DJ JAZZY JEFF - The Return Of The Magnificent | Review By: Conan Milne


Release Date : May 8 2007

Label : Rapster Records

Rating: 4/5

Dub Quotable:  Jazzy Jeff may be immortalized as the person hauled off the Bel-Air property, but those who refuse to take ‘Jazzy Jeff, the Hip-Hop honorary’ to heart are doing themselves a great disservice.

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Stigmas can be a terrible thing. Despite his best intentions, Suge Knight will always be known as the guy that did Dre and Snoop dirty. MC Hammer will be remembered for jiggling around in those flashy pants. Jazzy Jeff, one of the remaining champions of good, old fashioned Hip-Hop, will forever be recognized as the dude Uncle Phil threw out of the crib. On “The Return Of The Magnificent,” Jeff rewards those willing to delve beyond his beloved television role.

The warm nostalgia of “Hip-Hop” kicks off a project that aptly captures a more passionate era in rap culture. MC Twone Gabz first preaches to those listeners who have grown up on the transparent rap stars of today. “Just ‘cause you come from the hood, Charlie, don’t make you street/Just ‘cause I’m talking with sense don’t mean that I’m soft/Just ‘cause you got you some gold don’t make you a boss,” informs Gabz over Jeff’s refreshingly hushed drums and occasional cuts. Showing his broader appreciation of music, Jeff links with the whispered soulstress Chinah Blac on the sensual “Touch Me Wit Ur Hands.” Blac’s slightly husky come-on’s fit snugly with Jeff’s romantically tinged keys that showcase his skills as a vintage-minded beatmaker. The DJ comes full circle by following this loving slice of soul with rousing old-school homage’s like “Practice.” On this cut, J-Live harps about the now alien notion of honing your bars not for the sake of a Gold plaque or winning over adoring females, but merely for artistic improvement – at least for the time being. Jeff’s reflective bass is coupled with a fitting vocal sample that stresses that Hip-Hop is so much more than a game.

“The Return Of The Magnificent” lives up to what could be construed as a hyperbolic title. This is a stunning throwback to a time when DJ’s using their turntables to scratch wasn’t so bizarre and conscious Hip-Hop was largely embraced by the genre’s fans, and not cast aside to make way for another club anthem. Jazzy Jeff may be immortalized as the person hauled off the Bel-Air property, but those who refuse to take ‘Jazzy Jeff, the Hip-Hop honorary’ to heart are doing themselves a great disservice.

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