Every time I listen to CocoRosie I feel young, hip and smart. Feeling right at home with the scene in both New York and Paris complete with really expensive jeans, thrift store jackets and really tight vintage t-shirts, to go with my Mohawk and prayer beads. I get this way in part because there are times when for the life of me I cannot pretend to understand these chicks, however I cannot escape enjoying what I hear from them every time out. I have been led to believe that it is cool to dig things you don’t understand and a great conversation piece to go and on about the social relevance and artistic contributions from the crazy minds that exist outside what most would consider the norm.

Amidst the many producers who have recently begun putting their spin on sample-heavy, soul chop hip hop, The Alchemist has established himself as one of the premier players in the game. With a discography that has way more hits than misses, the best thing about Alchemist has been his ability to prove himself worthy of his moniker. Conjuring up a production style that mixes carefully measured doses of murky synthesizers, stuttering drums, and molasses-thick bass lines with the raw emotion and classic melodies of old-school soul, funk, and R&B, he creates a near-perfect chemistry between the sounds of the past, the present, and the future. On his latest release, Rapper’s Best Friend, The Alchemist again manages to merge the here and now with the gone and the not yet arrived, uniting mixtape jewels, recognizable rhythms produced for rap notables, and back-of-the vault discoveries into a nonchalant yet potent instrumental CD (complete with some fly-ass Schoolhouse Rock!-inspired cover art that will have 80s babies choking back tears of nostalgia).

In the midst of the burgeoning hyphy movement, Bay Area-based ragga Rankin’ Scroo is attempting to generate a movement of his own. Scroo is the self-proclaimed progenitor of ‘urban reggae,’ a hybrid of reggae, dancehall, hip hop, and R&B, and his latest release, Godfada, extends his already lengthy discography, but is only a scant reference point for how urban reggae should or could sound.

Peder’s solo outing, And He Just Pointed to the Sky…, is not what you would expect from someone who has worked with the likes of DJ Krush and the Beastie Boys as part of hip-hop production crew The Prunes. It’s full of synths, ambient noise and instrumental tracks that would fit into an indie film perfectly. Unfortunately, it’s those instrumentals that tend to blend together and take away from the more interesting tracks that feature guest vocalists.

As a multi-billion dollar a year industry, hip-hop is feeding a lot of people right now. The influence of the genre goes far beyond your local shoe store and nightclub, however. As more and more obscure lps are being sampled for new hip-hop tracks, the record labels are dusting off more ignored and poorly promoted jazz and soul music in an effort to capitalize on all the shine that hip-hop generates. Long story short – the rare and re-issue market is absolutely insane these days, and if you are a music lover, it’s absolutely great.

The Landau Orchestra’s sophomore album, Janus Plays Telephone, is doing something for jazz that people will either love or hate: it’s making the genre more appealing to a younger audience. It successfully juxtaposes classic sound with modern techniques and technology to make a record that will definitely catch some attention.

Calle 13 will change your mind about reggaeton and Latin hip-hop. The Puerto Rican duo of emcee Residente and producer Visitante throw out all conventions of urban Latin music on their sophomore release. While establishing a large following with their danceable, reggaeton-tinged self-titled debut, Residente o Visitante finds the group adopting the musical styling of many Latin American nations, and adding their distinct hip-hop flavor accented by Residente’s unique voice and flow. The result is one of the best Latin hip-hop albums recorded, punctuated by excellent and eclectic production, and some of the raunchiest and most comical lyrics put to recorded media.

Gwizski’s debut, Loop Regions, is just as the title says, an album chock full of loops. And while it’s hindered by its repetitive nature, the Portland producer’s album is an extremely relaxing and fun listen that will catch some spins during the upcoming summer months.

A self-proclaimed unsung hero of the hip hop community, Chris Lowe has been involved in the music business for over 15 years as a producer/emcee who was named one of Urb Magazine’s “Hot 100” artists in 2004. The most notable of his accomplishments was his work with late ‘80’s hip hop group Stezo, and being the first to discover the famed “Skull Snaps” break beat, a record that has been sampled by countless artists that would follow, including Onyx, Das Efx, Prodigy, MF Doom, the Pharcyde, and more.

“No idea’s original / There’s nothing new under the sun / It’s never what you do / But how it’s done.” – Nas

Everyone wants a movement, whether it’s to be a part of one or to follow it and see its rise, fall, and perhaps rise again within its contribution to history. Music is no exception, and people have been waiting for awhile to see and hear what is “the next shit” in terms of hip-hop. Maybe in the next few years, variations will be accepted, which will allow diversity to creep into the structure of things once again. If this is to come, the wheels of the movement may have been in play with a label out of the UK called Breakin Bread. This compilation represents some of Breakin Bread’s past, present, and future with a title that represents what they’re about: dirty beats, breakbeats, funk, and hip-hop. People are quick to call it electronica, breaks, down tempo, or instrumental hip-hop, but the one thing is for certain: the Breakin Bread movement is here. If there are people waiting to hear who will become the next 9th Wonder, DJ Krush, Quantic, or Diplo, the artists on Breakin Bread: dirtybeatbreakinfunkandhiphop are valid candidates.

Never judge a book by a cover, and never judge an album by it’s first song. On Palo Santo: Expanded Edition, lead singer Jonathan Meiburg invites you to feel his pain as he screeches “Bring back my boy,” over a seemingly quiet instrumental build-up. It’s abrasive enough to take the CD out right away, but if you do, you’ll be missing out on a true gem.