Guilty Simpson - Ode to the Ghetto

Byron Simpson’s not got the biggest profile in hip-hop, but he’s making moves to rectify that. He’s been involved with a number of solid projects over the years, contributing to the Slum Village catalogue back in 2003, the Man’s World single in 2007, along with appearances on J Dilla projects such as Jungle Love, Baby & Mash’s Revenge. This is the second single from Simpson’s Ode to the Ghetto long player. The title track, produced by Oh No, is a raw old skool beat, held together by a dark docu-vocal, outlining Simpson’s attachment to the Motor City; moody but catchy as hell. This is joined by a superb Madlib production on the B-side; super tight beats lying nicely with Simpson throwing down the rhymes. It’s your classic beat jacker-style cut, seamlessly blending scratch and orchestral edits; dark, but groovin' hip-hop funk. [Steve Glencross]