Cohen Beats

Written by Yali Barkan

As kids, Tel Avivian Michael Cohen and his friends spent the weekends listening to their favorite rappers and producers from a small independent label in California called Stones Throw. Now, as his favorite label celebrates 20 years of existence, Michael got the chance to fulfill a childhood dream and sign with them as producer Cohen Beats.

Michael started his musical career on the microphone as part of the hip-hop trio Cohen@Mushon, alongside Michael Moshonov and Ori Shochat. Their latest album, Long Days, contains collaborations with rising stars in the Israeli hip-hop scene, such as Nechi Nech, and old school rock stars like Peter Roth.

Daily Affirmations is Cohen Beats’s first release with Stones Throw and it is a perfect fit for the label that paved the way for hip-hop producers such as Madlib and J Dilla. Its 22 tracks are packed with funky beats, amazing hooks and a beautiful mixture of samples from Israeli and American music.

Check out the Cohen Beats Soundcloud

Photo credit: Theo Jemison