Sumach Ecks (born 1978), better known by his stage name Gonjasufi, is an American vocalist, producer, disc jockey, and yogi.

Life and career

Ecks was born in 1978 to a

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

mother and an American-Ethiopian father. He spent his formative years in

Chula Vista, California Chula Vista (; ) is the second-largest city in the San Diego metropolitan area, the seventh largest city in Southern California, the fifteenth largest city in the state of California, and the 78th-largest city in the United States. The popul ...

. Ecks got involved early on in the arts, playing

Helios In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, Helios (; grc, , , Sun; Homeric Greek: ) is the deity, god and personification of the Sun (Solar deity). His name is also Latinized as Helius, and he is often given the epithets Hyper ...

the Sun God in the opera ''Persephone''.Gimme5 Interview: Gonjasufi
In the early 1990s, he began releasing music within the

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

hip hop scene; notably with the Masters of the Universe crew. Touring under the stage names Sumach Valentine and Randy Johnson, his first band was called Plant Lyphe. Ecks gained notice from

Warp Records Warp Records (or simply Warp) is a British independent record label founded in Sheffield in 1989 by record store employees Steve Beckett and Rob Mitchell and record producer Robert Gordon.Southern, Richard (2003) "Label of Love: WARP", X-RAY, ...

in 2008 after an appearance on Californian musician

Flying Lotus Steven Ellison (born October 7, 1983), known by his stage name Flying Lotus or sometimes FlyLo, is an American record producer, DJ, filmmaker and rapper from Los Angeles. He is also the founder of the record label Brainfeeder. Flying Lotus h ...

' album ''

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

'', on which he sings on the track "Testament". His Warp debut album, ''

A Sufi and a Killer ''A Sufi and a Killer'' is the debut studio album by Gonjasufi (Sumach Ecks). It was released by Warp on March 8, 2010. The album was produced by Flying Lotus, The Gaslamp Killer, and Mainframe. Ecks said of the album: "I didn't want it to be too ...

'', was released March 8, 2010. Ecks' voice has been described by ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...

'' as "a scraggly, scary, smoked-out croak that creeps like the spiritual offspring of George Clinton and

Lead Belly Huddie William Ledbetter (; January 20, 1888 – December 6, 1949), better known by the stage name Lead Belly, was an American folk music, folk and blues singer notable for his strong vocals, Virtuoso, virtuosity on the twelve-string guita ...

". He attributes his singing style to his day job teaching yoga, where he was forced to learn how to "project from isstomach more". His music is largely experimental, fusing urban beats with

psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science ...

flourishes. Besides singing and rapping, Ecks also serves as a producer, DJ, and yoga teacher. On August 19, 2016, Gonjasufi released the album, ''

Callus A callus is an area of thickened and sometimes hardened skin that forms as a response to repeated friction, pressure, or other irritation. Since repeated contact is required, calluses are most often found on the feet and hands, but they may o ...

'', which featured contributions from

Pearl Thompson Pearl Thompson (born 8 November 1957 as Paul Stephen ThompsonChris Gerrard (2021)The Cure FAQ: All That’s Left to Know About the Most Heartbreakingly Excellent Rock Band the World Has Ever Known. Backbeat, ISBN 9781493053988, p. 155) is an E ...

Discography

Studio albums

* ''

'' (2010) * '' MU.ZZ.LE'' (2012) * ''

'' (2016)

Remix albums

* ''

The Caliph's Tea Party ''The Caliph's Tea Party'' is a remix studio album by American musician Gonjasufi. The album was released on 4 October 2010 by Warp label. The album is a complete reworking of his debut album ''A Sufi And A Killer'' released earlier the same yea ...

'' (2010) * ''

Mandela Effect In psychology, a false memory is a phenomenon where someone recalls something that did not happen or recalls it differently from the way it actually happened. Suggestibility, activation of associated information, the incorporation of misinformat ...

'' (2017)

EPs

* ''The Ninth Inning EP'' (2011) * ''Untitled'' (2013) (split with

Ras G Gregory Shorter Jr. (December 11, 1978 – July 29, 2019), better known by his stage name Ras G, was an American record producer and DJ from Los Angeles, California. He was a co-founder of the record label Poo-Bah Records and was also associated ...

)

Singles

* "Holidays" b/w "Candylane" (2009) * "Kowboyz&Indians" b/w "My Only Friend" (2010) * "Kobwebz" b/w "Speaketh" (2010) * "Nickels and Dimes" (2010) * "Ninth Inning" (2011) * "The Blame" (2012)

Guest appearances

– "Testament" from ''

'' (2008) *

The Gaslamp Killer William Benjamin Bensussen (born November 7, 1982), better known by his stage name The Gaslamp Killer, is an American alternative hip hop producer and DJ based in Los Angeles, California. Career He grew up in San Diego, California, where he bec ...

– "I'm in Awe" from ''Death Gate'' (2010) * Humansuit – "Lawnmower Man" from ''Humansuit'' (2012) * The Gaslamp Killer – "Veins" and "Apparitions" from '' Breakthrough'' (2012) * Old English – "The Omen" from ''Band in Amerikkka'' (2013) * Perera Elsewhere – "Giddy" from ''Everlast'' (2013) *

Awol One Anthony Martin, better known by his stage name Awol One, is an alternative hip hop artist and graphic designer based in Los Angeles, California. Discography Albums Awol One * ''Souldoubt'' (2001) (with Daddy Kev) * ''Number 3 on the Phone'' (2 ...

& Gel Roc – "Flight" from ''The Cloaks'' (2014) * Dag Savage – "Bad Trip" from ''E & J'' (2014) *

The Bug "The Bug" is a song written by Mark Knopfler and originally performed by Dire Straits on the final studio album by the band, ''On Every Street'' (1991). It was covered by Mary Chapin Carpenter in 1992, and also recorded on the albums ''Blues Ba ...

– "Save Me" from '' Angels & Devils'' (2014) * L'Orange &

Mr. Lif Jeffrey Haynes (born December 28, 1977), better known by his stage name Mr. Lif, is an American rapper from Boston, Massachusetts. While being praised because of his political lyrics, he has released two studio albums on Definitive Jux and one ...

– "Strange Technology" from ''The Life & Death of Scenery'' (2016) * The Gaslamp Killer – "Good Morning" from ''Instrumentalepathy'' (2016) * A7pha – "Hater Hate It" from ''A7pha'' (2017)

References

External links

* * {{Authority control American hip hop musicians American people of Ethiopian descent American musicians of Mexican descent 1978 births Living people Warp (record label) artists People from Chula Vista, California Musicians from San Diego African-American male rappers Hispanic and Latino American musicians 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American people