Bleep

Among prolific practitioners of the Roland SP 404 beat-maker, few demonstrate the untapped life of the old machine like Ras G. Sadly, Raw Fruit Vol. 5-6 constitutes the last of the LA producer’s output following his untimely passing in 2019 — as such, the poetry and sensitivity in his beat-making methodology shines through bittersweetly. The likes of ‘Cardigan Sweater’, ’Love Was…’ and ‘Coldwave’ demonstrate Ras G’s eschewed boom bap sensibilities, and his ability to transcend lo-fi hip hop instrumentalism into the realms of purely atmospheric. That said, he could still turn a monster beat to challenge Madlib on the classically infused rhythm of ‘De La Soul’ and ‘Rev’s Conk’.