VIRB

Jon B - Beat Diarya (independent)
By: Thomas Quinlan

Splitting his time between Edmonton, AB and his new home in Toronto, producer Jon B attempts to expose his skills behind the boards to a larger audience with Beat Diarya, a collection of remixes, warps, instrumentals and new tracks. About half the album consists of remixes and warps - what Jon B calls his own brand of mash-ups. For the two warps, Mobb Deep's "Shook Onez" gets sped up on a bass-heavy beat and Big L's "Pudding Is On" is slowed down over a glitchy beat. Although unable to match the high-energy intensity of the original (or even the remix with Ol' Dirty Bastard), Busta Rhymes' "Woo-Haa (Got You All In Check)" still ends up being the best remix on the album thanks to an elastic bassline and a child-like piano loop, while Lord Finesse's "Hip 2 My Game" is drenched in jingle bells. The remixes and warps might have the name recognition to attract the listeners, but it's Jon B's original productions for a selection of top notch underground Canadian emcees that truly showcases his talents. The highligth is Max Prime's funny raps over Jon B's fun beat for "The Update," which builds anticipation for a follow up to their collaboration album Hardly Novices from three years back. And then there's Mindbender, who brings the sci-fi braggadocio over warped horns and heavy drum for "Maximum Supremacy"; Touch, who macks your girl over piano and even heavier drums for "Women"; and Corvid Lorax, who gets abstract over a smooth beat and what sounds like an electro-cardio machine for "My Father's House." And frankly, it's these Canadian contributions that really makes Jon B's Beat Diarya worthwhile.

http://www.hiphopcanada.com/_site/community/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=53182