Blakroc - Blakroc

On paper, Blakroc are every hip-hop fan’s dream come true...

Rating: 7On paper, Blakroc are every hip-hop fan’s dream come true. With a star-studded line-up that includes Ludacris, Mos Def, Billy Danze, RZA, Raekwon and ODB, expectations for this collaborative project were always going to be vertigo-inducingly high. The rhymes are as tight as you’d expect from the talent present, and there are no samples used here. Instead, The Black Keys provide the bass-heavy, sullen and often uninspired backing – occasionally unleashing Dan Auerbach’s guitar to remind you that they’re still present. While there are some real gems here, this record never quite fractures the hip-hop mould enough to fulfil its potential.

For fans of: MF Doom, Wu-Tang Clan, Cannibal Ox

John Longbottom