Project Lionheart -- Veterans of the Scene, Real Musicians, and Passionate Performers

It's a strange irony that I write an article about Project Lionheart. Irony because the intertwines that brought me to write this article is prodigy of Seattle's almost incestual music scene, and its ability to come full circle in the strangest ways. Irony because not only do I know the band personally, I have been a peer, friend and fan before the group emerged like a phoenix back in 2008. Irony because I have seen this band pay dues, fight fights, and lay the groundwork for the musical foundation that exudes what Project Lionheart is about. Irony because I normally do not write about bands I'm friends with, but this is an exception... I know this band, they are a part of a musical family here in Seattle, and this is what I know.

My first impression of frontman Caleb Cunningham and Jerod Keith (bass) was in a group called Mob Law, which was a rock/rap/roots/reggae mix that had a large steady following for several years. TJ Berry (guitar) helped fill out the sound a couple years later. It didn't matter what day of the week they were playing, the house was always packed. The group dissolved in 2007, but Project Lionheart was already in full developmental swing. In only a matter of months, Caleb, Jerod and TJ were back on stage peeling a whole new set of material.

Caleb was still playing drums and spitting lyrics from behind the kit, but eventually found drummer (Jason Bohl) to beat sticks so he could focus on the stage show. In the meantime, the buzz of the project was all over the city. Their reputation (from previous groups) had preceded them, and brought an anticipated level of both old and new friends and fans.

For Caleb, it seems the show wasn't just about hip-hop culture. The live instrumentation and PL's level of stage performance demanded more than just a backing DJ spinning tracks. Having studied percussion for several years with masters in Senegal, West Africa, he brought his friend Gora Diop to the stage to play percussion with them. Blending his West African influence with his love for hip-hop, PL managed to develop a unique style that is authentic and genuine, mixing a cultural blend on stage and sharing it with the audience.

Their style caught the attention of a local hip-hop label, SOUND, that recently signed PL, and after hearing the EP, decided to help them rework and replace some of the tracks. The re-mastered EP, "The Art of Resistance Special Edition," is dated for release Oct. 6, 2009. Three of the new tracks are featuring; Canibus, Bronze Nazareth (Detroit) and Crooked I (Long Beach (Slaughterhouse), as well as a new single called Light up the Darkness. I highly recommend checking out their website at www.projectlionheart.com, the three tracks up are a foreshadow of the material yet to come.

Project Lionheart isn't just another hip-hop act trying to make it in Seattle's saturated market. They are veterans of the scene, real musicians, and passionate performers. Each person representing a piece of the group is a reflection of who they truly are, no image or front needed, they are humble in their own regard, and let the music and performance speak for itself. PL is a true representation of what it's like for artists to persevere past the patience to do what they love.

Seattle Music