The Deep Thinkers

The Deep Thinkers have made a name in Kansas City as the forward-thinking hip-hop authorities. The newest release from producer Leonard Dstroy and MC Brother of Moses, Don’t Call It A Mixtape Vol. 1, features 27 tracks that dangle between album and mixtape territories. Don’t Call It justifies the claims buzzing around KC that Lenny D could be the best producer in town, showing just how lucky Brother of Moses is to rap alongside him. Lenny flips beats from ’70s funk and lets the powerful vocals ride out in the open, creating space-age soul and demonstrating his tremendous knack for reinventing samples. His instrumentals — which come off just a bit overproduced but retain the chill factor needed to enjoy them — encompass a recognizable blend of organic fundamentals and breaks. When he ties these in with glitchy, spacey melodies, Lenny D thrusts ahead of the conscious hip-hop curve, proving that the Deep Thinkers can, in fact, live up to their name.