Tuxedo

Mayer Hawthorne, the neo-soul singer and songwriter based in Los Angeles, teams with Seattle hip-hop producer Jake One to create the throwback funk duo Tuxedo. Drawing from the disco-funk sounds of 1970s and early-1980s acts such as Chic, Shalamar, and Zapp, the longtime friends captured those signature elements on their self-titled 2015 debut, a release aimed at parties. They stayed on that course with a follow-up album issued by Stones Throw in 2017, then delivered Tuxedo III in 2019 and Tuxedo IV in 2024 through their own Funk on Sight imprint.

Hawthorne and One exchanged mixtapes beginning in 2006, yet the Tuxedo project did not take formal shape until six years afterward. United by their shared appreciation for funk and disco from the Reagan years, the pair shaped the elastic synths and falsetto hooks of their debut single “Do It” in 2013 around those earlier influences. The three-song EP centered on that track quickly drew attention to the duo. While managing separate careers alongside the expanding Tuxedo catalog, they completed a full album that Stones Throw Records put out in early 2015. Following its release, Hawthorne and One pursued individual paths, as Hawthorne issued his fourth solo effort, Man About Town, in early 2016 while One produced tracks for artists ranging from Wale and Rick Ross to the Weeknd.

The musicians later reunited to craft another set of robo-funk and smooth R&B numbers, this time with contributions from Snoop Dogg and singer Gavin Turek. Stones Throw released Tuxedo II in March 2017. Two years afterward, Tuxedo III appeared, featuring an extensive roster of guests that included MF Doom, Benny Sings, and Dâm-Funk. Also in 2019, the previously issued tracks “Get the Money” featuring CeeLo Green and “Own Thang” featuring Tony! Toni! Toné! came out as part of Record Store Day. Hawthorne and One reconvened several years later, unveiling Tuxedo IV in 2024 after a few advance singles, among them the breezy “Back 4 More,” which echoed the 1982-1983 dancefloor R&B style.