BEGBORROWSTEEL

Similar to MF DOOM and Madlib, Count Bass D has a undeniable knack for making hip-hop pocket symphonies, short-but-sweet tracks that manage to pack piles of charisma into mini masterpieces that often don\'t even touch the two-minute mark. His winning combination of haphazard spontaneity and intricately layered studio work continues on *Begborrowsteel*, a 15 track EP overflowing with stream-of-consciousness wordplay and unpredictable beatwork. Subject matter here includes cautionary tales of murderous policemen (\"Body By Jake\"), post-breakup pontificating (\"Down Easy,\" which flaunts his singing chops), and the power of the dollar on the reggae-fied \"Dollar Bill.\" Also fresh are the oddly titled, string-heavy instrumental \"Kumbuka Watu Penda Pesa (Part 1),\" and the straight-forward but smooth \"New Edition Karaoke.\" To be sure, the Count\'s hyper-unique style is not for everyone, and listeners accustomed to the status quo may find themselves initially confused by the mass amounts of experimentation and risk-taking on display, but those with an open mind and open ears are in for a treat.