DJ Spinn / DJ Rashad - 4 The Ghetto

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  • Although Planet Mu's Mike Paradinas is getting behind the juke and footwork sound with albums from DJ Nate and DJ Roc, most of the genre's contemporary tracks remain digital-only. Thankfully, we've got a new Chicago-based imprint getting in on the act and committing this music to wax. The first release on Neema Nazem's Ghettophiles label showcased New Jersey's take on Baltimore club music courtesy of DJ Tameil, but for the near future it's Chicago they'll be concentrating on. There aren't many better artists to start with than Spinn and Rashad, who are two of the most highly regarded producers in the city by both footwork's DJs and dance crews. Spinn's take on footwork is generally more frantic and off-kilter than Rashad's typically driving, bass-heavy anthems, although the grooves on a number of his tracks can feel a little too static for the dance floor, being more suited to frenetic footwork routines. The turbulently hypnotic bass and drum interactions of "She Goin" and "Shawty Off Da Chain" suffer from this, but Spinn's other two inclusions manage to balance out the loops and his percussive prowess in a much more engaging and club-ready fashion. "Bob It Low"'s commanding vocal and unpredictably flailing beats combine to create a peak-time banger, but the highlight of Spinn's side is "Off a Yap," which opens up half-time dancing opportunities with its wonderfully woozy synth sequence and infectious looped rap. Rashad's material over the last couple of years has been a little more consistent than Spinn's, and if anyone's going to cross over on a more international level in the near future, it's likely to be him. "4 the Ghetto" incorporates ghetto house and juke's usual lyrical tropes (women and weed, if you didn't know already) with a relentlessly bouncy low-end, and I can see someone like Kode9 getting excited about the reedy synths of "Space Juke" and the jungle-esque drop of "Daydreamin (Juktronik)." "Transported" finishes things off on more of a functional instrumental tip with its berserk hats and rudimentary low frequencies, but all four of Rashad's inclusions are amongst the best in his extensive digital catalogue. It's hard to tell whether that's indicative of Rashad's improvement or just the curatorial skills of Neema Nazem—I suspect it may be a bit of both—but vinyl-loving juke DJs may want to pick up two copies of this particular 12-inch.
  • Tracklist
      A1 DJ Spinn - Bob It Low A2 DJ Spinn - She Goin A3 DJ Spinn - Shawty Off the Chain A4 DJ Spinn - Off a Yap B1 DJ Rashad - 4 the Ghetto B2 DJ Rashad - Space Juke B3 DJ Rashad - Daydreamin (Juktronik) B4 DJ Rashad - Transported
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