Posted on 05/21/2009
No surprises here. Between these dudes, decades upon decades of dues paid and relentless maverick steez for breaking new talent; it’s properly fitting that Rich Medina and Kool Bob Love got kicked the assignment of compiling an early summer drop chock full of today’s rising Afro-Beat and Latin talent crop for R2 Records. Whether you’re macking on a rooftop with a mojito or just maintaining in the shower like Mookie; these are some highly pleasing grooves to soundtrack your sweaty season.

The modern music world is fickle to the point it can piss you off. But world music, modern or classic, is often timeless. Within this juxtaposition, Medina and Bobbito flex fortified live by exposing new world artists making classic sounding music. And by focusing the majority of their attention on modern acts as opposed to just digging reliable burners from their bottomless 60’s and 70’s crates (which they do occasionally with gems like Sir Victor Uwaifo’s “Do Lelezi”); Medina and Bob simultaneously boost their own cred and shed light on a bunch of cats who may be existing under most of our radars, see The Daktaris, Azuka of Afrika, Big Bang, AIFF, Grupo X and Ruth Tafebe & The Afro Rockerz.

At a full disc apiece, Rich Medina’s Afro selection and Bobbito’s Latin selection do their subjects justice. In the spirit of rhythms that build, numerous tracks last beyond five and six minutes, simmering flavors that coagulate and culminate in ass-shaking heat. The ADD generation can go axe somebody for all I care. True music lovers will melt into this compilation like Whiz on a steak from Pat’s. So unpack that linen collar and dust off your Blu Blockers or stunnaz. I, for one, will be bumping this shit all summer.

- Jeff Artist