Van Hunt - The Fun Rises, The Fun Sets. (2015)

Van Hunt, a Dayton, Ohio-born musician, made his way to Atlanta where he drew acclaim for his production efforts and crafty songwriting, featured on recordings by such diverse artists as Dionne Farris, Rahsaan Patterson, and Cree Summer as well as the platinum-selling soundtrack, Love Jones. His own self-titled debut album arrived in 2004, instantly establishing Hunt as a distinctive and original talent with its idiosyncratic melding of R&B, neo-soul, funk, pop, and rock n roll. Hunt received a 2005 Best Urban/Alternative Performance Grammy nomination for his breakthrough hit single, Dust that was featured on his debut album. On The Jungle Floor followed two years later, highlighted by the single, Character, as well as by a surprising cover of Iggy Pop & James Williamsons Kill City classic, No Sense Of Crime. In 2007, Hunt received a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals, honouring Family Affair, a collaboration with John Legend and Joss Stone found on the 2006 Sly & The Family Stone tribute album, Different Strokes For Different Folks. Hunts third album, Popular, was slated for 2008 but remains officially unreleased. Nevertheless, the album has become an underground sensation, a classic lost album hailed by LA Weekly as a left-field stunner for its trippy fusion of funk grooves, punk guitar and soul vocals.