Posted on 08/19/2009
JS-1 is a turntablist/producer with a long list of credentials. His bio suggests that he has worked or brushed shoulders with a significant portion of the hip-hop establishment at one time or another, has had many high-profile engagements for television and corporate interests, and has served as Rahzel’s ongoing DJ and musical partner for several years. His album No Sell Out is a sequel to the previously-released Ground Original, and like the former is a producer’s album in the tradition of Soul Survivor or 1st Infantry. A spread of great historical and underground MCs, too numerous to list in totum, are represented over JS-1’s classic-sounding beats; musically a 1990s New York atmosphere is easy to detect. Unfortunately, while full to the brim with solid production and features, some of the potential complaints about producer’s albums in general may be applicable here, primarily that it strikes the listener as being more akin to a compilation than a traditional album due to the length and relatively unchanged dynamic. This should not be considered a knock on the quality of individual tracks, many of which might stand out better when heard individually.

A typical song on No Sell Out involves traditional boom-bap sample-based production augmented with JS-1’s turntablist skills, in a darker East Coast mode that would not have felt entirely out of place on a label like Fondle ‘Em. That said, there is still a great deal of variance in terms of texture; a handful of songs (e.g. “Too Easy” feat. Akrobatik, J-Live, Supastition, and Pack FM) are horn-based and exude a soul-jazz feel. Other tracks may involve distorted guitars (e.g. “The M.O.B.” feat. Vinnie Paz) and are more rock in character. JS-1 seems very controlled and thoughtful with regard to his songs ---production is beyond simple loops and even seems somewhat tailored to the individual MCs. Sound effects pop in when relevant, soloing is withheld to choruses and outros, and even the style sometimes seems intentionally matched to the vocalist. Classic figures like CL Smooth may receive some of the aforementioned horn-based treatments, or a more off-center artist like the Ultramagnetics may receive a similarly quirky-sounding beat. JS-1 retains his individual flavor, and these various directions are absorbed into his core sound.

In return, none of the guests short-change JS-1 on performance. The effort put into the music is rewarded with inspired lyrics and delivery, although the revolving cast of performers sometimes limits the topics by structural necessity. Over the course of seventy-seven minutes, this can cause the album to become tiresome, but broken up into two or three sessions the album reveals a consistent and enjoyable release, if conventional.

- Justin Deremo