In the first installment of a four-part conversation, executive producer Rhasun “Sun” looks back on the anthology’s beginnings, explains how he built its 20th anniversary edition, and shares the story behind its track list.
For Rhasun better known as “Sun,” BLAKTRILOGY Vol. 3 is more than a collection of tracks. It marks a new but final chapter in a story that began in 2006, when him and his cousin Khalil sold the first BLAKTRILOGY album from the trunk of a 2001 Black Lincoln Navigator wrapped with BLAKTRILOGY Vol. 1 OUT NOW. “We started in South Jersey in Camden then Philly then Trenton the went down South to Deleware, Maryland and Virginia and hustled thousands of units at $10 an album or two (2) for $15”. We was hustlin’.
Exactly two decades later, Sun is the founder and CEO of Dominion Hill Records. After securing a deal with Koch Records in 2008, then Select – O – Hits in 2011, he
merged his previous two labels into a new brand and a new phase in 2023 known as Dominion Hill Records who releases its masters through Roc Nation Distribution since 2023. Now, as Dominion Hill presents the third and final chapter of the BLAKTRILOGY anthology, Sun is reflecting on the people, places, and experiences behind the project.
In this first part of a four part interview, we sat down with Sun as he shared the 20th anniversary album’s track list and spoke about what the project means to him as an executive producer.
“This 20th anniversary album isn’t thirteen records randomly added to a track list,” Sun says. “It’s a soundtrack to my life, from the early ’90s through the 2000s.” There was specific contributions from each artist and producer that came together like a movie.
His brother Supreme joined the project as co-executive producer, a role that reflects a partnership built over years. “Supreme put me on to the music business in the ’90s,” Sun says. “When I got my own opportunities, I returned the equality. That’s how we work. That’s always been the loyalty and the brotherhood.
We asked Supreme why he decided to co- executive produce the album?
“I co-executive produced Blaktrilogy 3 because the project represents years of brotherhood, trust, and good business built through business ties we have had through the years. Sun and I go back to the ’80s, we started collaborating with music during the 90s. Since then, we’ve continued to support each other and create opportunities. I came on to help bring artists and producers together, contribute my experience, and make sure the album reflected the history and loyalty behind it-as brothers and business partners”. Supreme
Building the final chapter
We asked Sun how he chose the artists and producers who would help shape the third BLAKTRILOGY album. As he adjusted the tilt of his hat, marked with the Paper Planes logo, he addressed the challenge of bringing a wide-ranging roster together while keeping the album cohesive.
“I have a unique process,” he says. “I start with one record that I ask to be recorded with a specific flow and content. Then I add a skit, intro, or outro, and build the album from those elements. The verses may come together randomly, but the album as a whole is a storyline, and each beat has to flow into the next.”
That approach began with “87 Daytona,” featuring Sadat X, Sun, and G Money, alongside C Wise on the intro. Sun describes “87 Daytona” as the concept record that gave him the vision for the album. From there, he built the rest of the project around the song and the opening contribution.
“Unfortunately, there were a few artists and a producer I wanted to add, but deadlines and the flow of the album didn’t allow it,” he says. “I was blessed to have my brother George Manson (G Money) on ‘87 Daytona,’ featuring myself and Sadat X of Brand Nubians.” Yo their debut album “One for All” stayed in rotation In the Daytona.
The record also connects two places that have shaped Sun’s life and career. “‘87 Daytona’ was the street era and my connection between New York and Ohio,” Sun says.
“The intro represented a key point in my transition from Ohio to Jersey City. C Wise played a role in keeping me sharp and showing me a different way of living mathematics”.
For Sun, that personal history is central to the meaning of the anthology. “BLAKTRILOGY is a metaphor for a path chosen,” he says. “All the moving parts represent a moment in time, a reflection of the past brought to life in a storyline. We all come together for one common
BLAKTRILOGY VOL. 3
1-“Intro” — C Wise
Produced by Tone Fultz
2-“The Joker” — Hoffa feat. DJ Kay Slay Produced by Manuel Miller Sr.
3- “Project Kallin” — Shogun Assason Produced by Jamol Alexander
4- “Armageddon” — Solomon Childs Produced by Manuel Miller Sr.
5- “Collect Call” — Killa Sin feat. Hoffa Produced by Stevan Wilson
6- “Now Why” — Manny Divine feat. Solomon Childs
Produced by Manuel Miller Sr.
7- “Get Money” — UUU Tang Mask Man Produced by Anthony Coonen
8- “Real Hustle” — L-Heckto H-Donuts feat. Hoffa Produced by Joshua Carmine
9- “No Witnesses” — DJ Flipcyide feat. Mickey Factz, Bizz the Prince and Inspectah Deck Produced by Andy Gonzales
10- “Rapid Ascent” — Joe Spech feat. Taliifah and Detin8 Produced by Gavin Williams
11- “Freddy Myers Syndrome” Hoffa Produced by Manuel Miller Sr.
12- Nixxas Gotta Rap” — Hoffa feat. Marquel Jeter l Produced by Stevan Wilson
13- “87 Daytona” — Sadat X feat. Sun and G Money
Produced by Tone Fultz
With its roster spanning collaborators from different eras and countries BLAKTRILOGY Vol. 3 brings Sun’s personal history into the present. The track list is the first part of that story; the next chapters will explore the people and moments behind the album in greater depth.
Blaktrilogy Vol.3 Available on 10/30 on all digital platforms.
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