Description
“Sunny Day In Harlem” is the debut release by rap group Alphabet Soup from New York City, NY. Released in 1991 by Akirfa Recordings, Inc., the EP is available on both cassette tape and vinyl formats. Showcasing a conscious hip-hop style, the record features four tracks that offer meaningful lyrics and innovative beats.
The tracklist includes “Sunny Day In Harlem,” “Uncle Sam—1st Draft,” “Girl You Got A Grip,” and “The Resurrection Of Gertrude.” Alphabet Soup, originally known as the “Clan from the Planet of Egypt,” changed its name following the addition of Yasin Gregg (a.k.a. Brother Love) to the group. The name Alphabet Soup symbolizes the combination of words (alphabet) and music (soup) that the group delivers in their EP.
The EP was recorded and mixed at I.N.S. Studios in NYC. Producers and arrangers Brother Love and Yasin Gregg worked on the tracks, while Winston Rosa served as the engineer. Melkuan provided the scratches for the record, enhancing its raw hip-hop sound.
Although Alphabet Soup only released one EP under this name, the group later changed its name again to “Head Rush” (mistakenly spelled as Hed Rush on the compilation “Giant Steps, Vol. 1”). Despite their brief existence under the name Alphabet Soup, “Sunny Day In Harlem” remains a noteworthy contribution to the conscious hip-hop genre.
