Moka Only

On The Lowdown Suite 2, Moka Only cements his reputation as one of hip-hop's Renaissance men. In an era where most rappers struggle to fill an entire album without throwing a guest MC on every track, Moka goes above and beyond. Not only does he rap but he also produced all but one of the songs on The Lowdown Suite 2 and also sings his hooks. More importantly, he does all of these things well. As a rapper, Moka takes his drawling, elastic flow and makes it sound at home on any topic, whether he's voicing his frustrations as a still-struggling artist on "Clap Yer Feet" or teaching life lessons on "Be Alright." His strong production skills are most on display on "Fried Rice," where he builds a dark mood using some classic boom-bap beats, along with a haunting flute riff and tons of analog hiss, and "Rock the Yacht," where he floods the track with Latin percussion samples and vintage organ sounds to create an offbeat party anthem. As a singer, Moka makes up for his lack of polish with a charming vocal style that can't help but put a smile on your face. In addition to being a great album in its own right, The Lowdown Suite 2 also serves as a warning to the rest of the hip-hop world that they should broaden their skill set or risk getting left behind.