9th Wonder Preps Asylum Debut The Wonder Years

 •  XXL Magazine  •  by XXL Staff  •  16 Comments

Producer 9th Wonder is preparing for the January 29 release of his new LP The Wonder Years on Asylum Records. A follow up to The Dream Merchant 2, which dropped in October, 9th’s new project is intended to connect with an audience he feels is being neglected by current trends in hip-hop. The Wonder Years will unite some of today’s top R&B artists with some of the best MC’s in the game in an effort to reach an older, more mature listener. “You’re going to get some younger people who will enjoy this, but my main demographic is women who have careers, women who like to sit in the house and relax as they listen to it. My album is not for the club. A lot of women my age don’t go out, because they don’t like the music being played. I want my album to be played in the beauty salon or a Coach bag store just as much as anywhere.” 9th describes the new album as an expansion of his sound with bigger sounding beats, and elements of classic R&B with a current twist. The Wonder Years includes guest appearances from Talib Kweli, Q-Tip, Mos Def, Little Brother, Erykah Badu and Teedra Moses. “With this album I’m not only defining myself, but I’m defining people in my age group. There’s no music that suits them wholeheartedly, you either have young for the young or old for the old. You still want to hear Hip-Hop, but you want Hip-Hop that’s your age.”

Tags:

  • Blazin

    damn this is gonna be a fly ass record. good lookin out. I’m a guy but I love this type of shit yo

  • http://www.hoodgrownonline.com Cartel

    Yeah I’m still playing Dream Merchant 2

    Cartel

    HOODGROWN MAGAZINE – A Different Kind Of Hip Hop Magazine
    http://www.hoodgrownonline.com

  • Latino Heat

    co-sign shit should be hot.

  • sATaLyte

    Who really knows what in the hell women want? I hope he’s spot on with this because women in his age group (late 20′s early thirties?) still just as finnicky when it comes to rap music.

    I might be steering clear of this one, anything aimed directly at women is definitely a no-go in my department.

    “I want my album to be played in the beauty salon or a Coach bag store”
    ^^
    Wow.

  • http://adsad DJ bobcat

    Yeah, whatever.. I’ve never heard one good record from this Fruity Loops using moron – his beats sound like they were mixed by a 10-year, this guy needs to go back to music school or something and learn how to mix a record.

  • stoneyisland

    It’a about time somebody with a conscience has the balls to do what 9th is about to do. 99% of this so called rap shit I wouldnt play around or in front of my mother, grandmother or any self respecting woman. Kudos 9th, I am buying your shit soon as it hits the store……..

  • Romare Basquiat

    The most underserved demo within the hip-hop landscape is also the most well funded… The reason for the downturn in sales within the industry does not rest soley on piracy but the lack of agressive marketing… Target marketing aimed at the ever growing population of working adults who grew up within the culture… ie women and men with jobs who wouldn’t dream of playing a Shop Boys record let alone buying one…. Classic records which embody a certain sophistication… That “classic” sound… It doesn’t have to appeal strictly to the “hipster” set so to speak but it must have that thing that makes it hip-hop… Trying to sell “classic” artists from AZ and Nas to newcomers like LB, Lupe, and Joell Ortiz (& the like) to the same people who would by a D4L record is asinine… We as a culture and a people for that matter are not monolithic and far too often our dollar is undervalued and underserved by marketers… It’s ultimately up to the artist to the artist to navigate his or her product to the right demo… 9th has the right idea… ask Tyler Perry those chics spend cake!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • gamma

    man fuck you dj slobcat fruity loops go hard and 9th has a ear for music that only dre and the riza have why does everybody hate on here i have different opinions sometimes but damn yall just plain hate grow up!

  • THEGOD

    nigga fuck fruity loops 9th wonder that nigga. i don’t care what he uses. and he is nasty with the samples. has a great ear. man check out break my heart by LB matter fact one night stand by Lloyd Banks…pure crack to be a simple loop. i’m lookin forward to this

  • http://www.xxlblocktalk.com/PreZZure PreZZure ((13))

    9th Wonder is hands down one of the top 10 producers out now that make actual hip-hop tracks not them ringtone rap jingles…He makes ground breaking music that has soul in it unlike the rest of his peers…Wonder Years will most definately be somethin worth purchasing

  • julie

    as the owner of a vagina i can say one thing for sure, you will never make an album that will appeal to female hiphop heads by trying to make some shit for the beauty shop or the coach bag store. that’s not where i spend my life and the superficial hoes that do stay there aint trying to hear no 9th wonder.

    • http://www.xxlmag.com Bitch Smacka

      Shut up bitch, wtf do you know? All you hoes care about is superficial shit and money. Or would you rather listen to some Lil Kim? Wanna make my sprite can disapear in yo mouff bitch? Dosent matter what you like to hear, like you control the radio or some shit, you’ll be like that trife bitch in Baby Boy, havin your man ownin your shit. Bitch I’ll smack you. Never comment again, scum cunt.

      • julie

        i’m not trying to control the radio, son. i’m commenting on the ill advised decision to try to appeal to women by making music which conforms to base stereotypes. the rest of your ignorant ass diatribe i’ll choose to ignore because your anger obviously comes from going a long ass time not getting any pussy. you don’t have to hate all of us just cause you can’t get none, baby.

        • Jay

          Julie 9th is really talking about make chill mode music for his age group. What real women you know that is 25-40 that still listens to gangsta rap or in the club drop lock and pop it? He wants to make music that we both can enjoy as we are growing older not no mid life crisis music with niggas in their 2nd childhood. Thats what he means in a beauty shop or a coach bag store.

  • stoneyisland

    julie says:

    as the owner of a vagina i can say one thing for sure, you will never make an album that will appeal to female hiphop heads

    Hey Jules Apache called he said bring your gangsta bitch ass home:) to say that female hiphops heads only want hardcore, smack a bitch upside the head music is stupid as fuck ma. And judging by the contempt against sisters who want their hair looking nice you must be one of them Rutger basketball playing nappy headed hoes:)

  • http://www.xxlmag.com EReal

    Why make a record for the bitches? Mehhh. Whatev, 9th is that dude, but WTF?