AG & Party Arty - "Gimme The Mic"

D.I.T.C. camp is on FIRE right now - we haven't had this much Diggin' projects lined up in years. This atonal piano banger called "Gimme The Mic" is dominated by AG's usual smooth punchlines and similies while the late Party Arty adds adlibs and a vaulted hype verse. Ray West does a great job with this joint as he was been accustomed too by now. Apparantly this is from an ucpoming album from the duo called "Live From The Balcony", set off by an OC track, and followed by eight additional songs shared between Party Arty and AG, all set to the tones of Ray West.

And of course in case you have missed it, AG, OC, Fat Joe, Showbiz and the guys have actually spent the last year in the new D.I.T.C. Studos (following the demolition of the old D&D) recordig a brand new abum - the first proper release from the crew since "Worldwide" in early 2000. I'm gonna wait to listen til' the full project is available but you can stream a good 19 minutes sampler and several singles over at their Soundcloud page. The physical project will be available to purchase from D.I.T.C.'s own website along with some nice hoodies and stuff - check it out.

[EP] RAY WEST Presents LORD TARIQ - "Uptown Suite"

 Making the "LUV NY" album I visited my man Ray West's Bandcamp I came across some really hot shit form lat year htat i initially missed due to the fact that I kind of lost interest in Hip Hop there for  a minute (in favor of Jazz). I said it before that when Ray West first came on to the scene with his production on AG's "Get Berries"  and some of the subsequent mixtapes. I really missed Showbiz and wondered why AG was allowing an (at the time) unknown and up and coming producer handle all the music on his records. "LUV NY" was a lot more impressive but the one LP that really, really swayed me was West's collaboration with ny favorite emcee, "Ray's Café". Still to this day it holds up as one of OC's best albums in recent years, and together with subsequent work on albums by John Robinson and P.80s I realized  that one of West's strongest talents is his ability to conform to his collaborator. This makes each Ray West album or EP a unique experience, and the same can be said about his four track suite with the legendary Money Bo$$ Player known as Lord Tariq. You can stream and buy the full album @ Red Apple's Bandcamp.

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RAY WEST Presents "LUV NY" (The ReIssue)

Ray West has undoubtedly been one of the most prominent producers in the Hip Hop underground for the last few years, supplying heat for full projects by John Robinson, Kool Keith, AG and OC as well as his LUVNY compilations. Back in 2014 he released a cassette called "The Snake Tape" exclusively on cassette, featuring emcees such as AG, Lord Tariq, L-Fudge, Kool Keith, Kurious and Dave Dar. The cassette featured selections from a compilation that a lot of heads unfortunately slept through on its initial release - "LUVNY" was originally marketed as the release of a super group of the same name, mentioning each featured artist (who appeared on a two song average) as a member of the crew. I personally see it more as a Ray West production album with the help of some dope emcees and close friends (Roc Marciano, AG, OC, Kool Keith, Kurious, Lord Tariq, etc.).

Both the original "Snake Chamer" and the "Snake Charmer Part 3" posted up top  (just posted to Dave Dar's YouTube channel) both appear on a new reissue of "LUV NY" pressed up on a new 2 180 grams vinyl set. Looking at the tracklist it looks as all the fat has been trimmed (as those remixes), and some strong new cuts. If you're a fan of rugged New York hip-hop, DITC, great lyrics and beats, be sure to order the 2xLP @ FatBeats ASAP. You can also stream the full alubm below. A big shout out to the homie Ray West!

RAY WEST & KOOL KEITH - "Runnin' The Field" (Ft. Cormega)

Ray West is probably one of the most prolific and hard working producer active in the underground field today. Having already laced countless EP:s and albums for New York royalty like AG, OC, John Robinson as well as the "Luv NY" compilation which featured Kool Keith, AG, Dave Dar, OC and Roc Marciano. Now West's beautiful combination of eclectic boom bap and smokey '70s jazz-fusion soul forms the platform for a collaboration with none other than the legendary Kool Keith, who is also keeping very busy as he almost simultaneously has released a full-length LP with producer L'Orange (you can stream and purchase the digital copy of that album @ Bandcamp now). The project is called "A Couple of Slices" and features 12 brand new tracks including guest cameos from AG, Cormega and Jesse West. The album drops via Red Apples label on October 30 and can be pre-ordered via iTunes now and will also be available in a limited edition box set featuring a T-Shirt, the album on vinyl, an exclusive 7" singles with additional tracks and a secret cassette of music (check it out @ FatBeats). Check out the two singles below - "Runnin' The Field" features Cormega, while "Destiny's Child" is the 3rd Eye collaboration. Dopeness!

