The Pimps of Joytime, ZG Smith

When it comes to throwing a party, the Pimps of Joytime raise the bar with swagger to spare. Rhythms and textures drawn from New Orleans funk, 90s club house, 60s salsa and hip-hop all collide and fracture upon one another on their new LP, Jukestone Paradise. Dubbed raucous and captivating by Okayplayer, their album cuts play like the soundtrack for a ride through Brooklyns diverse neighborhoods, where the groups sound materialized. And the Pimps live experience only takes it higher.​Over the past decade, the groups grassroots following mobilized from the underground club scene in New York to sell out historic venues like the Fillmore in San Francisco and earn top billings at music festivals across the US and Europe. Quite simply, the Pimps dancefloor is magnetic. But word spreads to the wise when you pair high-caliber musicianship with melodies and beats that are as universally enticing as they are unconventional.​The Pimps of Joytimes first album High Steppin caught NPR off guard when it dropped in 2007, as its editors raved, It has it all: soul, funk, punk, afrobeat, rap. Ive not heard anything quite like it. The groups 2011 release Janxta Funk! extended their movement even further into the mainstream circuit, with the title track seeing more than 1 million plays on Spotify to date.​Guitarist and singer Brian J is the mastermind behind the Pimps evolving mosaic of mixes and remixes, producing all of the bands records as well as other solo records for New Orleans legend Cyril Neville and Corey Henry of Galactic. His genius is only elevated by bassist David Bailias, who doubles as DJ, subtly weaving EDM club beats and synth keys throughout the Pimps live show. Over top comes drummer John Statens funky break beats, which land in sync with the live percussion and siren-like vocals of Mayteanna Morales and Kim Dawson.​You might accurately call the them a post-genre band; a group whose soundeven within a single songmirrors the diversity of our generations musical tastes. It all goes into the Pimps soulful roux, built on a foundation of rhythm and groove.​