I’ve read quite a lot about the Thisish crew before this post because I’m always curious how an often myopic hip-hop media approaches eclectic production. The truth is that for all his success, a celebrated producer such as Timbaland for example, who is often showered with deserving albeit hyperbolic compliments, isn’t really that forward-thinking or groundbreaking. In the context of mainstream music, there is little doubt that the dude is like Sun Ra or John Cage, but in the larger picture, there are handfuls of producers — or in this case a talented Thisish squad — who are just as easily comfortable with the 4/4 as they are downtempo, breaks, drum n’ bass or whatever BPM suits them at the time.
It belies their strength then that I post just a single track, because Volume 1 is best listened to in its entirety. Hosted by Main Source’s main source Large Professor, Thisish Volume 1 represents a redefinition of the mixtape and a coming out party of sorts for its clearly talented — and open-minded — producers Marshall Law, Cresh Frazy, Jonny 5 and DJ Masa. Most importantly however, it shows a more sophisticated approach to universal beat culture, one clearly influenced by Cam, Krush, Pete Rock and Shadow, and on similar footing as contemporaries like Thes One, Nicolay, and Presto.
RIYL: Large Professor, Pete Rock, DJ Zeph, Presto, Nicolay, Thes One, DJ Cam, DJ Krush
BUY/READ: www.thisish.com
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