Quakers

Quakers are an underground hip-hop collective helmed by producers Fuzzface (Geoff Barrow of Portishead), 7STU7, and Supa K (formerly known as Katalyst), along with dozens of guest rappers from around the world. Matching gritty, nearly psychedelic beats with verses from a wide array of emcees, the project made its debut with an acclaimed self-titled full-length in 2012. After a lengthy absence, Quakers returned in 2020 with their second album. Barrow founded Quakers with Stuart Matthew (7STU7) and Ashley Anderson (Supa K), two producers associated with his Invada Records label, which has branches in both Australia and the U.K. With the help of Stones Throw's Peanut Butter Wolf, the trio assembled 35 members to contribute to Quakers' 41-track debut, including an assortment of talented underground rappers, golden-age hip-hop veterans, and a wealth of fellow Stones Throw artists. Following a teaser for "Fitta Happier," a quirky single that infused lyrics by MED and Guilty Simpson with a marching band performance of Radiohead's "Optimistic" and "The National Anthem," Quakers was released in spring of 2012. The project re-emerged eight years later, first with a 50-track instrumental beat tape titled Supa K: Heavy Tremors. Then in November of 2020, the more politically informed II: The Next Wave arrived, featuring appearances by the Koreatown Oddity, Sampa the Great, Jeremiah Jae, and several Detroit rappers, including Boog Brown and Denmark Vessey. ~ Jason Lymangrover & Paul Simpson, Rovi