Two legendary producers in the fields of hip-hop and jazz are about to bring us another album's worth of their electric chemistry. Moreover, legendary multi-instrumentalist and hip-hop icon Madlib and astonishing drummer Karriem Riggins just dropped the single "Massamba Afundance" under their hip-hop/future jazz duo name, Jahari Massamba Unit. This is a three-minute instrumental show-stopper with relentless percussion, gorgeous key embellishments, and an intoxicating live atmosphere thanks to distant crowd noise additions. They previously released "Stomping Gamay," another promotional single for their upcoming album, YHWH Is Love, scheduled to land on March 1.
Furthermore, this is by no means Karriem Riggins' first experience with forming hip-hop-inclusive supergroups. For example, all the way back in 2018, he teamed up with Common, Robert Glasper, and Brandy for "Optimistic," and worked with plenty of rap artists before and after that. Fans might remember his contributions to Denzel Curry's excellent 2022 studio album, Melt My Eyez See Your Future, as one of his most recent and high-profile offerings. As for Madlib... well, you know his name is synonymous with both the best beats you'll ever hear and exciting jazz experimentation. Seeing him fully embrace this for a full project's never been dull in the past, and through Jahari Massamba Unit, he's poised to excel once again.
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Madlib & Karriem Riggins' "Massamba Afundance" As Jahari Massamba Unit: Stream
However, what excites us the most about "Massamba Afundance" in particular is its strong live feel. Whether it's the deep and echoing percussion hits, the added chimes, or the key-playing's improvisational nature, this is an entrancing rhythm to fall into for its short runtime. It's also very curious because Madlib usually occupies a pretty liminal space between crisp production and lo-fi soundscapes, so hearing a rougher but more lively mix is never a bad thing. He's also keeping rap fans excited and on edge by teasing new collaborations with the likes of Freddie Gibbs and Mac Miller. All we can ask for is that we see how these two worlds fuse even more in 2024, because it's all been amazing.
If you haven't heard it, you can check out the song above or on your preferred streaming service. When you come back, we want to know what you thought of Jahari Massamba Unit's "Massamba Afundance," especially if this is a less familiar genre to you. How do you like the "Waves Crashing" beatsmith's treatment of Riggins' drumming here, and are you excited to delve into YHWH Is Love? Whatever the case, let us know in the comments section down below. Also, as always, check back in with HNHH for more news on Madlib and Karriem Riggins, as well as for more great music drops around the clock.
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