J ROCC Vinilo y CD

Review: Beatitudes is an album of ten instrumental hip-hop tracks inspired by 20th century gospel recordings. Produced by one J Rocc (known as the acclaimed DJ and turntablist for Madlib's many shows), the album is a departure from the artist's smudgier, beatsmith affairs. Each track is as smooth as a baby's forehead, and/or as pleasing as a wild fig dropped into one's mouth by an attentive servant on a hot Verona day. Gospel samples whirl around like ghosts, haunting each beat, which in turn sound wonkier than an array of unoiled see-saws. The album's cover is an homage to the mysterious cult artist known only as Harvey, known for designing many surrealist-religious gospel album covers from the 1960s onwards.

Review: Volume 6 of the SCM Flip Sessions is from the one and only J Rocc. It has been put together as a celebration of the end of the tenure of former President Trump, or "the most trash president in the history of the United States," as the label puts it. Across just two tunes, SCM brings you 14 flips of possibly the most sampled song in hip hop. They are Althea out together by the inimitable J Rocc with the hope being that this is a document of protest that will stand the test of time. One pressing only, 500 copies in all, do not sleep.