Local Hip-Hop Duo FreshProduce Gets Collaborative on Its New Album
On the corner of E. 65th St. and Fleet Ave. in Cleveland’s Slavic Village stands Brittany’s Record Shop. On the inside, the walls are decorated with artwork from the likes of September Shy and Dakarai Akil. A shelf features more artwork along with some merch from local bands the Katy and Sink or Swim. In the back of the shop, Brittany “DJ Red-I” Benton and Samantha “Playne Jayne” Flowers sit, wrapping up the day’s loose ends. Together, the duo is known as FreshProduce.
Flowers is getting the specifics on a possible performance date, and Benton is putting the finishing touches on the layout for the cassette release of their latest album, Phases. A song by the S.O.S. Band, “High Hopes,” plays in the tape deck and is a perfect backdrop.
This release is the duo’s fourth album of original material and fifth release in total. Something is different this time around. The ladies took their time and also found themselves collaborating with other artists more than ever.
“Most of the other albums just seemed to come together out of nowhere or we’d have a few sessions and knock a whole album out,” Benton says. “In two years, we released three albums. With this one, it took like a year and a half. We started over several times to change the direction and themes.”
