Funkwhatchuheard

Best known for his extensive body of work with The Justus League and associated artists (Little Brother, The Away Team, Chaundon, Sean Boog, etc.), North Carolina producer Khrysis is part of The Soul Council crew. He's worked with just about every name you can think of in the postmillennial indie-rap spectrum: Talib Kweli, Jean Grae, Cormega, Sean Price, Evidence, Blakastan, Mac Miller, and countless others. As with his frequent collaborator 9th Wonder, the compositions here are reliably funky and smooth, built mostly from well-chopped vintage samples and minimalist drum breaks; they're light on the synths but heavy on the soul. Funkwhatchuheard is his first instrumental project and features 11 tracks showcasing his gift for creating head-nodders, even when there's no emcee to rock 'em. These tracks are ideal as background music or practice joints for rappers-in-training; highlights include the triumphant "NC!!," the hypnotic "Rhode to Riches," and the neck-bending closer "(That's What) She Said."