I suspect that those in the know would sneer and snicker about the above rating. To a player in the hip-hop game, this recording is probably business-as-usual: bare-bones chill out beats with the standard mellow jazz samples. And while it's true that this recording lacks the innovation and versatility of a Prefuse or Madlib LP, I gotta say it just feels so very right.
There could be a gazillion producers getting more or less the same results, and it wouldn't make a lick of difference. Having been so turned on by Fat Jon's sublimely smoothed-out Wave Motion, I wasn't about to be disappointed with another batch of the same deal. Every song is a highlight on this album. If you're single, this is perfect for quiet, head-nodding contemplation. If you're with a lover, this is wonderfully elegant music for maximum romance. Things get a bit amped and tweaked for the charming old-school funk of "Space Man," but for the most part, the mood remains pretty tranquil, if a bit bootyliscious.
That's the thing. Fat Jon's beats are so tight and economical that I can't let that voice in the back of my head saying these aren't actual songs win, no matter how long it persists. Sure, these numbers are largely foundations for aspiring MCs, but they're tasty (and tasteful) enough to transcend their lack of rhythmic shifts. The smooth, buttery goodness of Lightweight Heavy's tracks is not something to be underestimated. I'm aware, as I alluded to above, that there are a lot of cats making sicky sweet ear candy like this out there. I just thankfully haven't heard much of it. I only know because once when I tried Wave Motion on a hip-hop enthusiast friend of mine, he simply shrugged and muttered that it was standard acid-jazz loopage. He may be right, but when I hear the warm, tender bass lines at play in tunes like "Day," I melt like the heart of the sunrise. So, in summation, if you dig solid, contemplative instrumental hip-hop breaks and aren't an elitist within the scene, this record and anything by Fat Jon the Ample Soul Physician will definitely hit the spot for you.
1. Talk to Me
2. Dreamers
3. Day
4. Everywhere
5. Her
6. Far Away
7. Torn Again
8. Mystery God
9. Synopsis
10. You Are..
11. Body Language
12. Beyond Love
13. Space Man
14. Point A 2 B
More about: Fat Jon the Ample Soul Physician
