Earl Davis (born June 8, 1984), known professionally as Damu the Fudgemunk, is an American hip-hop producer, multi-instrumentalist, DJ, and rapper from Washington, D.C. Damu is a member of the groups Y Society and Panacea, and he co-owns and operates Redefinition Records.

Career

Davis was raised by two musician parents, and he began making beats in his teens. His official debut album was with Y Society, a duo project with rapper Insight; the record, Travel at Your Own Pace, was released by Tres Records in 2007. The album is reminiscent of true-school hip-hop with its liberal use of jazz, soul samples, and scratching. In 2008, Damu released two free albums primarily composed of instrumental music, titled Spare Time and Overtime. He developed a fan base through his YouTube videos and live street performances around Washington, DC, and New York City, using a portable electricity generator to power his sampler and speakers. Damu co-owns and operates the vinyl/cassette-enthusiast label Redefinition Records, through which he also releases the bulk of his own music. In 2019, he collaborated with Raw Poetic and legendary jazz saxophonist Archie Shepp on the improvised album Ocean Bridges, which he released on his label the following year. In January 2020, Damu visited the London KPM music library, renowned for a collection that has been sampled by artists including MF Doom and Jay-Z. Damu was invited as the first artist to be featured on the Def Pressé / KPM Crate Diggers series, an initiative to release records extensively featuring samples from the library; his work with material from the archives resulted in the album Conversation Peace.

Discography