[Mixtape] RAY WEST PRESENTS LUV NY Collective

In the summer of 2012 Red Apples 45 creator and super talented producer Ray West gathered a group of friends that also happens to be some of the dopest rappers New York City has to offer. The goal was for to produce a compilation of all new material with these emcees which included OC, AG, Kool Keith, Roc Marciano, Kurious, Dave Dar and Sean G. The result was "Luv NY", a project aimed at bringing back the essential vibe of early hip-hop from its birthplace of NYC. While the record definitely was dope it unfortunately didn't make that much noise, but now Ray West is back at it again, crafting fat instrumentals for AG, OC, Kool Keith, L The Fudge and the rest of the crew. "The LUV NY Collective" is somewhere between a mixtape and an album, there's nothing but original beats and rhymes, no DJ shouts or blends and nothing but full songs. There is however some previously released joints, remixes and skits but all in all it makes for a fascinating listen. Ray West keeps improving on his production and the spitters is just talent personified so don't sleep on this gem right here!

[Instrumental EP] RAY WEST + OC - "Ray's Café"

D.I.T.C. affiliated producer Ray West's underground label Red Apples 45 keeps dropping quality records from the Bronx. Mainly releasing great music in limited editions on cassette, vinyl LP:s, 12"s and 7"s and the occassional CD, mainly focusing on underground legends like AG, OC, Ray West, Roc Marciano, and John Robinson. Last year Ray West hooked up with one of my all time favorite emcees in Omar Credle for the jazz themed "Ray's Café", a ten track offering that made my countdown of the best albums of 2014. As excellent this project is and how immensely dope the chemistry between West's production and O's lyrical exercises it's a fun thing to hear the instrumental version of the thirteen track Deluxe Edition which really makes you appreciate the superbly crafted work Raya West put into this project. Stream the project for free below and cop a digital HQ version of the album @ RedApples45 Bandcamp.

AG - "Marcberri" [Vinyl Bonus Tracks]

AG's 2010 album "Everything's Berri" kind of threw me for a loop when I first heard it. The lyrics were all there as usual with one of the all time greats, but I was dissappointed with the sound at first as it was the first time I heard the D.I.T.C. legend go in without any of his D.I. brethren, or other intense outside producers such as Madlib, Dilla, E-Blaze, Jake One, and so on. This was the first time the world heard Ray West, and it definitely took some time to adjust to his somewhat unorthodox way of chopping samples and arranging songs, which is why I was initially dissappointed in "Everything's Berrii". However, as time has moved on, Ray West has become one of the main affiliated producers of the D.I. camp and as I said in my previous post, with each release he has came more into his own and his last two mini albums has been that STRAIGHT FIRE. And now going back and listening to the album that set it all off I realize that its a lot better than what I had first seen it, though it's not a masterpiece like A's albums with Show or West's later work with OC, AG and John Robinson and the LuvNY collective.

Originally released on CD only in 2010 by Fat Beats, not too long ago the label and the duo decided to press up a limited amount of vinyl runs for the project. This 2xLP set has a few tracks not featured on the original CD, and while I posted the extended "Marcberg" when the team released it as a single I just realized (again while doing the producer post below this one) that Ray West 45 @ Soundcloud had actually posted streams to all three exclusive songs in full. This was three months ago, but like I always say in these types of situation - better late than never, that's for damn sure! First out is the aforementioned "Marcberg" extended version, which is absolutely beautiful and makes me truly wonder why the hell it was cut short in the first place. The original album version used it as a kind of skit with only a fat but short Roc Marciano verse before cutting to the next song. Here Roc's verse are followed by a hook and an equally ill AG verse. Then you got another really crazy joint called "Buster's Train" that follows none other than Sadat X, and we all know that the X-Man and AG has a crazy chemistry together. The slow blues influenced joint that closes the sampler is a remix of "Infected", a song that appeared on the CD in its original format. If you're a vinyl head and haven't grabbed "Got Berries?" yet, be sure to do so from e.g. HHV (I can't find it at Fat Beats or UGHH which probably means it's sold out as it was a limited release). Oh well, at least you can hear the three extra tracks below and they are all fat!

