Cookin Soul brings together some instrumentals he had published in previous years and offers this fresh new project made up of twenty excellent rhythms.
"Colddddd" is lush, boasting a genuine dilated sax loop accompanied by melodic vocals and a crunchy drum, then the second track soon takes over, a beat inspired by one of the latest dance hits by rnb group Archie Bell & the Drells. The next song pays homage to another rnb hit, this time from Alicia Keys. After about four minutes comes one of the highlights of the album, "Lalalaaaaa". This guy is one of the best at making music videos that fit his music, you have to start from here, so I recommend going to watch the video rather than randomly listening to the song on bandcamp or spotify. The producer opens the video paying homage to Cristiano Ronaldo and his typical cry, that "sì" / "siu" / "suuu" (tr. "Yes [, I did it!]") on which real treatises have been written, which became universally famous after the triumph at the Ballon d'Or 2014. When the Caribbean waves erase the footprints but leave the hashtag intact, you know you are about to witness a masterpiece.
The entrancing track is lulled by a lush jazz sample from "You Made My Life Beautiful" by Pure Magic, you may also have heard on MadGibbs' masterful album "Cocaine Pinata", followed by a brilliant midtempo drum, resulting in a gorgeous instrumental. "GRMY" is another gem, Cookin Soul pulls a couple of Shallah Raekwon bars from "Can It Be All So Simple" and loops them to a polished jazz sad sample from Caldera's "Triste", combined with a young and lively drum. The next instrumental runs on a loop of an Erykah Badu hit from his debut. "NY State of Mind" is yet another spearhead in Cookin Soul production and certainly one of his best beats ever. Again, I recommend watching the video rather than randomly listening to the song.
The guy takes you (again) musically and literally to New York, walking the streets of the city on one of the most New York rhythms I've ever heard, beautiful. Masterful, powerful, deep, cathartic bass line. Robust, decisive, enthralling drum, jazz sample from George Duke's "Sweet Bite", then the producer links several excerpts from Guru, Rakim, Biggie and James Brown, among the most recognizable. You can hardly hear it, but in the background, right from the start, there's the fantastic crackle of the vinyl sound. Halfway through the song, there's also a series of sizzling horns to add to the party. This soundscape, in addition to being fresh and elegant, has the merit of giving positive vibes, which is at least curious, because Duke's noir sample lives in "Twin Peaks", in the same places where Norma and Shelly stay, at the Diner.
"R-A-P" boasts an elegant and light rhythm, with a soft bass line, elegant piano scale, mischievous trumpet, in a Guru-inspired instrumental. This is followed by a tribute to the Stylistics in "Whatgoesaround" which is an authentic masterpiece, a magical beat. "Remember to Remember" by Rick Holmes is the sample for the tenth instrumental, very fresh beat with vibes dance. "Secret Sauce" is a soulful choice with a solid drum, great bass line, chipmunk soul vibes and the usual Syl Johnson sample. "Diggin" is another banger, vibrant production, deep bass line, lively drum, fresh samples, flowing music carpet. An elegant and lush rhythmic solution follows, quiet, positive vibes. Track number fourteen features one of the many moments dedicated to the Gang Starr rapper: lush soundscape, elegant, jazzy, a little bluesy, vinyl sound, deep bass line, perfect drum, magnificent samples, some excerpts from the Boston emcee.
There's a sense of urgency in the smashing "Listen Carefully", based on Grant Green's "Maybe Tomorrow", which boasts a good bass line and a naked hi-hat that hits all the time. "Wantit" boasts a nice soul sample and precedes "Cuba", a sunny and serene beat extracted from another 70's rnb sample. The eighteenth rhythm is whiny and sounds less inspired than the previous ones. "Wantme" is made with a different paste, soft bass line, clean degreased dry drum, sample of the latest hit by the trio Love Unlimited. Then, there's a direct tribute to Dilla for the last instrumental of the tape.
At this point, I don't know how true it can be to say that this is one of the best Cookin Soul tapes given the very high-level of quality he has offered over the years. It's definitely a great tape and one of the best instrumental tapes of the season in hip-hop, at times perfect in the first part with many excellent choices ("Lalalaaaaa", "NY State of Mind", "GRMY"), and then drop a little in the second half, after another unattainable beat ("Whatgoesaround"), with a few more peaks ("One for the Guru", "Listen Carefully"). Hands down must-listen for fans of jazz rap and East Coast boom bap. 8.3/10.
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