Flamingosis: One of the best R&B/Funk albums from front to back. What You Won’t Do For Love is obviously the biggest hit, but every track on this is a bop. Soulful, catchy, groovy, and heartfelt all the way through. There’s a reason why so many other artists like 2Pac, Common, J Dilla, Biggie, etc. have sampled his melodic work. I also sampled it on my own tune “Down For The Third Time” on my Pleasure Palette album. RIP to Bobby Caldwell, one of the greatest ever.
[In addition,] I listened to Reality Testing by Lone when I was still in college and it changed my outlook and perspective on making beats forever. The whole project blends hip-hop instrumentals and house music together into a wonderful hybrid that no one else was really doing at the time. The drums, sampling and synthesizer soundscapes are ethereal, compelling and will make your head nod instinctively.
Vanilla’s Soft Focus is one of, if not the, best hip-hop instrumental album of all time for me. Vanilla has been a prominent name in the SoundCloud/Bandcamp world from pretty much the very beginning when those websites formed. And for very good reason. The dude just has a gift for making great beats. From the selection of samples, to the chops and the drums, and to the arrangement and cohesiveness of tying all the tracks together. It’s a really flawless project.
Flamingosis’ “Nebula Gazer” single is out now.
Brett Callwood
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