Stylish hip-hop! A roundup of classic albums in Western jazzy hip-hop

In All the Wrong PlacesKero One

Kero One – In All the Wrong Places (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)

While the golden age of jazzy hip-hop was the 1990s, there have of course been many artists since the 2000s who fuse jazz and hip-hop to present their own distinctive styles.

The star of this piece, the Korean-American Kero One, is a rapper and producer whose weapon is an inventive sound that moves freely between hip-hop and jazz.

It was Japanese music fans who first recognized Kero One, who had been pursuing DIY music activities in the underground scene; even before his album debut he had already performed in Japan, an experience that greatly influenced the rest of his career.

In addition to his MC and track-making skills, Kero One is multitalented, including in graphic design, and his landmark debut album, Windmills of the Soul, stands as a monument of jazzy hip-hop that serves as a culmination of everything he achieved through DIY.

From the very first track, Windmills Intro—with its semi-acoustic guitar arpeggios and tasteful beat—you can sense that the album’s success is all but guaranteed.

The tracks, which use not only jazz loops but also live instruments, are mellow and groovy, offering listeners a superb vibe whether as a soundtrack to daily life or as lounge music.

There’s also an instrumental version, Windmills Of The Soul Inst.

, which is recommended for those who want to focus on the tracks themselves.

ResurrectionCommon

Common – Resurrection (Official Video)

When it comes to legendary Chicago rappers, it has to be Common—the Grammy-winning artist who also took home an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

He began his career under the name Common Sense before shortening it to “Common,” and has since continued to release notable works that venture beyond hip-hop into various genres, while also staying active as a film actor.

As mentioned, the last album he released under the name Common Sense—and his second overall—was 1994’s sophomore effort Resurrection, a must-listen classic for anyone interested in jazzy hip-hop.

From the opening title track alone—with its looping piano phrase, impeccably scratched hook, and Common’s skillful rapping that favors lyrical poignancy over shock value—you can tell the album’s excellence is assured.

The record is packed with classic tracks that carry mellow, jazzy grooves, including the masterpiece I Used to Love H.

E.

R.

, which samples George Benson’s The Changing World.

The production was handled by No I.

D.

, for whom this album, like for Common, became a breakthrough.

While it didn’t achieve commercial success at the time, it received high critical acclaim and cemented its place in history as a work that put Chicago hip-hop on the map in a scene then dominated by New York and Los Angeles.

The Music feat. SIENNAFunky DL

Funky DL – The Music feat. SIENNA

From the moment you see the album title “Blackcurrent Jazz,” you can sense a rich jazz aroma wafting through.

Hailing from the UK, Funky DL is a quintessential rapper-producer known for his jazzy hip-hop.

He’s enjoyed success in the U.

S.

as well, producing for major artists like Missy Elliott, and in Japan he’s widely known for his close association with the late Nujabes.

A prolific artist who continues to release music energetically, Funky DL’s standout work—and the one we’ll introduce here—is the classic “Blackcurrent Jazz.” If you’re into jazz rap, this is a must-hear, and it’s also highly recommended as the perfect first entry into Funky DL’s music.

As noted at the outset, this is a straightforwardly jazz-themed project, offering a sophisticated mellowness that seamlessly bridges jazz and hip-hop—an endlessly pleasant, blissful listening experience that will appeal not only to jazz fans but also to lovers of R&B.

It’s not just “kinda jazzy” for the vibe; it’s the sound of an artist with jazz firmly rooted in his background, and it’s outstanding.

As an aside, this work has become a series, with three albums released as of 2022.

Loungin’Guru

Guru – Loungin’ ft. Donald Byrd

If what you want is thoroughly jazz-soaked hip-hop, I highly recommend the solo album series Jazzmatazz by Guru, the MC of the legendary hip-hop duo Gang Starr.

Released under the title Guru’s Jazzmatazz, the series spans four volumes, and a best-of compilation, The Best of Guru’s Jazzmatazz, came out in 2008.

Here, we’re focusing on the landmark first installment from 1993, Guru’s Jazzmatazz, Vol.

1.

As you can tell from Guru’s calm words over the wistful trumpet on the opening track, Introduction, this is not just hip-hop with a jazz flavor—it’s a project born from the aim of fusing jazz and hip-hop as authentic Black music.

True to that statement, the album features veteran and up-and-coming artists from hip-hop, R&B, and jazz across the U.

S.

and Europe, and first-time listeners will be astonished by its cool, cutting-edge sound.

The de facto opening number, Loungin’, features Donald Byrd on trumpet, and right from the start the boundary between jazz and hip-hop dissolves, letting you fully savor the richness of Black music.

With contributions from British artists as well, the contemporaneous acid-jazz sophistication and groove are irresistibly stylish!

My Definition of a Boombastic Jazz StyleDream Warriors

Dream Warriors – My Definition Of A Boombastic Jazz Style

With a name that really makes an impact, those well-versed in horror films might be reminded of A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.

Formed in Toronto, Canada in 1988, Dream Warriors are known for helping fuel the rise of jazzy hip-hop in the 1990s.

They started as a duo, expanded in their middle period to a four-piece with a DJ and additional members, and later returned to a duo.

The album featured here, And Now the Legacy Begins, is their landmark debut released in 1991.

It became a bigger hit in the UK than in their native Canada and earned high praise from critics.

The most famous track on the album, My Definition of a Boombastic Jazz Style, boldly interpolates the Quincy Jones classic Soul Bossa Nova—the theme from the Austin Powers series and a tune familiar in Japan from commercials—making it a classic among classics.

Other highlights include Wash Your Face in My Sink, which samples Count Basie’s Hang On Sloopy, and the title track, which draws from Tom Tom Club’s much-sampled Genius of Love, among many cuts that skillfully and tastefully reconstruct sources from jazz to funk into their own sound.

If you’re interested in the hip-hop of the so-called Golden Age, this is a must-check.

Betty (Get Money)Yung Gravy

Yung Gravy – Betty (Get Money) (Official Music Video)

Rapper Yung Gravy, who’s gained popularity for his unique style.

He’s known for striking sample choices you don’t usually hear in mainstream hip-hop.

Among his tracks, the one I especially recommend is Betty (Get Money).

It’s a pop-leaning hip-hop song that samples Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up, and its appeal lies more in the overall package than in pure rapping skill.

It’s hip-hop that anyone can sing along to as long as they know the English lyrics, so be sure to check it out.

Take You TherePete Rock & CL Smooth

Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth – Take You There (Official Video)

They only released two original albums, yet with those two works they became one of the most influential duos in hip-hop history: Pete Rock & C.

L.

Smooth.

The unit paired Pete Rock—now a hugely popular producer—with C.

L.

Smooth, whose rap style blends rigor and elegance.

As mentioned at the start, they disbanded after leaving those two albums, but they’ve maintained a good relationship, with C.

L.

guesting on Pete’s projects and the two occasionally reuniting for live performances.

Both of their albums are hard to rank over the other, but in terms of overall completeness, let me highlight their second and final album, 1994’s The Main Ingredient.

It’s an undisputed hip-hop classic, and its ultra-refined sound is nothing short of art.

Pete famously said he “puts soul into loops,” and the exquisite balance between the assertive drums and the top-line elements showcases a near-miraculous touch, yielding richly jazzy and soulful tracks.

This is a record best enjoyed not by cherry-picking individual songs, but by immersing yourself in the album’s mood from the first track to the last.