Nezbeat

On his first solo release, Lawrence hip-hop producer Nezbeat (Jeremy Nesbitt) builds a varied collection of mellow, jazz-influenced loops, beats and samples to house an equally varied assortment of guest lyricists and musicians. Nezbeat digs into his overstocked jazz crates to extract big-band horn lines, vibraphones and muted trumpets to coax a substantially cool vibe. Psych-rock guitar riffs, choir loops and keyboards also provide contrasts and complements to the accompanying vocals. Typically, producer-helmed hip-hop records teeter under the weight of guest appearances. Luckily for Nezbeat, an all-star lineup of local talent puts a distinctive stamp on this record. I.D. (Nezbeat’s partner in Archetype), Joe Good, Approach, C.E.S. Cru, Johnny Quest, Mac Lethal (with A-Train and Def-Jux’s Murs) and even Lawrence shoegazers the Capsules come together to create an excellent sampler of local talent ladled over Nez’s inspired production. And the best part: no damned skits.