RAY WEST Ft. BLU & DAVE DAR - "Stay Still"

The homie Ray West keeps bringing incredible hip-hop with his own original, unmistakable twist to the table, as every release on his label Red Apples 45 is pretty much just getting better and better with each drop. My personal favorite so far is the mini album he did with OC, "Ray's Café", followed by the John Robinson EP "Sample & Percussion" (click to stream both projects, respectively). For his new single and video, "Stay Still", West enlists Blu and Dave Dar for a nice summer vibe joint that feels just right! This banging joint is lifted from one of the many insane 7" extended plays that Red Apples 45 have dropped recently - you can grab "Berri Lipstick" EP @ iTunes now. Video premiered by OkayPlayer and was directed by Dave Dar and A.M. Fine.

RAY WEST Ft. BLU & DAVE DAR - "Stay Still"

NY producer, and D.I.T.C. affiliate, Ray West keeps dropping EPs, 7" singles and the ocassional album on his Red Apples 45 imprint and especially over the last few years he has really improved his skills. The laid back, jazz infused production gives a solid platform for Blu and Dave Dar to go in over. Don't sleep on this while you're waiting for the spring to come at us. Ray's slamming "Berrii Lipstick" EP is out now and also features apperances by AG and OC and can be streamed via Spotify below, before you order your copy @ RedApples45 where you can also still order two of last years finest EP:s - "Ray's Cafe" with OC and the Ray West/John Robinsion collabo callled "Sample & Percussion". The V/A 7" EP "Berrii Lipstick" is available now, and so is the highly recommended Robinsion EP which you can grab here here. You can stream both projects for free via Spotify below.

"Samples & Percussion" (JR & Ray West) [Spotify]
"Berri Lipstick 7" (AG, Blue, OC, Dave Dar) [Spotify]

[2014 in Review] O.C. - "Ray's Café"

The Diggin' in the Crates crew has really been going strong this year, with exceptional albums and EP:s from Diamond D, OC, AG, Buckwild (w. Meyhem Lauren), Lord Finesse (instrumental double album), and even a D.I.T.C. remix project of classics. Several of this are among my favorites of the year and one of them is without a doubt OC's mini album with Ray West, called "Ray's Café". It's somewhat of a concept album in the sense that it metaphorically takes place within a fictional jazz club called "Ray's Café" where OC is the headliner for the evening, playing the smoky night club with his mix of jazz and hip-hop. It's quite different from OC's earlier projects, considering how laid back Ray West's production is, yet the chemistry between the seasoned veteran emcee and the relatively new beat maestro is extraordinary. 

Since I heard his debut with "Word... Life" OC has been very close to the top of my list of my favorite emcees and aside from some sidesteps he has managed to stay there with incredible projects like "Jewelz" (1997), "Starchild" (2005), "Oasis" w. AG (2009) and more recently "Trophies" with Apollo Brown (2012). "Ray's Café" is another real gem from the D.I.T.C. emcee, and Ray West's sophisticated jazz sampling production brings out the best in OC in the creation of the grown man rap displayed here. This is music for grown men made by grown men - over accoustic bass lines, accoustic piano lines and keyboard melodies, and ocassional guitars and heavy drum programming, OC invites listeners into his everyday life. With that unmistakable cadence, and top flow OC speaks on having barbecues and parties with his close friend, seeing a hot chick on the subway and dividing with himself about tyring to get that number, how thanful he is he made it this far, and so on. If you've followed OC's career like I've had, you'll definitely feel like you know him and the way his mind works at this point and "Ray's Café" is another crown achievement that is a must for any fan of O, Ray West and the D.I.T.C. crew. Speaking of Ray West, I think this is his finest production yet, considering that every song is exceptionally ill and extremely coherrent.

