(Mush Records – can’t see a Cat. No.)

Newsgroups: uk.music.alternative
Date: Thu, 07 Dec 2000 15:13:52 +0000
Organization: Bzangy Groink

I just bought this taking a risk, never having heard of either Mr. Rock or Mush. I’m pleasantly surprised. I guess musically the tracks sound like Premier in terms of jazzness and starkness. But they’re not copies, they have their own style and ambience, mixing bizarre loops with naked 606 snares and low bass synths. The loops are all fresh and all, umm, pushed in different ways. Even if you recognise the source (for example, cheeky rips of Blade Runner), the way they’re integrated is original and not obvious. If anything, you want to hear more.

‘Breakfast with Blockhead’ is just a 36 second interlude but it’d make a killer track. Overall, the sound is very close, clean and bare. My fave track is ‘Skip Town’ because it’s the perfect mix of music and rapping. And the rapping is *good.* Unlike a lot of new hip hop, AR isn’t trying to sound at all Wu-Tang or Master P. There’s a lot of multi-line, fast, staccato rapping interspersed with slower, looser flows. Closest comparisons would be Masta Ace or perhaps Del. Buy this album if you like hip hop that’s trying to push ahead rather than copy success. Don’t buy it if you’re looking for another g thang.