Disregard the juvenile title that is Beat Diarya--producer Jon b (a.k.a. Jonathan Balazs) has already come up with his fair share of clever titles in the past, including "Get Ripped and Try Dying" on his eponymous Hardly Novices featuring Max Prime. It turns out that ingenious rappers are not yet completely extinct, but rather a bunch of them are thriving in Edmonton, much like most guest artists on Beat Diarya.

Jon b successfully produced an aural piece of art that transcends hierarchy. He didn't reinvent the wheel, but Beat Diarya is packed with unique beats, nice grooves and skillful, no-show-off rapping. About half the tracks are Jon b-flavoured remixed or "warped" (basically alterations of pitch and tempo) pieces, classics from Mobb Deep to Lord Finesse, which are slightly redundant, but connoisseurs should be keen on the many references thrown in there. It gets better: collaborations with Canadian rappers such as Mindbender and Touch. Jon b should continue to pursue this vein in his upcoming productions. Let him age a bit-he's only 21 and already demonstrates what an accomplished producer he can be. Balazs admits he would perhaps sign with a record company if an offer comes up, but simply not at the price of changing his music. Damn right, Jon. Get Beat Diarya for $5 at www.phonographique.com

Maude Lachaine, Discorder Magazine