Originally released on CD, cassette and digital, the record was released on CD a few month later now including five additional songs from the same sessions, making it feature a total of 14 songs and a running time of about 35 minutes. While most of the bonus tracks doesn't necessarily live up to the high standards set by the original tracks, there are some absolutely fantastic joints here that add to the concept in a great way. "Just Cause" is actually one of my favorite songs on the entire CD, with a addictive one-bar guitar loop and a double time flow by OC that's stops between each verse to make room for a beautful sampled female hook. Why this wasn't on the original release is beyond me. "After House" is a smooth, laid back joint where OC reflects on the "After Hours" after a long night, and is built around a deep guitar sample; I'd say this is worthy of the original version as well. "Learn Lessons" is produced by NYC-based electronic musicna Phil Moffa rather than West and it sticks out like a sore thumb as it has more of a club sound to it - throwing this on in a jazz club would definitely turn the crowd off. OC rhymes good as well but the track itself is plain weak, luckily it clocks in in least than two minutes. The final cut on the so calld "After Hours" version is the smoothest, most laid back cut on the entire record. "My Hearts in the Street" is a beautiful closing to a great album that plays great from front-to-back with the exception of the aforementioned "Learn Lessons". Just like OC did on "Trophies", working exclusively Apollo Brown (an album that also made my top LP:s of 2014), it's evident that O works best when recording an entire album worth of music with one producer exclusively. Omar Credle truly hasn't lost a step and Ray West is getting better with every new release he drops. Last but not least, if you don¨t mind purchasing a CD I strongly recommend copping the deluxe edition which I personally count as OC¨s new album, rather than the EP it¨s advertized as. TURN IT UP!

AG & ROC MARCIANO - "Marcberrii" [Extended Cut]

Fans of AG and Ray West will remember this short but deadly jam from their first real collaboration together, 2011:s "Everything's Berri". The version we heard back then worked as a litte interlude bridge with a powerful verse from Roc Marciano, although I always wondered why AG didn't jump on it. The answer comes with the release of the full version which is being unveiled by Ray West for the vinyl deluxe version of "Everything's Berri" which is now up for pre-order @ HHV for its December 19 release. Still BANGS!

RAY WEST & JOHN ROBINSON - "Held"

Ray West and John Robinson comes through and really deliver with "Held", the second single from their upcoming joint EP "Sample & Percussion". Can't wait to hear the full thing, this should be crazy!

RAY WEST & JOHN ROBINSON - "Classic Vibes"

Ray West keeps growing with each release, his latest few EP:s and mini albums have been relentlessly ill ("Ray's Cafe" with OC, "The Snake Tape" and "Luv NY", for example). Interestingly enough the NY producer is now working with the always impressive John Robinson on an EP called "Sample & Percussion" coming soon. Check out the first single "Classic Vibes" up top).

[Coming Soon] AG / RAY WEST - "Everything's Berri"

Continuing on the topic of Ray West and D.I.T.C., AG's 2010 album "Everything's Berri" is given the vinyl treament this year after the original CD pressing sold out. When this album first dropped I have to admit that I was quite dissapointment with A, one of my favorite emcees of all time, and while some of the beats grabbed me I couldn't understand why AG rolled with this unknown for an entire album rather than his DITC brethren, DJ Premier, Madlib, and other legends. I listened to the album many times during the summer it dropped and while it slowly grew on me, I kind of forgot about it. However, Ray West's production has really grown on me over the last few years so it will be incredible to hear this album again with a new perspective. And as I'm a DITC completist, I will most likely cop this LP from HHV anyway. The 2xLP set drops on October 31 and is an EU exclusive. To freshen up your minds on what to expect, Red Apples 45 just reposted the album single "Buster's Train" featuring Sadat X. Pre-order the album @ UGHH.

OC & RAY WEST - "Ray's Cafe [Deluxe]

OC has long been one of my top 5 favorite emcees while I would place his D.I.T.C. crew as the best crew in hip-hop, next to Wu-Tang Clan. Earlier this year he teamed up with producer Ray West and his and AG's label Red "Apples 45 to release an excellent nine tracks deep EP called "Ray's Cafe". Feaaturing nothing but laid back, jazz inspired grooves and smacking hip-hop drums the EP was filled with positive vibes and addictive sonics; creating an image of a smoky ol' jazz café where OC is both the toastmaster and the emcee. To me OC sounds rejuvinated throughout, effortlessly rhyming about various themes and the occassional classic battle rhyme. For me it took a while to grow on me, but once it did I realized just how good it actually was.

