07/10/2022
I&I & .zero.records are in the process of re-issuing vinyl LPs (& CDs) for all 13 albums that Vaughn Benjamin recorded with I Grade, in reverse chronological order. Some have asked about the change in artist name on the pre-2015 album art, from “Midnite - I Grade” to “Akae Beka”. This was a decision made by Vaughn himself in 2019. In 2015, Vaughn Benjamin took a new name for his life works. In the Book of Enoch, chapter 69:13 speaks of an oath, with the names Akae and Beka, that was given to the archangel Michael so that he might "reveal all that was in secret to the children of men", a perfect description of the substance of Vaughn's musical and word-based mission. Enoch goes on to say that "through this oath, the earth was founded upon the water", giving light to the reality that revelations of word and knowledge are the very essence of creation. As the book of Genesis tells us, “In the beginning was the word." Vaughn's oath and life legacy are about singing and sharing words that can, through consequent thought and action, create new realities and possibilities for humanity. We honor this spiritual mission and oath, and we honor our beloved brother Vaughn Benjamin's wishes that re-issues of these works bear the name Akae Beka. 🙏🏾
