Practice What U Preach

Arriving five years after the double LP The Crack Capone on Planet Mu, DJ Roc's 2015 release Practice What U Preach is shorter and more focused than its predecessor, at only eight tracks. It definitely seems less frenetic, with far less emphasis on sample mutilation and bone-snapping beats. The tracks here all run close to four or five minutes rather than two or three, allowing more time to build moods and let samples breathe. It doesn't quite have the intensity or jaw-dropping weirdness of his earlier work, but it's still an impressive album. "It Takes Two" samples the familiar Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock hit of the same name, beginning by looping the infamous "Think" breakbeat for the first couple minutes before dovetailing into woozy synths and samples of Rob Base's voice commanding to "get loose now." "The Worst" is footwork at its most contemplative, with slow, atmospheric pianos and a repeated female vocal sample stating "don't take this personal." "Destruction" is straight-up battle music, with stuttering combat horns pitted up against triple-time beats. "Ready or Not" contains even more grand orchestral samples, with horns and strings reversed and pitched up for a suspenseful effect. The brief album shows a remarkable amount of maturity and restraint, without sacrificing the intensity and unpredictability that made DJ Roc's work notable in the first place. ~ Paul Simpson