Originally releaesd on 12" EP, iTunes (with the brilliant bonus closer "Just Cause"), and cassette, the CD release dropped September 2 and fleshes out the 26 minutes, nine track record with five additional cuts recorded during the same sessions (including the beautiful "Just Cause"). These songs features some true gems including "After Hours" and "My Hearts in the Streets", though it also features the cheesy "Learn Lessons". The best part is that it kicks up the running time with 10 minutes, making it an, albeit short, long player rather than a slightly long extended play. For those of you who have already got the original copy the extra bonus tracks are being released by RedApples on . Buy "Ray's Cafe" CD @ UGHH or the five track EP "After Hours" which drops November 11.

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OC to release extended "Ray's Cafe" edition

Superemcee OC started off the year with what is still one of the illest releases yet in "Ray's Café". A nine track offering fully produced by Ray West, the man behind Red Apples 45, who provided smooth, laid-back jazz grooves for OC to write and perform strong verses around his life and times, good and bad. Even with the iTunes bonus track "Just Cause" the Project was fantastic but left listeners hungry for more. Fans of the unique sound Heard in "Ray's Café" will be satisfied to hear that when Red Apples 45 and OC for the first time now release the project to CD (previous editions were all vinyl and cassette) they decided to round out the set with an additional 5 tracks. Hopefully these songs originate from the original sessions or at least invoke the same style as the original nine records, rather than just being whatever five tracks to fill out the space with. If it's not the latter this will truly make "Ray's Cafe" the new official OC album, rather than an EP or a side Project. Take a listen to the beautiful "Just Cause", peep the tracklist and pre-order your copy for its August 29 release.

01. "Intro"
02. "Ray's Cafe"
03. "Have Fun"
04. "Soul Kitchen"
05. "Go Back" (Ft. Milano & AG)
06. "Lovers"
07. "Breaking Rules"
08. "YMI"
09. "Gotta Luv It"
10. "Just Cause"
11. "After Hours"
12. "Learn Lessons"
13. "BK Suite"
14. "My Hearts in the Street"

KOOL KEITH Ft. RAH DIGGA - "Non Stop"

Kool Keith keeps dropping solid singles from his recently released DJ Junkas Louz 2xCD album, such as the incredible AG collaboration "Eldorado" we heard a while back (click here to listen). For the latest single "Non Stop" the veteran emcee hooks up with Rah Digga for an old school flavored jam that's sure to get some heads nodding. Below you can check out the non album Ray West remix of "Eldorado" that I forgot to post once it dropped. Pick up the 2xCD digipack @ UGHH or if you're a digital head, head over to iTunes to cop.

[Coming Soon] LUVNY Presents "The Snake Tape"

Red Apples 45 has really grown quickly into a very respectable underground house in a relatively short manner of time. Producer and label head Ray West is the man pushing the buttons and if you ask me with each release the music has gotten a little bit stronger. Most recently we had the fantastic "Ray's Cafe" that West produced for OC (which is now finally out on wax and cassette BTW - cop here). Now the team is back with another, very limited project, limited to 150 cassette copies only and presented by the LUV NY team who released a pretty strong compilation album last year. Entirely produced by West, "The Snake Tape", is an EP that unites some of New York's finest spitters including AG, Lord Tariq, Kurious, Kool Keith, L-Fudge and Dave Dar. Check out the tracklist below and visit UGHH to pre-order (Tuesday, April 1 is the set date).

01. BX Intro featuring Lord Tariq
02. Don't Know Why featuring Kool Keith & Kurious
03. Snake Charmer 3 featuring AG, Kurious & Dave Dar
04. Role Call featuring Lord Tariq
05. Ahead Of Time featuring AG
06. Hit-Men Prelude featuring Dave Dar & L-Fudge
07. Stereotypes featuring Dave Dar & L-Fudge
08. It's A City featuring Kool Keith
09. Snake Charmer (Cresstal Remix)
10. Snake Charmer (SP1200 Remix featuring Billy Gomez)
11. TRUTH (Phil Moffa Remix featuring AG)
12. Ahead Of Time (King Of Chill Remix featuring AG)
13. Me And Mine featuring Dave Dar

