JR & PH7
The EP

Written by Dominick. Published: Tuesday, August 10, 2010.

Let’s face it, America has been sliding down a slippery slope for awhile…Our educational systems are failing kids more than ever, lord knows our economy needs some work, our media has had a really staggering decline in morality, our government is spending like a rabid 17 yr. old girl at the mall (if people still went to those) and yeah, guess what else? Little by little Americans are taking a back seat to Europeans when it comes to production I.e. beatmaking. That’s right people, the ugly truth is while hoards of new generation (and a bunch of older ones too) producers in the U.S. flocked to the trend of software based production and keyboards, cats over in Europe clung to their samplers and record collections.

While we languished the past ten years in the states, experiencing horrible trends in production like the Snap and Crunk movement as well as Auto Tune and so on, production groups that personified good music like The Kollabo Brothers, Lewis Parker and The P Brothers, started springing up in a hurry. Of course this is just the trend, but rest assured it is a very real one.

At the front of the proverbial pack of other really talented European Hip-Hop Boom Bap-ologist’s is the German production duo of JR & PH7. The two exciting beat crafters are the proud parents of 2009’s The Standard, one of the seminal Hip-Hop albums of that year and thee prime compilation of 09’ to boot. The two’s knack for digging up lush sounds and pairing them with sharp drum arrangements is endearing and quite top notch. They’re really just some of the best new producers out there point blank, bump a country. Back in late July the two followed up their debut and critical success with the The EP, a new, six track offering that is peppered with their aesthetically pleasing brand of Hip-Hop and proper guest MC list that embodies what the art form’s writers should be all about.

JR & PH7 waste no time and cut immediately to the chase with “All In A Days Work”, a smooth composition that features the silver tongued talents of D.C.’s reigning underground champ, Oddisee. It’s a rolling track that features infectious hi-hats and a harmonious bass line. The pair give no slack in the musical realm as things progress and dole out a tuneful submission for “Words I Feel”, an adequate canvas complete with chorus scratches for Boston Latino MC of the moment Termanology. “it’s no more Marcus, Martin, Malcolm, J-F-K, so we sent without them” rhymes the brash street versifier. I have heard multiple criticisms of Term since he jumped into the game a few years back, truthfully nothing he kicks here really supports that stigma. Toward the end of the track he does trail off a bit and things get sorta monotonous, but the tone of the track is never abandoned…it’s real talk.

Moving into the third track the beat formula remains the same and even might teeter on the glossy side a bit, but the verses provided by Canadian femcee force Eternia who uses the upbeat pace to interlace a stories of family and how it’s never too late to try and connect w/ estranged members of yours. It’s a quick jaunt, but the significance is augmented nicely by JR & PH’s board work. There’s nothing like sobering subject matter paired with light, almost blissful beat work.

Moving into the one of two remixes on The EP in “Steel Remains”, a track originally done by the 3 man, Austrian DJing outfit The Waxolutionists and continually bright spot on the L.A. underground scene Blu, things are perking very nicely at this point. Blu’s turn would be no exception as his dense wordplay instantaneously entrances, spreading a message of inspiration in the wake of hard times set to a masterfully layered, soulful rhythm. The San Pedro, CA born dreamer absolutely kills his performance and hook, providing an immensely laudable moment on this EP, possibly even the best track overall.

Moving forward JR & PH7 get up with another underground L.A. power in Trek Life for “From L.A. To The World”, a wistful and opinionated adventure into Trek’s thinking and love for the city of angels. A refreshing ode, that leaves you hanging on every word Trek spits, all the while the melodious, lightly flute bearing beat backs him up slickly as he relates the southern California skyline. Finally, we round The EP out with the 2nd remix JR & PH undertake in The Ohmega Watts and The Residents’ “Reach”. This clap infused march is a bit more pointed production wise and contains a good deal more gumption then the rest of the tracks and it’s welcomed….a nice way to finish up an adept EP and once again leave me with great anticipation for the next project.

Registering easily as one of this year’s best extended plays, this new and musically swelling effort from the German wonder kids who seem to grasp a whole lot about Hip-Hop music despite being located almost four thousand miles away from it’s birth place is indeed an easy listen. It’s respectable, highly respectable, when people from far away places appreciate the culture…it’s downright impressive when they start making that culture’s music in a way that would rival many of it’s best names at the moment. The only trepidation I have with The EP is that it wasn’t The LP and we didn’t get a full album’s worth of the goodness that oozes out of these guys’ studio time and time again.

$18.99 out of $20

-Dominick “BIG D O” Ledezma

Category: Reviews