Jeff Spec

It's been a short while since something from Jeff Spec has crossed into my hands, but his newest release is a pleasant surprise. In the past, Jeff's beat choices have not always been great, but with The Regular, the MC previously known as Intellect rocks over some self-produced (with help from a few others, here and there) party bumping beats that sometimes remind me of Maestro Fresh-Wes, from back in the day, but without sounding so dated. Like his City Planner crew member Moka Only, Jeff Spec has remained one of Canada's overlooked MCs, but this album could change all of that. "Reggy Intro" kicks the party off right, with a short rap over a speedy little track containing some nice bongos. The rest of the album features some highs and lows. I guess that should be expected from an album that is 21 cuts long. Sichuan's one production credit, "Rap Celeb," is not the best track, but it is up there, and his vocal appearance on "Quotation, Comma" is good. However, it's Ishkan's unique vocals on "We Caught You Pt. 2" and "Complex Promo" that are the vocal highlights. Birdapres also makes an appearance on "Roll To It," but it doesn't compare with his latest material with DJ Moves, but then again, what does? Other good tracks that should be checked are "Next Stop," "What You Want" (actually my favourite Spec solo track on the album) and "Eleanor." City Planners are starting to heat up Vancouver; do you want to be left out in the cold?