Eli 'Paperboy' Reed is in town to play the Cat's Cradle tonight in Carrboro. He's on tour supporting his new release "99 Cent Dreams" out now on Yep Roc Records. The project was recorded in Sam Phillips' studio and sounds like vintage Memphis soul. Reed says when he was working in the studio he could feel the legacy of the soul, R&B and gospel Phillips produced there in the 50s and 60s. "This is the kind of music that I love to make and the kind of music that I've always loved."
Reed has been picking up fans along the way. The band came to Chapel Hill a day early and recorded a couple of songs in the WUNC Music studios that will be released on the WUNC Music VuHaus page. After the studio session, he said they were going to meet up for a cookout with hip hop legend Big Daddy Kane.
"He actually lives in this area now," says Eli 'Paperboy' Reed. "Big Daddy Kane reached out to me via Instagram of all places. He said he was a fan. He put up a post saying I was one of his favorite singers."
Reed says he was floored when he got the message from Big Daddy Kane.
"I grew up listening to his records. I love hip hop, I have forever. And so I reached out to him and when it was time to make the record I left some space for him to do his thing. I feel like his verse adds so much to the feeling about what this song (“99 Cent Dreams”) was supposed to be about. There's a chance that he might make an appearance at the Cat's Cradle tonight."
Eli 'Paperboy' Reed and his band perform tonight at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSitRPiZBV4&list=RDBSitRPiZBV4&start_radio=1
