Moka Only & Ayatollah

An out-of-the-blue collaboration on paper, Bridges links NYC underground producer Ayatollah (Talib Kweli, Styles P, Mos Def) with productive Vancouver rapper Moka Only for a scattershot release. Ayatollah's soul-soaked beats are smooth but offer little variety over the course of Bridges. There's little musical chemistry also, as Ayatollah's beats are drawn from the producer's previously released instrumental records. Moka raps under his assumed Ron Contour alias; for the uninitiated, this means Moka mostly kicks nonsensical, slightly offbeat raps about food and chicks. Bridges is fun but disposable, with a few highlights. "Eckhart Tolle" is an odd inversion of Rick Ross's songwriting gimmick, a synthed-out funk jam where Moka pays lip service to the Power of Now author. Meanwhile, "Come Along" boasts a silky hook and gorgeous blend of bird song and resonant piano. Despite the aforementioned joints, Bridges is strictly for Moka completists. Casual fans steer clear.