[Album + Review] OC / RAY WEST - "Ray's Cafe"

"Ray's Cafe" is the latest release from Diggin' in the Crates emcee Omar Credle, a.k.a. OC, made in collaboration with Ray West - owner and main producer of the Red Apples 45 label. West is relatively new on the scene and has since 2009 made a name for himself through collaborations with AG, Roc Marciano, Blu, Kool Keith, and more. Throughout his twenty years long career, OC has never been one to repeat himself - each full-length release from his classic '94 debut to last years impeccable collaboration with Detroit's Apollo Brown has seen Credle reinvent himself in one way or other. Sometime in a lyrical and verbal fashion, but more often by updating his sound through the use of new producers and musical directions. This is a formula that has worked well for the Brooklynite as it makes his music hard to pigeonhole and has resulted in the vast majority of his albums feeing fresh and original. That is not to say that he only deals in perfection, but at least you can be sure that OC always got a few tricks left up his sleeve. This changing nature has resulted in several of his albums initially putting off certain fans looking for a reprise of the sound that initially made them fans. So while many of his projects initially received a somewhat lukewarm reception  they have with time largely gained in popularity (think his sophomore LP "Jewelz" from '97... Shit, even "Bon Appetit" had a lot of gems despite a few wack cuts).

But enough about the past! OC and Ray West's 2014 endeveaour for 2014 is a rather short album, sporting no more than nine tracks (including an intro). West is a producer that I feel have grown stronger and more interesting with each release he has worked on, and to me this is most likely his finest effort yet. As I mentioned before, he is a relatively new producer and its clear here that he's definitely starting to come into his own as an impressive beatsmith. Part of what makes the record work so well is the obvious chemistry between OC and Ray West which evokes the suspicion that the duo's musical relationship is based on bringing out the best in each other. "Ray's Cafe" is a loose concept album - the time is sometime during the 1970's and the place is a smokey jazz cafe somewhere in NYC where OC and Ray West is the music attraction of the night. The music really fits that description, and its definitely an album you can sit back, close your eyes and let the music wash over you and you'll see that jazz club, the stage and the band come to life behind your eyes. West's music is constructed around carefully selected samples, mainly built and arranged on smooth jazz records, with some funk and soul grooves thrown in for good measure. It's obvious that the instrumentals were created specifically for OC as they many times sound like the musical equivalent of his laid-back, introspective and reflective persona. As such it's a true joy to listen to, and O sounds very inspired by the production here, sharing stories and reflections on life, struggles, love, loss, beauty, music and so on. I personally would place OC in my top 10 of all time, and this record is simply another feather in his hat.

After a short intro the title track sets the stage for OC and Ray West as a team. As soon as the beat kicks in O takes the stage and delivers a very powerful introduction where he directly adresses the hypothetical crowd in Ray's Cafe - "I'm about to take you in the zone, in the sense of Boogaloo or Barbecue with my man Ray on the barbecue/ Miller time chillout, high times, fly dimes, not hard on the eyes, the people's like Whoa!". It's a slamming introduction set over a somewhat somber beat, built around a heavy bass line, competent but laid back drums and various sound and synth effects. It's a great way to kick things off, and really sets the mood for the entire album to come. In fact if you're not nodding your head yet, chances are that the LP as a whole will not be to your liking. The following "Have Fun" is an equally strong, but heavily stripped down, cut. The BPM is slow, in fact the drum programming is close to none, but the track rests on an especially strong keyboard hook and a barey noticable bassline. Still, the track comes off as both magnificent and addictive - especially since OC is a master of both slow and fast flows. It's a short track, and once again evokes that intimate feeling of a small but exclusive club with each of OC's word being as clear as day... And there's plenty of quotables here as well - "It's Mush, known in the rap books as O-Cizzle who's fire still burns while others tend to fizzle/ What I does, I'ma do til' my last breath/ Take advantage of life cuz you can't cheat death/ So have FUN!". 

