It’s that mood of mellow vigour,

contemplative slowness,

vigilant sunny day,

sophisticated gangster persona,

it’s the jazz rap mood.

This godly fusion of jazz-meets-rap saw the light in the late 1980’s/early 1990’s, with its pioneers: A Tribe Called Quest, Digable Planets, De La Soul, Gang Starr, Jungle Brothers and Dream Warriors, not to mention some new school rappers who have also contributed with classics that fall under this genre (at the top of my head, Kendrick’s To Pimp A Butterfly, thank you very much).

Here’s a playlist to get you in the mood.

 

Scroll down to the bottom for the full YouTube and Spotify playlists.

 

1. Kendrick Lamar – Ab Soul’s Outro:

2. Loyle Carner – Ain’t Nothing Changed

3. All Caps – Madvillain

4. Blu – Amnesia

5. A Tribe Called Quest – Buggin’ Out

6. King Geedorah – Next Levels

7. Mac Miller – Stay

8. Lone Catalysts – Renaissance

9. Noname – Shadow Man

10. Nas – Purple

Stay cool.

 

Spotify:

YouTube playlist: