Chris Lowe

According to Mims’ recent hit, "This Is Why I’m Hot,” he’s apparently putting "New York on his back.” The fact that he intones these words without irony over a Southern-influenced hip-hop beat speaks volumes about hip-hop’s current geographical crosspollination. However, there are those who probably aren’t too thrilled with these latest developments. Enter NYC’s Chris Lowe. While Lowe may not be a well-known name to some heads, his credentials are impeccable. He’s known to have rolled with EPMD and Large Professor, to name a few, and he happened to produce Stezo’s classic "It’s My Turn” single, which in collaboration with production associate Dooley O, brought the infamous "Skull Snaps” break to prominence from a dusty Connecticut basement. His crate-digging notoriety earned him the title of "break beat king.” Not surprisingly, Lowe is an old-school sentimentalist. Black Life 2 contains copious references to hip-hop’s late ’80s golden era but unlike many veterans who openly grouch about contemporary artists, Lowe utilises a sharp sense of humour. He satirises the eternally high on the "Next Thing Smokin’” intro, as well as throughout the record, and tempers the proceedings with a good dose of self-deprecation. Indeed, he presents the much too short Black Life 2 as "something else to turn your back on” — his Black Life solo debut was virtually ignored. He doesn’t seem too worried though. On standout banger "Back To Back,” he laments that he made the record "just so I could have something to feel.” With a bit of luck, he may have a few more people also feeling the music. And while he knows he may not be "hot,” there’s no question that Chris Lowe is fly.