In retrospect, J Dilla's Ruff Draft EP sounds like a transition disc bridging the relatively straightforward beat mastery of his Pharcyde, A Tribe Called Quest, and Slum Village collaborations with the trippy, expansive experimentation of his work on Donuts and Jaylib's Champion Sound. In other words, Ruff Draft marks the beginning of the Stones Throw phase of Dilla's career, so it's poetically apt that the label Madlib built is giving Dilla's hard-to-find EP the deluxe re-issue treatment, along with a second disc of instrumentals. Dilla's intentionally rough, gritty solo outing explores an exhilarating homemade basement aesthetic encompassing everything from a child crooning Slade to a left-field Talking Heads homage. The result is one of hip-hop's few essential EPs. Dilla fans should also be on the lookout for Stones Throw's forthcoming double-disc reissue of Champion Sound. Fresh!… A-
Armchair hip-hop historians should also check out Ultimate Force's I'm Not Playin' (Strong City), a previously unreleased Golden Age-era album from a super-duo made up of rapper Master Rob and producer/DJ/future hip-hop heavyweight Diamond D. The ingratiatingly dated pop-culture references come fast and furious, Diamond D's production is adventurous and dense, and Master Rob's lighthearted rhymes are complemented on two songs by a squeaky-voiced teenager named Fat Joe who sounds like he lives in fevered anticipation of the day his voice will finally break. Dope!… B+
Kanye West jokingly name-dropped DJ Jazzy Jeff as the Andrew Ridgeley to Will Smith's George Michael, but Jeff has nevertheless earned the respect of underground hip-hop heads as a sought-after producer, DJ, and mini-mogul. Jeff earned accolades for his stellar contribution to BBE's Beat Generation series, The Magnificent. Now comes Return Of The Magnificent (Rapster), the rare sequel that tops its predecessor. Jeff has toned down The Magnificent's heavy R&B and dance elements in favor of straightforward hip-hop, courtesy of promising newcomers like Twone Gabz and Kel Spencer and ringers like J-Live, Rhymefest, Jean Grae, Method Man, C.L. Smooth, and Big Daddy Kane, as well as a non-musical cameo from a certain Oscar-nominated ex-partner of Jeff's. Jeff sustains a seductive, organic retro vibe throughout, and the guest performers all bring their A game. Dynomite! A-