Acclaimed Northern Irish musician David Lyttle has shared the single 'I Thought You Knew', featuring legendary Detroit rapper Frank Nitt of Frank-n-Dank.

It’s the producer’s latest hip-hop offering in a prolific six months which has included the release of five beat tapes, a jazz album and an international tour.

In July, Lyttle shared his EP Bandit, which follows a “villain’s journey of love, reflection and regret”.

While primarily recognised as a jazz drummer, Lyttle is no stranger to high profile rap collaborations.

His 2012 album Interlude enlisted the services of Mercury-nominated Soweto Kinch and iconic ‘Soulquarian’ bassist Pino Palladino. 2015’s follow-up Faces saw him work alongside Talib Kweli.

Lyttle caught the attention of rapper Frank Nitt on Instagram recently and the pair immediately got to work on new music.

Nitt is best known for his work with Frank-n-Dank, performances with J Dilla, as well as an album with Madlib, Nittyville.

Frank Knitt.
Credit: Sami T

He was a permanent fixture at Dilla’s basement studio in Detroit, rubbing shoulders with visitors such as Eryka Badu, Common and Questlove.

“I’ve been into hip-hop even longer than I have jazz and when I first heard J Dilla and became spellbound by his rhythm, use of samples and the tone of his productions, I became almost the same kind of fanatic I am about jazz,” said Lyttle.

“Through Dilla I very quickly discovered Frank-n-Dank and I tested my first hip-hop beats using an acappella on a Frank-n-Dank 12 inch. I love Frank’s voice and flow and he’s part of American music history. It’s a real honour to have been able to collaborate with him.”