Tag-team production crew The Opus performs

Tag-team production crew The Opus performs

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For nearly two decades, music producers Kevin Johnson and Aaron Smith have been joined at the hip-hop intersection of beats and samples. They started out in Rubberoom- one of the best-known crews of the 1990s. But just as Rubberoom was breaking big, financial realities and personal adversities derailed the band. Fortunately Johnson and Smith were already developing their production team, The Opus. As producers, they go by Mr. Echoes and the Isle of Weight, respectively.

Friday night they perform at Dre Day, a hip-hop showcase at the Double Door in Wicker Park honoring the work of hip-hop legend Dr. Dre.

The Opus performed all hour for Eight Forty-Eight and sat down with host Alison Cuddy to talk about their journey as part of the DJ Series: A Spinning Season. Their latest album, Praying Mantis-Plus, is out now.

Complete list of music during The Opus segment:
Music Button played before segment: The Opus, “Save Me (Void Pedal Remix)”, The Save Me Remix Project

First song performed live:
The Opus, “Constellation Nine”, originally appears on Praying Mantis-Plus

Music played during interview:
Rubberoom, “Born”, Architechnology
Public Enemy, “Brothers Gonna Work It Out”, Fear of a Black Planet
The Opus, “Serpent’s Fruit”, Praying Mantis-Plus
The Opus, “Praying Mantis”, Praying Mantis-Plus
Rubberoom, “Architechnology 9”, Architechnology

Second song performed live:
The Opus, “Eons”, originally appears on Praying Mantis-Plus