“The Wake Up Re-Call” first existed in the form of a slow and solitary instrumental from Starita and Trent Park released in 2021, “The Wake Up Call”, and was transformed by Starita’s friend and collaborator, Otis McDonald, earlier this year. “It is unbelievable what Otis did with the record. I never could have imagined it would evolve into this.” McDonald recharged the record, infusing swing and breaks, making it into a Slum Village-esc, soulful hip hop instrumental track, which then went to DJ Rasta Root, longtime manager to Phife Dawg, who invited Illa J, Zay, and NicX verses in.
The collaboration for the song grew from seeds planted over the last decade, through DJ Rasta Root, within the same recording sessions that immortalized Phife’s final lyrics. The music video, fittingly, came to life in a packed club in Atlanta at a listening party for Phife’s posthumous solo album, released in March. Rasta Root granted Starita and McDonald permission to film “The Wake Up Re-Call” music video at the listening party– an anecdote to the cycle of Hip Hop, which doesn’t doesn’t die; it has the gift of resurgence.
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VIDEO CREDITS
Director - DJ Rasta Root
Cinematography - Tam Starita, Tony Reames, Maria Jara
Editor - Tony Reames
SONG CREDITS
Producer - Otis McDonald
Mix Engineer - Joe Bagale
Mastering Engineer - Joe Bagale
Engineers - Joe Bagale, Dion Liverpool, Michael Starita, Ryan Dieudonne, Alex Reid, Xarius Hampton
Songwriters - John Yancey, Xarius Hampton, Byron Nichols, Jr., Joe Bagale, Michael Starita, Joshua Redden
Vocals - Illa J, Zay Bcuz, NicX
Vocal Sample - Trent Park
Guitar Sample - Robin Applewood
ARTIST LINKS
@Starita Music Official
Subscribe to Starita: http://youtube.com/staritamusicofficial
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3CvyhLQwd4Fsmt6Nc2gXVH?si=TlrJ4pmSQGiOj3Ys4v4mlA&nd=1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/staritamusic
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/staritamusic
Website: http://staritamusic.com
@Otis McDonald
Subscribe to Otis: https://www.youtube.com/otismcdonaldtv
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4Ps1M3A9ck9G3gbPjllg7T?si=ptYFt-RPT-u_kfs57IWphQ&nd=1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/otismcdonald/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/otismacmusic
Website: https://www.otismacmusic.com/
@IllaJ
Subscribe to Illa J: https://www.youtube.com/user/MrJOHNREGAL
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/illajyanceyboy/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/illajmusic
Website: https://www.illa-j.com/
@Zay Bcuz
Subscribe to Zay Bcuz: https://youtube.com/channel/UCOdZfEKCj9hMJaIkNuQAvPw
Instagram: instagram.com/zaybcuz
Facebook: Facebook.com/zaybcuz
@NicX
Subscribe to NicX: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChyzGjVxC35HPePuq1oe_qQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicxnation/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NicXnation

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