And you didn't think it could get any better! The Brown Tape continues the renaissance of Ghostface Killah's sound that was sparked by Adrian Younge's collaboration 12 Reasons To Die. Originally released as a limited edition cassette for Record Store Day, The Brown Tape sees Apollo Brown remix and re-vision the funk infused beats of Younge. In place of the throwback soul vibes of its predecessor, Brown's take is all gritty hip hop and filtered SP-12 beats. Some of you might even dig this more than the original. All the guests spots are left intact and when paired up with Brown's beats it almost feels like a return to the 36 Chambers. The only thing missing are some verses from more core Wu members like Method Man and Raekwon. So yeah, to say this is refreshing might be an understatement. Chalk this one up as a must cop. Includes full instrumental version on a second LP. Recommended.

• music label: Soul Temple Entertainment 2013

reviewed by Kool Moby 08/2013