Dr Octagon - Trees
[Buttercuts]

A true hip hop icon returned this year, with his first album in years. No we're not talking the comeback of Jay-Z here, but the return of Dr Octagon and his second longplayer under the charismatic alter ego.

The doctor has a had fruitful past to say the least, releasing genre-defining albums through various aliases like Dr Dooom, Kool Keith and as part of 80's rap group Ultramagnetic MCs. But it's his work as Dr Octagon that has caused most interest, dabbling with bizarre imagery like time-travelling gynecologists and space travel. Not something you'd generally associate with most rappers.

There's been some real confusion surrounding The Return Of Dr Octagon, as to whether Kool Keith ever consented to its release. But that aside, Trees is the latest single from the long-player and is his outspoken battle against global warming - something obviously close to his heart, as shown by the recent commercial he broadcast in conjunction with MTV.

Musicially, Trees is all spacey synths, future-funk basslines and crisp, cut-up beats while lyrics touch upon the seriousness of the issue at hand, with lyrics like "papers gets printed, trees maybe extinct like the elephant" and the strong chorus of "trees are dying, trees are dying".

Trees and the new album may not have not the same impact as 1996's self-titled debut, but this is still a great track. The production is tight, Keith's rhymes are still as sharp and he's even tackling serious issues along the way. What more could you want?