Seven Grand
2007
Jazzmatazz Vol. 4: The Hiphop Jazz Messenger
About This Album
Although Guru's been putting out new editions in his Jazzmatazz series for almost 15 years now, none of the releases has gotten quite the same amount of acclaim as 1993's Vol. 1, which was one of the first examples, and certainly the best, of how actual live jazz could be used and mixed with hip-hop. He collected a wide selection of players and vocalists and ended up with what has been one of the most respected rap albums ever, with a trans-genre appeal that's been hard to match. Vol. 4 continues in this direction, though more often than not the jazzy horn breaks and piano grooves are replaced with more contemporary sounding beats. This isn't to say that the production's not good here (it's done entirely by a very skillful Solar), but it ventures into more straightforward hip-hop territory than most of the other volumes did. "Kissed the World," a witty anti-Bush track, uses a poppy piano line and synth strings, while "Stand Up (Somethings'll Never Change)" features Damien Marley and mixes Afro drum rhythms with Marley's reggae call. "Follow the Signs" is more guitar-based than any other song, and "Connection" has a smooth R&B feel.
Track List (try tracks 2,4,6,9,12 and 14)

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