Pete Rock - Cosmic Slop (Petestrumentals 2)

Mello Music Group has in a very short time established themselves as the hitmakers of the day for independent conscious Hip Hop.  Much of this has to do with the label founders and their philosophy of paying a living regular wage to their artists instead of soon-to-be-blown advances (which must be repaid against earnings).  Using this philosophy of remuneration they have managed to dominate a string of spring releases from Drew Dave's Synthbased to Red Pill's Look What The World Did To Us. Signing the indomitable Open Mike Eagle to a two record deal beginning with the most intelligent Hip Hop release of 2014 Dark Comedy.  Meanwhile, former Little Brother progenitor, Rapper Big Pooh released Words Paint Pictures echoing the conscious midwest sound of his brethren including legendary albums such as Elzhi's (Black Milk produced The Preface from 2008).

But finding a home for one of the Big Four of sample based producers like Pete Rock for his Petestrumentals 2 (due June 23) was a true coup d'etat.  Petestrumentals 2 is actually the third installment of Pete's Beat Generation series which he updated to respond in kind to Jay Dee's (aka J Dilla's) landmark Welcome to Detroit album. 

Rapper Big Pooh - Augmentation

Augmentation is the lead cut off former Little Brother member Rapper Big Pooh's new Words Paint Pictures EP .  Augmentation is produced by Apollo Brown whose 38 did well for the Mello Music Label and whose thumbprint, like braintrust Oddissee, can be felt all over the labels various releases.

Words Paint Pictures definitely has the Mid West and Detroit sound that Little Brother and Pooh are known for.  The album has that brainy feel of Elzhi and has the heft of his seminal album The Preface.

At points its a fairly dense political statement:

Cointelpro, they infiltrated the crew
Then throw us in a jail operated like a zoo 
I'm just reminding you of things we already knew 
From that project concrete, a rose grew
But we only we the weeds in our view

Oddissee - CounterClockwise (video)

Requiem - Oddisee & Phonte (Persona - Mello Music Group compilation 2015)

Requiem is the lead track off the phenomenal label compilation from Mello Music Group entitled Persona.  Were this a lesser label full of lesser artists undoubtedly this release would quickly become part of the background noise and dust bunnies accumulating in the expanding/collapsing musical universe.  Mello Music Group is a constant.  Quality, Consciousness and Intelligence are their mandate.  Admittedly this shouldn't be so revolutionary in Hip Hop (admittedly Common fucked the 'genre' for micro-ages).

It's safe to say that Oddissee, who has made a name for himself on a handful of his own releases, production moves, but mostly as the braintrust behind the groundbreaking (second) Diamond District release March On Washington (along with yU and XO) is the bald wizard behind the curtain.

Requiem is an interesting opener though. Oddissee, deeply akin to producer Phonte (of the influential mid-west group Little Brother)  who is known for his phenomenal ear for soul and unique sample flips echoes the Detroit sound as championed by J Dilla, Black Milk and younger producers like Denmark Vessey.  Every hip hop reviewer hears something Dilla in the Requiem cut but its likely owing to laziness or vague ancestral sample memories (more likely lazy cellphone search engine research).  Admittedly a track was released in 2012 on Rebirth of Detroit credited to J Dilla and Allan Barnes entitled Requiem.  More recognizably Dilla, born James Yancey, samples Requiem on one of his more popular Unreleased Instrumentals Trashy.  But Trashy bares little resemblance to Requiem except perhaps in spirit.  As to who Oddissee is sampling in the opening bars and throughout that remains a minor mystery for a hot minute.  You know it though. Or you think you do.

For what it's worth later at the midpoint of the release Oddissee delivers Word To The Wise which samples indelibly - if you like - the original sample of (You) Got What I Need  by Freddie Scott as recalled through Biz Markie's Just A Friend. Slick.

Open Mike Eagle - Dark Comedy Late Show lyrics

Read “Dark Comedy Late Show” by Open Mike Eagle on Genius

other articles on Open Mike Eagle: Dark Comedy review

Drew Dave - Everything's Gonna Be Alright

Three months into the year 2015 and Mello Music Group has come out with a staggering array of full-on hit releases.  While Drew Dave's SynthBased is not necessarily the best of them Everything's Gonna Be Alright drops the (Uptight) from Stevie Wonder's vernacular tune and gives us a Korg gem handily the best track on the outing.