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Jazzy Jeff - The Return of the Magnificent
You can count on a veteran like Jazzy Jeff to deliver quality hip-hop that rises above the 90% of otherwise forgettable hip-hop that we're subjected to. Anyone who heard or purchased 2002's "The Magnificent" knew that Jeff was more than just a DJ who teamed up with a certain rapper turned actor. "The Magnificent", an unexpected underground hit solidified him as a talented producer as well as one of hip-hop's most respected DJ's. Where "The Magnificent" enlisted a lot of artists not yet on the radar. "The Return of the Magnificent" has an all-star line-up. "Touch Me Wit Ur Handz feat. Chinah Blac" is a nice smooth track uses a beat similar to Floetry's "Say Yes". Rhymefest spits fire on "Jeff n Fess", one of the more inspired cuts. The jam "Practice" was downright hilarious upon my first listen with the Allen Iverson sample of his famous quote as J-Live warns these young rappers about trying to reach the top without working on their craft. The beat on this one was especially satisfying since it is borrowed from the Main Source classic "Looking At the Front Door". In fact, many of the beats on this disc have a nostalgic feel. Proof of that is "Supa Jean Feat. Jean Grae". For those who don't know, Jean Grae is not just the best female rapper on the scene but one of the best rappers period. Other notable mentions are "The Garden Feat. Big Daddy Kane", a smooth keyboard laden tune that has Kane sounding as sharp as he was years ago. Also, "My Soul Is Not For Sale Feat. Raheem DeVaughn" gives the disc a nice change of pace. My only disappointment is the omission of the Little Brother track. A song that was featured on "The Return of The Magnificent EP". Aside from that, Jazzy Jeff scores big time here with a strong release that has something for everybody.
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