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It would be an over simplification to say Somobe is next to carry the title of great Producer/MC tandem. Refusing to use samples, Roland Llapitan loops are as smooth as they are original. Setting the mood for reflection, Jonathan Owens lyrics are haunting and real. Sometimes packing the swagger of Jay-Z or the verbal manipulation of Kweli, Owens flow is pure gold. Try to think of a time when an MC spoke about the challenges of growing up in a house falling apart without playing the role of vengeful martyr or the consequences of drinking too much that don t end up in sleeping with someone that you regret. If we consider truly great communication to be that which doesn t obstruct reality, Somobe s debut isn t just a success; it is an instant classic. Not forcing positive vibes but providing honest and real observations that include suggestions for change. Long Days and We Need a Love Song show just how comprehensive, daring, and focused this impressive tandem is.
JIVE Magazine Rating: 5 out of 5

No catchy gimmicks, no special effects, dope beats, and dope rhymes. The group consists of two cats from Vegas, Jon D (the lyricist), and Bob J, a bass player who also constructs the beats with Jon D. As for the beats....they're amazing. Somobe s instrumentals have a laid back jazz feel, WITH NO SAMPLES. Yea, you heard me right, while most big name producers pull off average instrumentals by using something someone else already made, Somobe, or better yet, the Hooligans (the name the Vegas duo go by when producing) create great instrumentals completely from scratch. Jon d says anything that even sounds like a sample was created with the intention of sounding that way by the Hooligans. To me, the beats to Somobe s debut album The Great Communication are competing with anything you hear anywhere else, and destroying most of it. Me, I m a lyrics type of dude. I love dope instrumentals, but if you have dope instrumentals and whack lyrics....I can t really listen for long. Luckily, Jon D brings it lyrically. It s no wonder the group decided to include the lyrics to the songs on their MySpace page. As I listened to an advance copy of The Great Communication I tried remembering lines Jon D spits, but every time I find one that stands out, I end up forgetting it because he kicks another one. Sometimes it seems Jon comes up with some of the cleverest stuff, other times, it seems as if he goes outside, and his pen traces life on paper in the form of rhymes. Doubt me? Check the MySpace fam, the track Building is what emceeing is about. Jon doesn t go to heavy on the punch lines and they don t come off forced, yet they definitely connect. The flow is on beat and certainly on point, and the lyrics aren t realistic, they re just plain REAL. This was the first track I heard, and I was instantly hooked. (c) Brillyance

Raphael Saadiq's The Way I See It album is satisfying for both old school heads and today's hip music buyers: his background as a musician, singer and songwriter is steeped in a love for R&B married with a commitment to making his own brand of expressive soul music. The Way I See It has the kind of smooth musical flow associated with great records made by pioneering producers at famous R&B companies like Motown, Invictus and Brunswick. From the foot-tapping opening track, "Sure Hope You Mean It" to the head-shaking reflective closer "Sometimes," Raphael delivers a present day potent ode to a bygone era. Loyal Tony! Toni! Tone! fans will particularly appreciate "100 Yard Dash," which Raphael describes as "a juke joint, Booker T.-type groove. I reflected back to my first T!T!T! albums when I was singing in a high tenor voice." Raphael grins when talking about the hypnotic "Love That Girl": "Man, that's all about the swing...the way girls swing their hips! It's the type of song that will make people move and that shuffle beat reminds me of those ladies I used to see playing drums in church!" With its Motown-flavored tambourine-featured beat, "Never Give You Up" is what Raphael calls "my three generations song. It includes C.J., this youngster from Baltimore that I'm working with and Stevie Wonder. Now comes The Way I See It, a masterful collection of new material that speaks to Raphael Saadiq's deep love for rhythm and blues.

Brooklyn based, half-Irish and half-Panamanian Jose James sounds like a soulful cross between Gil Scott Heron, Terry Callier and Kurt Elling. He's definitely a jazz singer and we don't seem to have enough of those, especially younger ones to take the form forward. He sings here as part of a basic quartet made up of him, Nori Ochiai on piano, Alexi David on bass and Steve Lyman on drums - though Luke Damrosch plays drums on "The Dreamer" and "blackeyedsusan" and Junior Mance plays piano on "Spirits Up Above".

There's another slight variation to the line-up (and general vibe of the album) on "Park Bench People", where Ryan Blum takes up keyboards and Gal Ben Haim plays guitar. Blum also plays keys on the album closer, the drum & bass-inspired "Love". Omar Abdukarim also plays trumpet albeit, on the title track only.

It isn't the most exciting album I've ever heard (James just doesn't have the vocal range for that and I'm grateful that "Love" was included here) but it's certainly very interesting and what he may lack in vocal range, he more than makes up for in tone and warmth. I'd never heard of Jose James before (I believe it was my buddy Joe who pointed him out to me - thanks Joe!) and I think this is his first album. What I can't take away from the man however, is his undeniable songwriting, producing and arranging talent and I also have to give him respect for deciding to go this route when pop or r&b could have potentially offered him so much more, so much more quickly. He obviously loves and believes in what he's doing. He can only get better from here and I look forward to that. Definitely one to look out for.

Mostly produced and arranged by James himself and executive produced by no other than the legendary Giles Peterson - a man who knows a thing or two about good music if anyone does - "The Dreamer" could be the ideal soundtrack to your summer family gatherings, card games, cocktails parties, or that midnight hour. Highly recommended.