There’s plenty of weird stories in the music industry, but there are very few that end with albums this fucking good. Buckshot Lefonque is: Branford Marsalis, DJ Premier (of Gang Starr), and The Tonight Show Band (Yes, the Jay Leno one). The result is an Acid Jazz, Hip-hop, R&B masterpiece that transcends any and all expectations. I can’t understate how eclectic this album is, there isn’t a moment on it that feels “overdone” or “formulaic”. It’s all just straight unique creativity at its most maximalist. There’s so much going on in every single song here, and even more when you include the interludes which really round out the album. There’s songs of racial tension (“Breakfast @ Denny’s”), long groovy jazz numbers (“The Blackwidow Blues”), and everything in between. If you already love Jazz Rap, Acid Jazz, or creativity in general then this will feel like a breath of fresh jazz club cigarette-laden air. If you’ve never listened to anything like this, then it’s never too late to start. It is truly criminal that Buckshot Lefonque isn’t in everyone’s rotation already. Almost as criminal as buckethead remixing one of their songs (Yes seriously look it up).