Natural Born Leaders premiere two videos to rock you into the weekend

Local hip-hop/indie-soul collective Natural Born Leaders has been not-so-quietly making a name for itself on Asheville stages. And though this isn’t the first time one of the band’s videos has graced the Xpress homepage, these two new videos are debuting just in time for the weekend.

“No Woman No Cry” was recorded at Isis Music Hall as part of Philo’s album release party in December. The revisualized Bob Marley classic is underscored by Austin Haynes’ syncopated rapped verse and Michael Martinez’s warm growl. The band is joined onstage by Debrissa McKinney, Jonathan Santos and Melissa “Melody” Henry.

“The Now,” from the same show, is a fiercer offering, bolstering hip-hop with funk and soul. The saxophone, played by Ben Survant, is a star on this song. But every one of the Natural Born Leaders — Rex Shaffer on electric guitar, James Eddington on bass and Kevin Murtha on drums — puts their all into every performance, as evidenced by this intricate track.

No Woman No Cry

The Now

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About Alli Marshall
Alli Marshall has lived in Asheville for more than 20 years and loves live music, visual art, fiction and friendly dogs. She is the winner of the 2016 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize and the author of the novel "How to Talk to Rockstars," published by Logosophia Books. Follow me @alli_marshall

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