3582

3582 is an EP project of two rising producers, Columbus, Ohio's J Rawls (of the Lone Catalysts) and Cincinatti's Fat Jon the Ample Soul Physician (of Five Deez). Both producers have been involved with a number of projects recently. J Rawls issued a well-received solo album, The Essence Of..., as well as an album, Hip-Hop, with Lone Catalysts last year, while Fat Jon has operated under the name Maurice Galactica, an instrumental jazz alter-ego, as well as serving as the primary producer behind Five Deez's Koolmotor. Both producers have a distinctively laidback, jazzy style and fans of taut drums, watery keyboards and beefy mid-tempo jams will immediately gravitate to this project. The duo swaps roles on production and on the mic throughout the project, always maintaining continuity. The strength of the producers' MCing lies in the introspective lyrical content, rather than the delivery. Fat Jon settles mainly for being behind the mic, and the combination of his rhymes over J Rawls' spacy beats for "Yesterday" and the tag team MCing on "No Need To Run" are definite highlights. The immense appeal of their intricately jazzy tracks wanes slightly over the duration, but will satisfy yearnings for soulful hip-hop.