I don't intend to break down every single track, as I believe that the whole is stronger than its parts in this case and it's not a single driven project per se. However there are a few joints I'd like to mention for a few reasons. "Soul Kitchen" might be my favorite song of the entire LP, and also one of the tracks that deviates a bit from the formula. Production wise it's a more up-tempo beat that's filled to the brink with soul and is layered with various vocal samples, a slick guitar riff and a heavy drum and bass combination. The album is all about Credle and West so not suprisingly it's very light on guests. There is, however, one noticeable exception and that is "Go Back" which appears halfway through the LP. Here both AG and Milano appears, two emcees I have a whole lot of admiration and respect for, but strangely enough OC doesn't even pop up for a hook or some ad-libs. While it's undoubtedly strange, the song does manage to fit in the big picture as Ray West's inspired jazz-funk production is right in key with the other tracks and both spitters puts on an impressive performance despite it being a slight dissapointment our main artist choose to sit down out. It's a short track that works almost like a little intermission because when OC returns on Side B of the album, he does so with a venegance, rocking three of the LP:s finest moments - "Lovers", "Breaking The Rules" and "YMI" . 

Overall, Ray West and OC has with "Ray's Cafe" proven to be an exceptional duo, creating a short but excellent album that should cater both to jazz fanatics and hip-hop heads (seeing how I'm both, it's not too suprising I love this). The music is constantly smooth and often laid back, and though sampled it's easy to be fooled into thinking it's actually a full live band backing OC. The cover states "Dedicated to the preservation of Jazz" and there's definitely a jazz vibe all over this, both in the instrumentals and the way OC uses his voice much in the same vein as a skilled reed player blows his sax. Too often jazz/hip-hop fusions comes off as clichés and, lets face it, boring. But jazz is just a state of mind, a musical freedom, and that is something Ray West and OC truly captures on "Ray's Cafe". I've been back and forth on how I feel about West's music but if this is the direction he's headed I will definitely keep both eyes and ears open for future material. As for OC, he's not only one of the best writers we have but the way he spits every word with such clarity and packs a flow that makes it sound so effortless is the reason he has mantained a top position everr since his debut. I'm not sure if I'd place this above "Trophies" as they are two very different albums but it's clearly in the same league. Both lyrically and musically "Ray's Cafe" got a lot to offer, and repeated listenings are rewarding; even though I heard it several months ago I haven't tired in the least of it yet. If there's one thing I want to complain about it is the decision to not include all material on the vinyl - shortly before its release Red Apples 45 made available a non-album cut called "Just Cause"  which saw OC rhyming over not much more than an accoustic guitar. To me that was a pretty powerful closing statement, and I think the album would have benefitted from including this as an outro. But no matter what, this is a really potent album that I strongly recommend to hip-hop fans all over. That it's being released on both vinyl and cassette by FatBeats is extremely welcome too of course. Support OC, Ray West and Red Apples 45 @ FatBeats.com, but thanks to DJBooth.net you can also stream the entire album for free while you wait for your order to arrive!

OC & RAY WEST - "Ray's Cafe"

01. "Intr"

02. "Ray's Café"

03. "Have Fun"

04. "Soul Kitchen"

05. "Go Back" (Ft. Milano & AG)

06. "Lovers"

07. "Breaking Rules"

08. "YMI"

09. "Gotta Luv It"
[*] "Just Cause"

STREAM "RAY'S CAFÉ" @ DJBOOTH

OC & RAY WEST - "Just Cause"

Omar Credle, without a doubt one of the slickest and best emcees to ever emerge from the world of music, teamed up with producer Ray West for the mini album "Ray's Cafe". A theme album inspired by the smoky laid-back jazz and blues of the 1970's, the nine track LP makes for a soothing 30 minutes deep dive into the mind of OC; never one to shying away from opening up to the fullest. As for West, who already worked with artists like AG, Roc Marciano and Kurious to name a few, he seems inspired enough from working with the legendary Brooklyn spitter to turn in his finest musical batch to date. I strongly recommend anyone into lyricism and well-crafted beats to pick this up when it drops on January 21 via West's Red Apples 45 imprint. Making the music justice, not only does the artwork look like a lost Blue Print release, the record will be available on both vinyl and cassette! One track from the sessions that didn't make the final release however is a two minute jam called "Just Cause", which instead is now available as a street single below. "Pre-Order 'Ray's Cafe' (10" EP or cassette) ffrom Fat Beats so "hurry up and buy!