Big Samir and Aja Black met at a good time.
As Samir was switching from performing with bands to a solo career, he and Aja were building a romantic relationship. Aja, also a poet and singer, and Samir found themselves building a musical relationship as well.
“I’d work on a song and she would add to it, or she would have something and I’d write a hook for it,” Samir said. “Before we knew it, we had 10 songs together. This wasn’t just a collaboration; we had a full project together.”
That project is named The Reminders, a hip-hop group that features old-school sensibilities and a strong infusion of soul into roots music. The group will perform Friday in Joplin in a concert presented by Connect2Culture.
With three full-length albums under its belt, the band has performed across the world and opened for acts such as Lauryn Hill, Big Boi, and Method Man and Redman. It has been featured in NPR’s Tiny Desk concerts.
The couple features diverse soundscapes without a lot of sampling — Samir and Aja usually start with a guitar and cajon before filling out a song. They do so without paying a lot of attention to whatever trends are dominant in hip-hop.
And because they are independently produced, they get the freedom to do just that.
“When we get the time to work on new music, we try not to think about what others have to say,” Samir said. “We just tap into our own energy.”
Samir said he and Aja have a process that builds layer after layer on the strengths of each other. While Aja falls back on her poetic sensibilities for lyrics and rhymes that fit the band’s philosophies, Samir builds on hooks that grow into melodies and songs.
That process has deepened as the band has traveled abroad and made music over the last decade. Its most recent album was inspired by Moroccan styles.
When on the road, they perform with producer Crl Crrll, and bring a high-energy presentation to their music.
The band also focuses on building writing skills. On Thursday, the band will lead a “Writing with Feeling” workshop that focuses on tapping into emotion and pushing past creative blocks.
“There are infinite directions a song can take,” Samir said. “Is it a song, a story, or whatever, and how do we get to that? We talk about how to dig deeper into it, and how to end up in a place where you have some direction.”
The workshop is part of an educational mission the band carries: They also lecture about the popularity of American music styles.
And the emphasis on writing fits perfectly into their emphasis on writing music. A more poetic approach gives them an uncommon perspective.
“You can tell when someone is more poetic because they live life in a more poetic way, deeper than what you see normally,” Samir said. “Some are content with what life gives, what the industry offers, but other people walk their own path.”