Jan 02 2009
Producer Profile-DJ Khalil
Self Scientific’s debut was one of those albums I bought when I was still buying vinyl. I remember I had the big brown cover of The Self Science prominently displayed on the front of my stax for most of 2001. Khalil’s beats were something of a marvel to behold. It was a very sonically progressive time in Hip Hop. It was the year Blueprint really introduced us to Kanye’s genius., the year Timbaland and Missy pushed the envelope on Miss E…So Addictive, and the year Ludacris redefined the Southern sound on Word of Mouf. And wouldn’t you know it, the West Coast wasn’t about to let NY, VA, and ATL have all the shine. Up stepped L.A’s Khalil Abdul-Rahman. That whole album from front to back was packed with beats that had more punch, clarity, and polish than most underground records, and more soul, jazz, and feeling than most commercial records.
Besides his work with Self Scientific, Khalil also gained attention through his songs for other artists, including work on De La’s Art Official Intelligence, and his work with DJ Muggs and the Soul Assassins. Eventually, like all of our underground gems, he was snatched up by 50 and Jay and Jimmy, but like a true Hip Hop hero, he’s continued to put out records with Chase Infinite, Talib Kweli, and Living Legends. The link is to his myspace page where you can hear some of his newest latest, including most of his singles, but the song I’m gonna play for you is a classic. Peep.
http://www.myspace.com/djkhalil1
