While the MTV-endorsed rap world is wetting itself over the Kanye-Fiddy sales battle, the ever-subversive Lex Records introduce Shape Of Broad Minds. Consisting of Jneiro Janel, Rocque Wun, Panama Black, Jawwaan and Dr Who Dat, this crew don’t do trad boom-bap rap. ‘Craft Of The Lost Art’ is a collection of 23 tracks that define the term “bugged-out”. Truth be told, the disjointed feel of cuts like ‘Unnamed’ and ‘They Dont Know’ are an acquired taste, but there are several highlights to be found elsewhere. MF Doom’s cameo on the anthemic ‘Lets Go’ goes down a treat, while ‘There 4 Me’ is a pleasingly off-kilter love song. The deeply dope voice of Count Bass D blesses the anthemic ‘It Lives On’, ‘So Much’ chugs along with much vigour, before the set’s rounded off with ’12c’, to which the nearest comparison would be a lost Dire Straits remix (in a good way, though). Overall, this is an album that can’t be casually skipped through on your bus ride to work, it needs to lived with and fully absored – something to be encouraged in hip-hop’s current climate. Maybe it’s time to be broadening your minds, people…
3 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Jake Thomas