A fresh 7" from Mush Records shows that the now-LA-based label hasn't lost any spring in its step. On his aptly titled seven-inch Mini-Mini-Me, Deru (Benjamin Wynn) collaborates with two Bay Area rappers in a manner reminiscent of Dabrye's MCs-based Two/Three. Deru's two-tracker would appear to be a bit of a one-off, given that it's the only release of its kind in his catalogue to date; still, there's much to enjoy about it, one way or the other.
“Spliff” - three guesses as to what it's about - overlays Deru's downtempo head-nod with the biting flow of Casual (Hieroglyphics), who at times resembles a more animated Doom, while Gift of Gab (Blackalicious) scatters rough'n'ready verses over Deru's equally rough bleep-funk in “Bad, Bad Man.”
If I had my wish, the release would've included vocal-less versions of the two tracks, too, just so that one'd be able to gain a better appreciation of Deru's work on its own: the cowbell-battered bump of “Spliff” would definitely hold up perfectly well sans vocals, as would the heady splatter-funk of “Bad, Bad Man.” Nevertheless, the recording's an eight-minute appetizer that leaves the listener wanting more, not less. - Textura |
1X7"/Out Of Print