Cohenbeats - Daily Affirmations (2017)

Cohenbeats aka Michael Cohen is a prominent producer in the Tel Aviv rap scene. He started his musical career at 17, rapping and making beats as one third of local trio Cohen@Mushon. After relocating to Los Angeles in 2011, Cohen connected with local beat-makers, sharing house at Low End Theory with Gaslamp Killer, Samiyam, and others. After collaborating with Stones Throw’s own Mndsgn and Koreatown Oddity on Vivians, Cohen returned to Tel Aviv in 2013.

The musical blueprint of both Tel Aviv and Los Angeles are readily apparent in Daily Affirmations. While Israeli samples influenced by jazz, progressive rock and Brazilian music are threaded throughout, the undeniable backbone of the album is Los Angeles' unique homegrown hip-hop. Daily Affirmations positions Cohenbeats as one of the new wave of young producers who, along with the likes of Mndsgn and Knxwledge, continues the 20-year Stones Throw lineage that can be traced to beat-maker greats like Madlib and J Dilla.

The 22 tracks also serve as snapshots of Cohen’s daily grind as an artist in an extremely niche scene. The title track, “Daily Affirmations,” features rapper Quelle Chris and doubles as a mantra of artistic survival:

“Being a hip hop artist in Israel is not easy sometimes. Coming back here after almost 2 years of living in LA, I felt happy to be home, but feared that I might have taken a step away from my big dreams, and that my future is uncertain. The song—which talks about believing in yourself—really spoke to me deeply. In a way, each beat I make is like a daily affirmation for me. A reminder to keep going and do what I love.”