The blending of hip-hop and jazz has underpinned a great many classic releases and this new, two-track, collaborative release from Conscious Route and Chris Greive certainly pulls on this tradition. The first track, ‘Get To Like Mine,’ opens with a sparse, off-kilter break, keys and lilting brass notes that draw from Chris’ jazz trombone experience. The production slowly builds in layers as Conscious Route delivers a captivating rhyme about the struggles of growing up in a society where, as a young Black man, he was pushed into negative situations due to a lack of options, poverty and the expectations that were placed upon him. Drawing from his own experience, Conscious Route speaks on how he overcame and found compassion and self-worth.

Things switch up a notch with the second track, ‘Black’s The New Orange,’ as a crisp breakbeat creates a foundation for a playful call-and-response between Conscious Route’s lyrics and Chris Greive’s trombone playing. Bringing the improvisational and freestyle elements associated with jazz and hip-hop to bear, this funky head-nodder flexes organic musicianship with a bold lyrical swagger that will appease, entertain and intrigue hip-hop heads and jazz-lovers alike. Give this two-track release a listen and you are sure to agree that Conscious Route’s lyrical dexterity and Chris Greive’s jazz-drenched production (plus a little collaborative idea-swapping thrown into the mix) is a formula that you will want to hear more of.

Release date: 20.09.2024