Man'sbestfriend - The New Human Is Illegal
[Morr Music]

You can't really fail to love anything by Anticon's Sole, but under his new alias of Man'sbestfriend we hear his first truly independent piece of work. Until now, Sole has remained purely on rap duties & his Anticon brothers crafted the beats, 'The New Human..' meanwhile is the first insight into Sole's role as both producer & MC.

Deep bass, rapid rhymes and twisted lyricism dominate the diverse range of funk, warped samples & downright hard beats. Cuts like 'Little Bank Anthem' touch on the partnership of Venetian Snares & Buck 65, while the hybrid of top grade hip-hop & electronics may draw likeness to Prefuse 73 or even Shadow Huntaz.

Although comparisons with such highly regarded names shouldn't normally be dropped so loosely, tunes this killer mean Sole couldn't be more deserving to be in the same league as these top dogs. The production is as tight as Odd Nosdam's & the beat programming is flawless, for a first self-produced long-player Sole has excelled himself.

Odd Nosdam's usual dusty, shuffly beats are nearly put to shame with the inclusion of such modern drums and fresh production. While cLOUDDEAD are way ahead of their peers, 'The New Human Is Illegal' pushes the boundaries further than any Anticon release could hope for.

Along with Shadow Huntaz and the forthcoming Diplo album on Ninja Tune, 2004 looks to be one of the most promising and inspiring years for hip-hop. A fierce and exciting release that blows all expectation out of the water, clearly an album you shouldn't be without.