Most people may not be familiar with the name Brian Irving, but you can bet your collection of CDs that they are familiar with his legacy. Irving, whose offstage name is Brian Brater, is the co-founder of Rawkus Records, the record label that kick-started the careers of hip-hop legends Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Company Flow, Pharoah Monch and a laundry list of other gems of the East Coast rap scene.
After setting a foundation in the music industry, Brater donned his new persona as Brian Irving and is now stepping out from behind the curtain to show us his wizard powers in person. His debut, titled Radiant Things, features the single, “Eyes Wide” – a step off of the path of hip-hop with undertones of 60’s era psychedelic rock guided by a voice that’s one part classic Jerry Garcia, one part boy-next-door charm of Sean Lennon. All of this provides a package that’s transcendent enough for the hip-hop artists of his record label to create a beat from his rhythms.
The video created by the Los Angeles art and design collective, Something in the Universe, will force you to do exactly as the title of the song says.
