Deadringer - RJD2 (2002)
The underground producer put out his debut on El-P’s Definitive Jux label, and it fits right in with the rest of the backpack-style underground rap that label was famous for.
Vocals and samples and the occasional feature make this not quite an instrumental album, but the joy of it is in the beats and colors more than any singing you might hear.
The record was probably ahead of its time in its heavy interpolation of live band recordings, but also featured enough turntable scratching that you can carbon-date it to the early aughts.
Tracks I Liked
Smoke & Mirrors - funky, cool, and detached
Ghostwriter - back-masked beats and spooky guitars build into something much more
