In the description for J Rocc’s debut album, Some Cold Rock Stuf, on Stones Throw Records online store page for the album, the writer says “Everything about this album will make you lose your mind. Not a mix tape. Not a DJ album. Not a beats album. It’s the album.” I couldn’t agree more. In a day when most DJ’s drop terrible compilation albums and label them a mix tape it is a pleasure to hear J Rocc step outside the norm and put out one of the better instrumental albums I have listened to in a very long time.

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J.Rocc

At first listen I did not know what to expect from the World Famous Beat Junkie but I knew Some Cold Rock Stuf couldn’t be bad.  After my second listen I found myself comparing it to DJ Shadow’s classic 1996 album Endtroducing….. By the end of my third listen of Some Cold Rock Stuf I wondered how it could have taken fifteen years for a DJ to make an album that will take the place of Endtroducing….. as my personal favorite “DJ album.”

From “Roccheads Delight” to “The Truth,” Some Cold Rock Stuf is more an insight to the musical awareness J Rocc possesses than an album to just listen to. Filled with old radio samples, soulful horns, unconventional live drum samples and some of the most head nodding bass lines ever put together in individual tracks, Some Cold Rock Stuf is a sound buffet. With the cut “Party” J Rocc makes a track that almost feels like a mid-nineties Chicago House cut or even a Mark Farina Mushroom Jazz track. Followed immediately by “Chasing The Sun” which has a slower tempo almost Trip-Hop record with a beautiful piano.

[wpaudio url=”https://www.thewordisbond.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/07-Track-7.mp3″ text=”J.Rocc – Chasing The Sun” dl=”0″]

Later in your listening you come to the track “Malcom Was Here” and are taken from a jazzy state of mind to a trippy, bass filled extravaganza. Every track on the album has its own characteristics that keep you listening, sometimes with an open jaw on some “How did he think of that?” type steez.

J Rocc also has a sense of humor; Some Cold Rock Stuf contains a “mystery disc.” There are a total of three mystery discs, and each album comes with one of the three discs. It almost makes you want to buy as many copies of Some Cold Rock Stuf in order to collect all three mystery discs. There is no track list provided for the “mystery disc” and the albums label does not distinguish one mystery disc from the other. So you will receive a mystery disc with your purchase however you will always wonder what is on the other two. Me personally, I wouldn’t be able to live with that knowing how incredible Some Cold Rock Stuf is, I will have to figure out a way to get all three.

The packaging for Some Cold Rock Stuf is a thing of beauty in its own right. The vinyl release is a 3/LP set, album and mystery disc, with a triple gatefold, double sided poster, and sticker sheet.  The CD is double disc, album and mystery disc, packaged in a custom-made 12-panel digipack.  The album illustration was done by Gustavo Eandi. Gustavo was also responsible for the album illustration for Madlib Medicine Show #1. And the design was done by Jeff Jank. Also included is a photo of J Dilla & J Rocc by Egon, circa 2005.

When all is said and done I have always been impressed with J Rocc’s body of work and Some Cold Rock Stuf just proves that he is one of the best to do it. I would give just about anything to just sit and observe the creative process J Rocc went through to get this album put together. Once again Stones Throw Records released an album that will still get played by me five, ten maybe even fifteen years from now. You do not need to be a Hip Hop head to enjoy this album; you just need to be a fan of quality music that will stand the test of time.

Purchase Link: J Rocc – Some Cold Rock Stuf (via Stones Throw Records)

Twitter:  @JRocc , @StonesThrow

Jeremiah

J.Rocc – Stay FreshCLICK IMAGE TO VIEW VIDEO

[easyreview title=”Word Is Bond Rating” cat1title=”Lyrics” cat1detail=”There really are no lyrics on the album but the vocal samples are on point” cat1rating=”4″ cat2title=”Production” cat2detail=”The production on this album is ahead of its time. If there is a Grammy Category for this type of album J Rocc should win it.” cat2rating=”4.5″ cat3title=”Originality” cat3detail=”One of the most unique albums out right now, like I said in the review, a sound buffet.” cat3rating=”5″ cat4title=”Replayability” cat4detail=”Some Cold Rock Stuf will be a staple in the playlist fo a very long time” cat4rating=”4.5″ summary=”This is one of those rare albums that will appeal to all fans of music and will stand the test of time.”]