unofficial import reissue - The follow-up to the heavily acclaimed Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1. Some of the big guns of jazz found their way into the album, including Branford Marsalis (who, of course, had already experimented with urban beats a bit with his Buckshot Lefonque project), Freddie Hubbard, Ramsey Lewis, and Kenny Garrett. Underground rapper Kool Keith (at this point still a member of the Ultramagnetics) also makes an appearance. Dancehall reggae princess Patra is included on a track, as are Chaka Khan and Me'Shell N'Degeocello; Jamiroquai helps out in another. In some ways, the personnel on this album may be slightly superior to the first outing, and what makes the Jazzmatazz albums special is the live synthesis of jazz and rap. With Guru's vocals over the top of live jazz performers (as opposed the usual samples), interplay is facilitated between the two, and thus a whole new dimension is added to the fusion.
A1 | Intro (Light It Up) / Jazzalude I / New Reality Style |
A2 | Lifesaver |
A3 | Living In This World |
A4 | Looking Through Darkness |
A5 | Skit A (Interview) / Watch What You Say |
B1 | Jazzalude II / Defining Purpose |
B2 | For You |
B3 | Insert A (Mental Relaxation) / Medicine |
B4 | Lost Souls |
B5 | Insert B (The Real Deal) / Nobody Knows |
C1 | Jazzalude III / Hip Hop As A Way Of Life |
C2 | Respect The Architect |
C3 | Feel The Music |
C4 | Young Ladies |
C5 | The Traveler |
D1 | Jazzalude IV / Maintaining Focus |
D2 | Count Your Blessings |
D3 | Choice Of Weapons |
D4 | Something In The Past |
D5 | Skit B (Alot On My Mind) / Revelation |