Nafees - The Art of Keeping It

Nafees has always talked a good game, stressing his diverse musical roots and intelligent approach to lyrics. With this new mixtape, he makes good on his promises, and then some. For a start, there's Triumphant Melancholy, featuring Aroara - a mental stab at fusing rock, ceilidh and hip-hop – and astonishingly, it works. It gets better – Everybody Says takes elements from grime and hyphy, as Nafees delivers blistering, socially-conscious rhymes with impeccable rhythm and timing. Aeroplane Dope contribute to Sniff Between The Lines, which uncannily foreshadows the d&b / electro / hip-hop cocktail of DJ Kentaro's forthcoming debut for Ninja Tune. Dear Unsigned Artist is a scathing attack on both the industry and un-original artists. Elsewhere there is Hybrid-esque breakbeat (Idolising Illusions), harder-edged boom-bap (A Little Mercy), and a fantastic highlight – the head-nodding, intelligent cipher on Kurt Cobain. Mind-expanding, genre-busting collaborations with Mungo's Hi-Fi and Dan Monox among others make this mixtape more than simply great – it's better than most albums by major label MCs. [Bram Gieben]