob Dyrdek to launch the record label P-Jays. Not surprisingly, the label's offerings — including compilations and 12" releases — were most popular among skateboarders. Stevens made a return as Greyboy in 2001, with the critically acclaimed album Mastered the Art. A fusion of hip-hop, jazz, rare-groove, and even world music, it also boasted the talents of live musicians Dave Pike and Elgin Park and rapper MC MainFlo.