Jneiro Jarel’s (aka Dr. Who Dat) newest attempt at extending the vocabulary of the independent world of avant-garde hip-hop. Supposedly we are to believe that there are five different members in Shape of Broad Minds, yet after a quick glance at the promo group photos, it is obvious that SOBM consist of Jneiro Jarel, his already established alter-ego Dr. Who Dat, and two new alter-egos: Rocque Wun and Panama Black. The only other real, living and breathing member of the group is Jawaad.
Jneiro’s previous work has been compared to everyone from Roy Ayers to Madlib, even garnering comparisons to Jimi Hendrix (maybe in scope). SOBM builds on these influences and succeeds in bringing together elements from many genres. It is done so well, in fact, that after listening to the whole album you feel as if you’ve received an aural lesson in popular radio dating back to 1966. Of course, this makes sense since their album is entitled Craft of the Lost Art. The title is aptly chosen because the album spans across many genres, past and present. The “lost art” seems to be the aesthetic intent in which the artist simply wants the craft to speak for itself. In the world of hip-hop, this is what separates the mainstreams from the independents.
Listen to Stiff Robots & Drunken Horses:
Buy digitally here:
Buy CD and special edition LP here.
