On "Fish-n-Grits" producer/vocalist J-Zone cooks up some tasty breakbeats with raw drums, live instruments, and samples. While it's an album with some vocals, we at TDB chose to feature this one because of the fresh instrumentals throughout. Stick Up is evocative of Money Mark's solo work* with it's red hot organ licks and perfectly over-cooked drums to warm your ears. There is a live feel here, but grooves so in-the-pocket I can hear emcees' stomachs growling. J-Zone's sonic aesthetic is appropriately analog, and given the force of energy behind these beats, I doubt any sample rate could contain the soul here. In an internet world of throw-away beats where every "producer" sells bullshit with pitched down voice tags, J-Zone provides a new hope built with old ways (real drums!!!!). J-Zone is a prolific producer and I look forward to exploring his extensive catalogue further.

*Beastie Boys' keyboardist, see Mark's Keyboard Repair

Artist: J-Zone

Label: Old Maid Entertainment, Inc.

Locale: Queens, New York